France Student Visa: New Requirements for 2026

France has increased the financial requirement for student visa applicants by 43%. Find out how much money you need to prove from August 2026 and how tuition fees have changed

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As of August 1, 2026, enrolling at French universities has become noticeably more expensive for foreigners. The French government has revised the financial requirements for the long-stay student visa, and applicants must now prove they have at least €877.50 per month available – a 43% increase over the previous threshold of €615, which had stood unchanged for almost a quarter of a century.

Countries offering fully funded scholarships, along with the conditions for obtaining them, are covered in this article.

Applying for a visa or residence permit in a new country almost always involves a large package of documents, and a mistake in any of them can cost you a refusal.

An education lawyer at VisitWorld helps you understand the requirements of a specific country, collect the right package of papers and avoid typical reasons for refusals. Choose your situation and find a specialized lawyer now.

How did France set the new tuition and visa costs?

The decision is set out in Decree No. 2026-526 of June 22, 2026. Interestingly, the new threshold is no longer a fixed figure – it's now tied to 47% of the minimum wage (SMIC) and will be reviewed annually by ministerial order, without the need to issue a new decree each time. In other words, €877.50 is the figure for 2026 specifically, and it will most likely keep rising alongside the minimum wage in the coming years.

An important detail that's often overlooked: the new rules don't apply only to first-time applicants. The requirement also covers residence permit renewals and students on EU exchange programs. What matters is the date the application is submitted, not the expiry date of the current permit – so anyone whose renewal window was already open could, in theory, have filed before August 1 under the old €615 rate.

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How to prove you have enough funds for a student visa

You can demonstrate sufficient financial resources in several ways, and none of them necessarily require a large sum sitting in your own account:

- personal savings in a bank account;

- a financial guarantor who formally takes on the obligation;

- a scholarship from an institution, government, or fund;

- other documents accepted by the French authorities as proof of income.

Campus France stresses that documents prepared based on the old €615 figure need to be updated before submitting any new application or renewal. So if your bank statements or guarantee letters were prepared earlier this summer, it's worth double-checking them.

How to get a French student visa, which documents you need, the step-by-step application process, what life and studying in France are like, and much more – in the linked article.

Tuition costs are rising from the 2026/2027 academic year

The higher visa threshold isn't the only news for international applicants. Starting with the 2026/2027 academic year, a tuition fee reform also takes effect: most students from outside the EU will pay €2,895 a year for a bachelor's program instead of a symbolic €178, and €3,941 for a master's instead of €254. Universities used to be allowed to waive this difference for foreign students and mostly did so; now exemptions will be limited to roughly 10% of students, mainly those enrolling in priority fields such as digital technology, quantum research, or biotechnology.

Both changes are part of the broader "Choose France for Higher Education" strategy, through which the French government is trying to both attract more international students (the target is 500,000 by 2027) and make that inflow more manageable and financially predictable for the state.

Studying in Europe is becoming one of the most realistic paths to a residence permit. Read here which countries give you the best chances of staying on after your studies, finding a job, and moving toward permanent residence.

What this means for applicants

Despite the price increase, France remains one of the most affordable countries in Europe for higher education – even the new tuition level is significantly lower than in the UK or the US. It's also attractive for its EU membership status, strong academic reputation, and growing number of English-taught programs.

For applicants, the practical takeaway is simple: recalculate your visa and study budget in advance rather than relying on figures from forums or old guides that are already a couple of years out of date. Since the financial requirement has risen by almost half and tuition fees by several times over, it's worth looking early for scholarship programs or other officially recognized sources of funding, and preparing bank statements and guarantee letters well ahead of submitting your application.

The new financial requirements for a French student visa are exactly the kind of situation where a mistake in your documents now costs more than it used to: an improperly drafted guarantee letter or an outdated bank statement can now mean a refusal even if you actually have the required amount. 

Education Lawyer at VisitWorld specializes in staying on top of each country's current legislation and helps applicants prepare a complete document package tailored to a specific consulate's requirements. A specialist will tell you exactly which proof of income is accepted in your case – personal savings, a guarantor, or a scholarship – and will check your package before submission to minimize the risk of refusal. This is especially relevant right now, while the rules have only just changed and consulates haven't yet settled into a consistent practice for reviewing applications under the new threshold. Choose your citizenship and destination country to find a lawyer who can help with your student visa. 

A reminder: QS has updated its regional ranking of Europe's strongest universities for 2026. The top ten includes seven British institutions, two Swiss ones, and one French, with Oxford University topping the list with the maximum score across five key indicators. Read here about the QS 2026 top 10 European universities and what sets them apart.

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