Study in France from India — process, costs, visa, work rights

Effective 1 August 2026: Etudes en France (Campus France) processing fee for Indian applicants increased from INR 18,500 to INR 20,000 — source: Campus France India (inde.campusfrance.org).
Effective 1 August 2026: minimum financial-resources requirement for the French student visa increased from EUR 615/month to EUR 877.50/month — source: Campus France India (inde.campusfrance.org).

The Etudes en France procedure (Campus France account, file, academic interview) must be completed and cleared before a visa application can even be booked — this adds real lead time beyond the university admission itself.
Campus France India explicitly states it does not issue NOC (no-objection) certificates — do not rely on third parties claiming otherwise.
Grandes Ecoles and private institutions set their own tuition fees, which can be well above the public-university 'differentiated fee' rates quoted here.
The alumni post-study visa (12+12 months) is specific to the India-France bilateral agreement — confirm current terms with Campus France India or the French Embassy before relying on it.

The basics

Bachelor's: Licence: 3 years (6 semesters, 180 ECTS)
Master's / PhD: Master: 2 years (4 semesters, 120 ECTS); Doctorat: 3-5 years (Master Recherche is the usual route into a PhD)
Intakes: September/autumn intake (September) — main · January/spring intake (January)
Exams — bachelor's: French language proficiency (DELF/DALF/TCF, required for French-taught programmes) · English proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL) for English-taught programmes, set per institution
Exams — master's: Same language requirements as UG · GMAT for some Grande Ecole business master's programmes, per institution
Work after graduating: Alumni visa (bilateral India-France agreement since 2015): 12 months, renewable once for another 12 months (24 months total), for Indian students who completed studies in France. Separately, a 5-year multiple-entry 'circulation' visa (for tourism/business, not work) is available to Indian residents holding a French Master's or PhD, including Indo-French dual-degree alumni. A 4-year 'Talent Passport' residence permit is also available to some graduates who find qualifying work.

for the main intake

At least several months before intakeCreate an Etudes en France (EEF) account, choose programmes, submit academic records/language scores/CV/statement of purpose, and pay the Campus France processing fee (INR 20,000 as of 1 August 2026)
After file validationAttend the mandatory in-person academic interview with Campus France India
After interview clearanceApply for the long-stay visa (VLS-TS) on france-visas.gouv.fr and book a VFS appointment; apply at least 3 months before the intake date
Within 3 months of arrival in FranceValidate the visa online to become a legal resident
4-2 months before the VLS-TS expiresApply for a residence permit (titre de séjour / carte de séjour) if staying longer

rupees at ECB rates of 2026-09-25

Tuition — bachelor's: EUR 2,902–2,902 / year · about ₹3.2 lakh–3.2 lakh (Official 'differentiated' non-EU/EEA/Swiss tuition fee for Licence at public universities, 2026-27 (campusfrance.org); some institutions exempt certain students, and Grandes Ecoles/private schools set their own, higher fees)
Tuition — master's: EUR 398–3,950 / year · about ₹43,497–4.3 lakh (Official non-EU tuition: EUR 3,950/year for Master, EUR 398/year for Doctorat, at public universities (campusfrance.org); Grandes Ecoles fees are separate and higher)

Visa: Long-stay student visa (VLS-TS), via the Etudes en France procedure ↗
Fee: INR 20,000 · about ₹20,000
Etudes en France (Campus France) processing fee, increased from INR 18,500 to INR 20,000 effective 1 August 2026; this is separate from the France-Visas government visa fee, which was not confirmed from an official page in this pass
Money to show: Minimum EUR 877.50/month in financial resources, effective 1 August 2026 (increased from EUR 615/month) — source: Campus France India
Processing: Not stated on the Campus France India pages we opened; apply at least 3 months before the intended intake date

Complete the Etudes en France (EEF) online file and pay the Campus France fee
Attend the mandatory academic interview with Campus France India
Apply for the visa on france-visas.gouv.fr and book a VFS appointment (only after interview clearance)
Validate the visa within 3 months of arrival in France
Apply for a residence permit 2-4 months before the VLS-TS expires if staying longer

Etudes en France (Campus France procedure) — Mandatory pre-visa application/verification procedure for Indian students applying for long-stay study
France-Visas — Official visa application portal, used after Campus France interview clearance

France Excellence Charpak Scholarship Programme — Indian students, Bachelor's and Master's, plus research-internship and exchange categories; administered by the French Embassy in India, over 500 Indian students funded annually
Eiffel Excellence Scholarship — Master's (EUR 1,181/month) and PhD (EUR 1,700/month), French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs via Campus France; the institution applies on the student's behalf
Raman-Charpak Fellowship — Indian PhD students for a research stay in France (joint Indo-French fellowship)

by ARWU 2025 world rank