Plan ahead for your study in France
No one who wants to learn French in the beautiful country of France should let the prospect of getting a student visa keep him or her from pursing his or her dream. It is not overly difficult to obtain a student visa to study in France. In many cases it is not required at all.
For instance, any prospective student from an EU country does not need to obtain a student visa in France. If you are from one of several countries that have excellent relations with France and you plan to stay fewer than three months, then you don’t need to obtain a student visa in France either.
If you are a national from a country that is not on the list of countries where visa requirements are less stringent, then you will need to obtain a student visa before arriving in France. You must go to the French consulate in your country or to the visa section of the French embassy in your nation to get this process underway. This should be done at least 90 days before your journey to France, so plan ahead. You often can see the available time slots for interviews online at your country’s French embassy or consulate. Some of the steps in this student visa application can be done online. It depends on your country how much of your application for a student visa can be done electronically.
Enroll in a french school
Another important step to obtain a student visa in France is to enroll in a French program at a reputable school. That school will send you documentation that proves you are enrolled. It is wise to apply for French courses in France at least six weeks prior to the start date. If you need to obtain a student visa for your study this delay is common. At many of the language schools in France, you will need to register for a French Course to qualify for a student visa. Typical student visas last six months or one year. That means the ideal courses would run 20 or 40 weeks of study.
Tips to obtain a student visa for study in France
A couple of other tips to help you obtain a student visa for study in France:
• Don’t forget to bring the correct amount in the correct form for the visa processing fee during your interview
• Bring all of the required documents, as well as photocopies of those documents
• Recall that most visas will be granted 5-7 working days from the time of your interview
Once in France, you might need to fill out a form in Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration. This validation comes a few days after your arrival to validate your student visa. Check your local consulate’s website to determine if this step will be necessary.