Study in France from India: The Campus France (Études en France) Process, Costs and Post-Study Options

If you want to study in France from India, almost every route runs through one system: Campus France's Études en France (EEF) platform. It is also where most Indian applicants lose time, because the deadlines start in October and the funds requirement went up sharply in August 2026. This guide covers how the process actually works, what it costs as of October 2026, and what you can do after graduating. Rules change, so check the official pages before you apply.

How the Campus France Études en France Process Works

For French public universities, you apply through EEF rather than to each university directly. Institut français India, which runs the Campus France desks, lays out the sequence:

• Create your EEF file and get your Campus France registration number. Add your academic records, CV and language scores.
• Choose your programmes. You can pick up to seven Master 1/2 (or Bachelor 2/3) programmes, or three Bachelor 1 programmes, each with its own motivation letter.
• Apply in the window. Master's applications run from October to December. Bachelor's applications close in mid-December.
• Attend the Campus France interview (any time from October to February). You will explain why you chose France and your programme, and your original documents are checked against copies. The application fee is currently listed at Rs 18,000.
• Accept an offer in EEF, collect your NOC from the Campus France desk, then apply on France-Visas and give biometrics at VFS.

Private institutions, including most business schools and many engineering schools, are different. You apply to them directly using their own process, and Campus France handles only the visa stage. If your shortlist mixes public universities and private schools, you will be running two timelines in parallel. Our university shortlisting framework helps you keep that list manageable.

What It Costs: Tuition and the New €877.50 Funds Rule

France is cheaper than the US or UK, but not free for Indians:

• Public university tuition (2026–27): €2,902 a year for a licence (bachelor's) and €3,950 a year for a master's for non-EU students, against €178 and €255 for EU students, per Service-Public. A May 2026 decree also caps how many non-EU students a university can exempt from these fees: 30% in 2026–27, falling to 25% and then 20%. Fee waivers are about to get harder to find.
• Grandes écoles and business schools set their own fees, which are usually far higher. Check each school's own page.
• Proof of funds: for visa applications filed from 1 August 2026, you must show at least €877.50 per month, up from €615. Decree 2026-526 links the figure to 47% of the French minimum wage (SMIC), so it will be revised over time. Over 12 months that comes to about €10,530.
• After arrival: you must validate your long-stay student visa (VLS-TS) online within 3 months. Service-Public lists the validation fee as €150.

For how France compares with the other major destinations in rupees, see our cost of studying abroad from India guide. For what visa officers accept as funds evidence, see proof of funds for student visas.

Do You Need French?

Not for every programme. Many master's programmes, and almost all business-school programmes, are taught in English, and you apply to them with IELTS or a similar test. Most public-university bachelor's programmes are taught in French. To fill that gap, the Class Internationale programme runs at about 35 French institutions. It takes non-French speakers to B2 level over two semesters and then admits them directly to French-taught undergraduate programmes. Even on an English-taught degree, basic French makes a real difference to part-time work and job hunting.

Working During and After Your Studies

During your studies: a student residence permit lets you work up to 964 hours a year (about 60% of full-time) without a separate work permit. Going over that limit can cost you your permit.

After a master's: Indian graduates get better terms than most nationalities. Under the India–France Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement (2018), a graduate with a Master's-equivalent degree can be granted a residence permit valid for one year and extendable for another year. That gives you up to about two years to look for and take up work related to your degree. The standard EU-wide route is a 12-month job-search permit. If you find a qualifying job, you switch to a work permit.

Five-year Schengen visa: Indian alumni with a master's or PhD from a recognised French institution can apply from India for a short-stay circulation visa valid for up to five years. The Embassy of India's 2026 brief puts the minimum at one semester of master's-level study in France. The visa covers tourism and business trips of up to 90 days at a time. It is not a work permit, but it is useful if your career brings you back to Europe.

France wants more Indian students. About 10,000 were enrolled in 2023, and the two governments have set a target of 30,000 by 2030. That is a good sign for visa processing, but it does not lower the bar on your file.

Is France the Right Choice for You?

• Choose France if: you want a European master's that costs well below the UK or US, you are open to learning French, and a two-year post-study window fits your plans.
• Look at Germany instead if: keeping tuition close to zero matters most. See studying in Germany for free.
• Think carefully if: you will not learn any French. Your job options outside large multinationals will be narrower.

Planning a French Master's for 2027?

The EEF window opens in October and the interview season ends in February, so for a September 2027 intake you need to be working on it now. Book a consultation with Goodwind. We will help you split public and private options, prepare your motivation letters and Campus France interview, and get your funds evidence right under the new €877.50 rule.