# France Student Visa from India: Documents, Fees, Timeline > The France student visa from India in order: Campus France Etudes en France, the INR 20,000 fee, 50-euro visa fee, EUR 877.50 monthly funds rule and VFS steps. _Published: 2026-10-16 · Reading time: 6 min · Words: 1377_ ## TL;DR Indian students must finish Campus France's Etudes en France procedure before applying for the French long-stay student visa on France-Visas and at VFS Global. The EEF fee is INR 20,000 from 1 August 2026, the visa fee is 50 euros, and you must show at least EUR 877.50 a month. ## Key takeaways - Campus France's Etudes en France (EEF) procedure is mandatory for Indian students before the visa application. - EEF fee: INR 20,000 from 1 August 2026 (previously INR 18,500). - Long-stay student visa fee for EEF countries including India: 50 euros (indicative), plus a VFS service fee of 22 EUR. - Minimum financial resources: EUR 877.50 per month from 1 August 2026 (previously EUR 615). - France-Visas says decisions usually take 15 days, extendable up to 45 days. **Indian students get a France long-stay student visa (VLS-TS) by first completing Campus France's Etudes en France procedure (fee INR 20,000 from 1 August 2026), then applying on France-Visas and submitting at a VFS Global centre. According to France-Visas, the student visa fee is 50 euros, and Campus France India requires proof of at least EUR 877.50 a month.** ## Article The figures below are as published on the official sources, checked on 15 October 2026: Campus France India, France-Visas, VFS Global India and Service-Public.fr. They apply to Indians accepted by a French higher-education institution for a course longer than 90 days. For short trips and other visa types, start with our France visa hub for Indian applicants. ### Is Campus France's Etudes en France procedure mandatory for Indians? Yes. India is an Etudes en France (EEF) procedure country, so the Campus France step comes before the visa. You build an EEF file online on the official platform, Campus France validates it, and only then do you pay the EEF fee through the link the platform sends. An academic interview follows if it applies to your case. VFS Global does not accept a student appointment before that step is finished. Campus France India says to book the VFS appointment only after you receive its automated email. To qualify for the student category you must be over 18 and accepted by a higher-education establishment in France. ### What does a France student visa cost from India? France sets visa fees in euros. They are converted to rupees at the rate fixed by the French authorities, so the INR amount at the counter changes over time. The only official INR fee in the process is the Campus France one. CostAmountWho sets it, and when you payEtudes en France procedure feeINR 20,000 (INR 18,500 before 1 August 2026)Campus France India, after your EEF file is validatedLong-stay student visa fee (EEF countries, including India)50 euros (indicative)France-Visas fee table; the standard long-stay rate is 99 eurosVFS service fee22 EUR per applicantVFS Global India, payable in local currencyPhotographs at VFS (optional)200 INR for 4 photosVFS optional serviceCourier of passport (optional)550 INRVFS optional serviceForm filling help (optional)1 300 INRVFS optional serviceFrance-Visas calls the 50-euro figure indicative and notes that some special cases may give rise to different rates. Budget for the visa fee and the VFS service fee together, since you pay both at the application stage. ### How much money must you show for a French student visa? Campus France India announced that from 1 August 2026 the minimum proof of financial resources for a French student visa is EUR 877.50 per month. The earlier figure was EUR 615 per month. If you prepared your bank papers using an older checklist, recalculate them against the new monthly amount. One source of confusion: the France-Visas page for student trainees (internships linked to a course in India) still quotes EUR 615 a month. That is a different category. For a degree course, plan on the EUR 877.50 figure from Campus France India, and follow the exact list of acceptable proof that France-Visas generates with your application. ### Which documents go into your VFS file? France-Visas produces a personalised checklist when you complete the online form, and VFS expects your papers in that same order. The common items are: - Printout of the PDF appointment confirmation letter. - Passport issued within the previous 10 years, with at least 2 blank pages, plus a copy. - Printout of the completed France-Visas application form, dated and signed, with its receipt. - Two recent ICAO-format photos: width 35 to 40 mm, face 32 to 36 mm from chin to forehead, on a neutral light grey background (not blue). - Certificate of enrolment from the institution that accepted you. - A temporary address for your first three months in France, or a permanent address. - Proof of financial resources meeting the EUR 877.50 monthly minimum. - Receipts for any VFS optional services bought online. You can also upload digital copies of supporting documents on France-Visas. Documents in languages other than English or French may need a French translation. At the centre, VFS takes your photo and 10 fingerprints as biometrics. ### How long does it take, and when should you apply? No separate processing time is published for student visas. France-Visas says decisions usually take 15 days, extendable up to 45 days in special cases. The Campus France stage comes first and has its own pace, so the real timeline starts the day you receive your admission. - Unconditional acceptance. Start as soon as you receive it, and at least three months before your