Study in France - Preparing for your stay in France

Taking time to prepare your departure is vital in making a success of your time in France. Finding out as much as you can about your host country, choosing your curriculum with care, enrolling in higher education, obtaining a student’s residence permit – these are all essential steps in the curriculum to departure. Leaving for abroad also implies that you can provide for yourself financially during your stay (grant, benefits, family backing).

You, the candidate, must take time to think through all these aspects carefully. By doing so now you will create the right decisions for success.

The conditions governing your entry into France for an extended stay for study purposes differ from those applicable to tourist travel.

Application for provisional admission to join a university course Once the subject and place of study have been decided upon, first and second year candidates must obtain by mail or in person from the cultural services section of the French Embassy in their country, an application form, the demande d’admission prelable. The form must be completed and submitted by students who have a non-French school-leaving certificate and who wish to enroll for the first time in any of the following: first and second year at university, first year in medical school and or/ odontology, first year in pharmaceutical school and first year law school.

Special Cases

• Candidates living in France who hold a residence permit valid for at least one year must obtain the form from the university of their first choice.
• Candidates from European Union countries are not required to produce a residence permit.

Choosing a University Studetns are allowed to choose two universities, indicating order of preference, with the exception of the Parisian area which is split into three academies: Paris, Creteil, versailles: here, only one university may be chosen. Once the application form has been completed and the required documents assembled, send them to the service that provided the original admission form. If your application for admission is turned down by your first choice university, they will forward all documents to the second choice institution.

In the event of refusal If both universities send a negative reply and providing the grades obtained in the French language proficiency test permit, it is possible to appeal to requesting re-orientation. This request must be made in writing and arrive before July 10, addressed to Le Ministre de l’Education nationale, de l’Enseignement superieur et de la Recherche – Direction de l’Enseignement Superieur – 61, Rue Dutot, 75732 paris cedex 15. You will receive a response before September 15.

N.B. Refusal of admission to deuxieme cycle (the finalo two years of a degree course) does not automatically grant admission to premier cycle (the first two years of a degree course). Thwe candidate is thus advised to request provisionakl admission to Premier Cycle

Appeals The letter of appeal must be accompanied by a photocopy of the numbered receipt, photocopies of the negative replies with your French proficiency test grades, and a photocopy of the original school leaving certificate(s) issued in your country allowing access to higher education, together with a certified translation. The appeal is only receivable if candidate has received at least 20 in the language proficiency test. All requests in writing must be made in French and include full details of level of education, subject choice and place of residence.

Recognition of diplomas and graduate certificates The student’s foreign diploma must be recognised by a French entity. There is no auto0matic legal equivalent between French diplomas and overseas diplomas. In consequence of this, the decisions concerning recognition of diplomas are taken, following the propositions of a teaching commission, by the president or director of the university or educational establishment at which the student would like to enroll. For registration of first year and second year courses there is preliminary admission procedure, including a French language test (contact your French Embassy).

French Language Proficiency Test To gain admittance into a higher education institution or to receive a positive reply to your application for provisional admission, you will have to show an adequate command of the French language. Candidates must pass a language test which normally takes place during the latter half of February. In the country of origin this test is organised by the cultural services section of the French Embassy. In France the language test is organised by the first-choice university to which the candidate has sent his/her request.

The test consists of two parts tailored to the chosen study subjects:

1. Scientific, technical, medical or pharmaceutical studies; or
2. Literary, artistic, human sciences, legal, political, economic or management studies.

The first part tests the candidate’s understanding of written and oral French: the second assesses written proficiency. The test subjects are the same regardless of where the test is taken, and are chosen annually by a teaching committee with members appointed by the minister of National Education, Research and Technology.

Long-stay student residence permit Obtaining a visa Students planning to study in France must apply for information about conditions of entry into France and obtaining a long-stay student residence permit (visa) at the French Consulate closest to their home.

No visa, no legal status It is not possible for a student travelling with a tourist visa to switch to a student residence permit once in France (this goes for European union countries as well). It is imperative that candidates obtain a residence permit before leaving their own country.