Student Visa

Disclaimer

The authors are not visa or study abroad agents. They were the students of french institutions and here to share their experiences.

General Information

Time to apply

One can apply for a Visa only 90 days before the journey to France. Campus France procedure usually starts by the end of April or beginning of May. Try to apply for a visa before mid-July at the latest. Mid-July and August the inflow of applications is high so it might take longer to get your visa.

Time to obtain visa

The visa can take upto 2 months to process. However, many of us got our visa within 2-3 weeks. If you apply in June, do not be surprised if you will get it within 3-4 working days too.

In case there is a delay in your visa, don't worry, you can contact the Campus France and admissions office, and they will contact the consulate. Key is to keep the college administration informed about the delay.

Procedure

There are two steps to obtain a student visa for France. The first step is Campus France, and the second step is at VFS.

Step 1: Campus France

Use the below link to create your Campus France account and upload the below mentioned documents : You can read this link which explains it: pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr

These documents are to be uploaded in the above link and you need to carry original copies during your Campus France interview:

• 12th marksheet and passing certificate
• Bachelor degree and marksheets (if applicable). If you do not have your degree yet, please get a bonafide letter from your university
• Master degree and marksheets (if applicable). If you do not have your degree yet please get a bonafide letter from your university
• Work Experience Letter or Internship (if applicable)
• Admission Letter from the French School
• Passport (valid passport)
• IELTS / TOEFL score card (if applicable)
• CV
• The receipt of the online payment of Rs 16500. You can pay it at Campus France fees payment. Find more information below

Once you upload the files, they are verified by the campus France and a link will be sent to you to make the payment of Rs. 16,500 online. After you make the payment, you need to login to your campus France account and validate the payment.

Once the interview is done with Campus France, you will receive an NOC from them. With this NOC and other documents, you may go ahead and apply for your student visa at VFS.

Note:

1. Admission letter is the one which you received after making the down payment.

2. Few Campus France branches ask for your Financial resources during the Step 1. They ask you to show proof of funding and they ask you to fill a form, which will be sent by them once your appointment is confirmed. It's better to mail campus France of your region to confirm whether any proof of funding is required or not.

Step 2: VFS documents and process

After the Campus France procedure, the next step would be to fill your visa application. Link to create the account for visa application: france-visas.gouv.fr

After creating the account, download two files

• Filled Visa application
• Checklist of documents

An appointment at VFS should be booked after visa application is filled using the link: france-visas.gouv.fr

List of documents required for visa(Carry both originals and photocopies with you)

• Cover Letter
• Valid Passport original + [old passport(if applicable)] and photo copy of first page and last page along with any visa stampings you have.(At least 2 empty pages for visa and stampings)
• Proof of funding (minimum: 1 year Tuition fee+12*615€)
• Acceptance letter from college
• Campus France NOC original
• Academic Transcripts photocopy(degree certificate along with transcript of each semester or consolidated transcript or Bonafide from college if you haven't got degree yet along with transcript of each semester or consolidated transcript) along with 10th and 12th transcript.
• Travel Insurance (Minimum 90 days)
• Flight Tickets
• Proof of Accommodation
• Resume
• 2 passport size photos(35mm x 45mm, white background, Face covering up to 30mm)
• Filled visa application (obtained earlier)
• Checklist of document(obtained earlier)

Additional information

Requirements for the photo:

• Width =3.5cm and Height=4.5cm
• Glasses with no reflection or No glasses
• No editing
• White background
• Ears should be visible
• Teeth should NOT be visible*
• Distance from head to chin should be 3.5cm (i.e.: face covers 70 to 80% of the whole photo)

Proof of funding:

• Bank Loan: Proof required are Loan Sanction letter along with your father's/mother's IT returns from last 2 to 3 years.
• Sponsored by a family member: Affidavit of support on a stamp paper (Rs.20) attested by a Notary. This sponsorship may be from father/mother/ both / relatives.
• Using Savings Account: Bank statement of last 3 months and IT return of the sponsor from last 2 to 3 years. Letter from the bank stating current balance(Balance Statement). If the sponsor is an employee, provide a copy of their office ID card or (if retired) retirement certificate.
• Using Fixed Deposit: You can even provide FD as a proof it should be around 6 months old and the photocopy of the FD bond need to be attested by the bank manager and IT return of last 2 to 3 years .If sponsor is an employee, provide a copy of their office ID card or (if retired)retirement certificate.

Cover letter sample:

How much funding should be shown for a visa?

Answer: You need to show 1 year tuition fees + €615*12. (615euro is the minimum monthly expenses you need to show for visa). The cost of living is way cheaper than that when compensated by housing allowances (CAF). Generally, students spend no more than €450/month once they start getting CAF.

Travel insurance

For the visa process you will need travel insurance with a premium that covers at least USD 50000 for a period of at least 90 days. List of French-consulate-recognized insurance companies should be requested from Campus France as it might be updated every year.

Tip: Many students have opted for Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company since it is cheaper compared to others.

“Gateway to study in France”