intake (Campus France India). - EEF file. Complete it online, get it validated, pay INR 20,000 and attend the academic interview if applicable. - France-Visas form. Fill it in after the automated Campus France email arrives. - VFS appointment. Book the Studies in France category online; VFS cannot add slots when none are shown. - Submission. Lodge your file at least 1 month before departure and no more than 3 months before arrival (VFS FAQ). - Decision. Usually 15 days, up to 45. Track it with your VFS reference number or on France-Visas. Visa decisions are taken by the Embassy of France in New Delhi and the consulates in Mumbai, Puducherry, Kolkata and Bengaluru, never by VFS. VFS runs centres in 14 cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad and Cochin (Kochi), plus temporary service points in Coimbatore, Guwahati, Mangalore and Vishakhapatnam. ### What can you do in France after your degree? Your VLS-TS must be validated online within three months of arrival. It then serves as your residence permit for the first year. After graduation, Campus France India says a bilateral agreement signed in 2015 lets Indian students extend their stay in France for 24 months after their studies, as a 12-month visa renewable once for 12 months. Service-Public.fr describes the related job search or business creation permit: a Master's-level diploma obtained in France gives a 1-year stay, and you may work without a work authorisation if the job is linked to your studies and pays more than EUR 2,800.53 gross a month. Even after you return to India, the degree keeps paying off. Indians with a Master's or higher degree who studied at least one semester in France on a long-stay student visa of at least 4 months can apply for a 5-year alumni short-stay visa. It does not allow work. ### What mistakes delay Indian students' French visas? - Booking VFS before Campus France clears you. Wait for the automated email. - Using the old funds figure. EUR 615 a month no longer applies to degree students from 1 August 2026. - Blue-background photos. France asks for neutral light grey. - Leaving it late. The decision can stretch to 45 days, and VFS slots open at random times. - Forgetting validation. An unvalidated VLS-TS after three months in France causes problems with your residence status. If your file needs a flight reservation for your travel date or a cover letter, Yatra For Fun's India office in Gurugram prepares flight reservations, hotel bookings, itineraries and cover letters for visa applicants. Prices start at INR 1,000 for a flight reservation, and INR 3,000 covers a reservation, hotel, itinerary and cover letter. WhatsApp +91 95230 91018 or write to us through the contact page. ### Frequently asked questions #### Can I appeal if my French student visa is refused? Yes. Within 30 days of the refusal, send a signed appeal in French by post to the Commission for Appeals against Visa Refusal Decisions (CRRV), BP 83609, 44036 Nantes Cedex 1. This appeal is mandatory before going to the administrative court, according to France-Visas. #### Which French consulate handles a student from Kerala or Tamil Nadu? The Consulate General of France in Puducherry covers Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and Puducherry. It has a Bureau de France in Chennai. You still submit at a VFS Global centre, such as Chennai or Cochin (Kochi). #### Is the Campus France fee refundable if my visa is refused? The official pages do not state a refund policy for the INR 20,000 Etudes en France fee. Campus France India says it is paid only after your EEF file is validated, via the link from the official platform. Check the Campus France India site before paying. #### Can someone else collect my passport from VFS? Only an immediate family member (parent, child, sibling or spouse) or, for groups, one group member. They need a photocopy of their government ID, the original VFS receipt and an authorisation letter from you. ## FAQ ### Can I appeal if my French student visa is refused? Yes. Within 30 days of the refusal, send a signed appeal in French by post to the Commission for Appeals against Visa Refusal Decisions (CRRV), BP 83609, 44036 Nantes Cedex 1. This appeal is mandatory before going to the administrative court, according to France-Visas. ### Which French consulate handles a student from Kerala or Tamil Nadu? The Consulate General of France in Puducherry covers Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and Puducherry. It has a Bureau de France in Chennai. You still submit at a VFS Global centre, such as Chennai or Cochin (Kochi). ### Is the Campus France fee refundable if my visa is refused? The official pages do not state a refund policy for the INR 20,000 Etudes en France fee. Campus France India says it is paid only after your EEF file is validated, via the link from the official platform. Check the Campus France India site before paying. ### Can someone else collect my passport from VFS? Only an immediate family member (parent, child, sibling or spouse) or, for groups, one group member. They need a photocopy of their government ID, the original VFS receipt and an authorisation letter from you. ## Sources 1. [Campus France India - Preparing the visa application](https://www.inde.campusfrance.org/visa-procedure) — Campus France India 2. [Campus France India - France Visa important announcement (student financial resources)](https://www.inde.campusfrance.org/france-visa-important-announcement) — Campus France India 3. [France-Visas - Student](https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/etudiant) — France-Visas, Government of France 4. [VFS Global India - France: Fees](https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/fra/fees) — VFS Global