Students must be aware that the validity of the student visa will cover the dates of the course within a limit of 2 weeks before the start of the course in France and 2 weeks after the end of the course : not exceeding 1 month in total. In no circumstances will travel dates longer than those mentioned above, around Europe or elsewhere in the world, will be taken into account for the dates of validity of their visa or for urgent processing of the application.

What is the process for applying for a student visa?

Before applying for their visa, students must first complete an on-line application with Campus France.Once Campus France has validated a student’s dossier, they may proceed with their visa application.

What are the requirements to obtain a student visa?

While most student visa requirements are similar from consulate to consulate, the student must check the appropriate consulate’s website for the exact requirements. An interactive map with links to the individual French Consulates in the United States can be found on the Embassy’s website at: http://ambafrance-us.org

Processing Time

How long does a student visa take and when should my student apply?

The Campus France process takes at least three weeks and the Consulate process take a minimum of two weeks. The application process can begin no sooner than 90 days before the departure date. It is strongly recommended that students begin the process at the earliest possible time in the event of unforeseeable delays.

Will consulates make exceptions and allow for emergency applications if a student is leaving sooner that than the standard processing time?

Unfortunately, there is no means by which a student’s application can be expedited. CampusFrance does not begin to review the case until the stated three-week processing time has elapsed.

My student cannot get an appointment time at the consulate in time for departure. How can the student get an earlier appointment?

It is recommended that the student first sign up for the earliest possible open appointment. The student may regularly check the consulate’s website for cancellations. When there is a cancellation, an earlier appointment time will become available. It is important that the student check the website multiple times per day because the openings will be claimed quickly by others seeking to advance their appointment. The consulate appointment system uses passport numbers as reference numbers and only one appointment can be assigned to a passport number. This means that students, and in particular those who may need to change their appointment, need to be careful to keep their appointment confirmation number as this is the only way to access the system to change or cancel an appointment.