School-going minor
The type of visa required depends on the duration of your stay in France:
Stay not exceeding 3 months
If you want your minor child (i.e. aged under 18 on the date the visa becomes valid) to stay in France for the purposes of studying for a period not exceeding 90 days :
- In a public or private teaching establishment, or
- In a language, arts, cooking or sports centre
You must apply for a short-stay visa called an "studies" visa on his/her behalf.
You will be asked to provide the following supporting documentation: details of your child’s enrolment in a teaching establishment or training centre, proof of accommodation, proof of sufficient financial resources, international medical insurance, parental authorisation and the contact details of a guarantor in France.
Stay exceeding 3 months
If you want your minor child (i.e. aged under 18 on the date the visa becomes valid) to stay in France for the purposes of studying for a period exceeding 90 days in a public or private primary, secondary or higher education establishment, you must apply for a long-stay visa called a "school-going minor" visa on his/her behalf.
This category of long-stay visa also concerns minors aged between 16 and 18 wishing to study for a period exceeding 90 days in a language or sports centre.
The long-stay "school-going minor" visa only concerns foreign minors whose parents do not live in France and who wish to stay in France away from their parents in order to study. Therefore, this visa does not concern minors whose parents already live in France.
You must provide supporting documentation about your child’s enrolment in a French school, his/her school reports from the previous year and a certificate about his/her knowledge of the French language, details about his/her accommodation in France, financial resources and insurance, parental authorisation and the contact details of a guarantor in France.