What is the VLS-TS?
For studies of more than three months, you apply for a long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS), student category. It is valid for 4 months to 1 year and lets you live and study in France, then apply for a residence permit for the following years.
It also allows you to work alongside your studies, up to 964 hours a year.
When to apply?
You prepare the application once your Campus France file is complete and your admission confirmed. You fill in the online form on France-Visas, then hand in your file and fingerprints at an appointment at the TLScontact centre. Processing takes several weeks, longer in summer: apply as soon as you have your admission, without waiting for late August.
Funds to prove: €877.50 a month
Since 1 August 2026, student visa applications must prove funds of at least €877.50 a month, that is €10,530 for a year (instead of €615 a month before). Applications filed up to 31 July 2026 were still assessed with the former amount.
These funds can be proven with:
- a bank account in your name, with recent statements;
- a sponsorship certificate from a relative (often a parent), with their own proof of income;
- a scholarship, with the certificate of the organisation paying it.
French government scholarship holders and some students admitted to schools with a state agreement are not concerned by this threshold. Details are on Service-Public.fr.
Documents required
The exact list appears on France-Visas according to your situation. Usually prepare:
- the printed and signed France-Visas form and the appointment confirmation;
- your passport and recent ID photos;
- proof of your admission and of your Campus France procedure;
- proof of funds;
- proof of accommodation for your first days in France (certificate, housing or residence booking);
- your diplomas and transcripts.
Fees
Visa fees for students are €50, plus the TLScontact service fees paid on site. These amounts are not refunded if the visa is refused.
On arrival: validate your visa
The VLS-TS must be validated online within 3 months of your arrival in France, on the French administration for foreigners website (ANEF). You enter your date of entry and your address, then pay a €100 tax. Without this validation your visa is no longer valid to stay in France or to travel.
As soon as you arrive, also register with the health insurance on the website for international students: it is free.
If your visa is refused
A refusal gives its reasons and the ways to appeal, with a short deadline. Read it carefully: most refusals concern funds or the consistency of the study plan, two points you prepare from the Campus France file onwards.
How EasyFR supports you
Your advisor checks with you the list of documents, the consistency of your file and your proof of funds before the appointment, then guides you through validating your visa when you arrive.
Information checked in October 2026 (Service-Public.fr, France-Visas). Amounts and the list of documents may change: France-Visas is the reference.