What are the administrative steps?

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“Centres pour les études en France” give impetus to making foreign students welcome

Supplementing an already efficient worldwide system of welcoming foreign students, France has created a particularly effective tool at its embassies: the “Centres pour les études en France” (Centres for studying in France) - CEFs. Set up as part of the public policy to promote the attractiveness of France, the purpose of the Centres pour les études en France is not only to give students on-line information about the higher education system in mainland France, but also to facilitate administrative and admissions procedures, as well as the acquisition of permission to stay in the country. Indeed, students will be able to obtain a visa and a residence permit by pre-registering on line, via the Internet, from their country of origin. There are CEFs in many countries on every continent.

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What are the administrative steps?

1/ Before leaving
2/ Formalities for studying in France

1/ Before leaving

a- a valid passport
b- a visa
c- pre-registration

a- Passport and national identification card At the French borders, all foreigners must have a passport issued in their country. An identification card suffices for European Union nationals. Passports must be valid for at least the duration of the stay.

b- Visas The different types of “Student” visas What nationality, what visa to come to France?

c- Pre-registration: Foreign students with a foreign secondary school leaving certificate who wish to enrol in pre-graduate studies at a French university must apply for preliminary admission (DAP). This is done at the cooperation and cultural action branches of French embassies abroad or Centres for Studies in France (CEF), when they exist. This formality concerns only those students who wish to enrol in the first year of university. Students who wish to enrol in a higher level of studies must contact the university concerned directly. Those who wish to enrol in a Grande Ecole, a private institution, a University Technological Institute (IUT), or a department for advanced technicians (STS) must contact the selected institution directly. For more information: Ministry of National Education

d- Centres for Studies in France (CEF)

These centres give foreign students the option, through a website, to submit their dossier online and monitor its processing in real time. In addition, higher education institutions will be able to pre-register foreign students, without these latter having to send a paper dossier to France. Moreover, once they have received their visa, students that have pre-registered at a French university will be exempt from going to the Prefecture for a residency document for the year. Learn more about the CEFs that are already operational in six countries: China, Algeria, Senegal, Vietnam, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Read the article taken from Actualités en France : “Centres pour les études en France” give impetus to making foreign students welcome

2/ Formalities for studying in France

Practical sheets to help you with the administrative process:
  The CNOUS
  Public service
  National education - Studying in France

Print version

Quality Charter for French Government Foreign Scholars

Useful links: French Minister of education; The French education portal; EduFrance; C.I.E.P; Going to France; Investing in France