► Your situation

You want to enrol in a higher education establishment that requires you to pass an entrance examination organised in France (European and non-European countries).

► Your visa

You will be issued a short-stay visa i.e. a “étudiant/étudiant-concours” (Student examination) visa authorising you to stay for 90 days maximum in a 180-day period. If you pass the entrance examination, this visa will enable you to regularise your situation at the Préfecture (police station) in your place of residence in France without having to return to your habitual country of residence to apply for a long-stay visa to study.

Important: to benefit from this, you must apply for a short-stay “étudiant/étudiant-concours” (Student examination) visa even if you do not need a short-stay Schengen visa.

The short-stay “étudiant-concours” (student examination) visa, whose duration may not exceed 90 days, can only be issued when the results of the entrance examination are known i.e. usually within 90 days.

Should you fail the entrance examination, the prefectural authorities will not issue the residence permit and you must leave the Schengen area once your short-stay visa has expired.

► Your supporting documentation

This list of supporting documents you must join to your application will be indicated in the visa wizard. You will be especially required to provide proof of enrolment or the entrance examination invitation.

In your “étudiant-concours” (student examination) visa application file, you must include your invitation to the entrance examination and proof of the serious nature of your studies.

The term “entrance examination” includes all examinations, practical tests, oral tests and any interviews required prior to enrolling in a higher education or vocational training establishment having signed an agreement with the State (or not).

Since no provisions for a “étudiant-concours” (student examination) visa were included in the Franco-Algerian Agreement dated 27 December 1968, Algerian nationals are therefore not permitted to apply for this type of visa.

• In your “étudiant-concours” visa application file, you must include your invitation to the entrance examination and proof of the serious nature of your studies.
• The term “concours d’entrée” includes all examinations, practical tests, oral tests and any interviews required prior to enrolling in a higher education or vocational training establishment having signed an agreement with the State (or not).
• The short-stay “étudiant-concours” visa, whose duration may not exceed 90 days, can only be issued when the results of the entrance examination are known i.e. usually within 90 days.
• Since no provisions for a “étudiant-concours” visa were included in the Franco-Algerian Agreement dated 27 December 1968, Algerian nationals are therefore not permitted to apply for this type of visa.

You want to study a specialisation in France (or a complement thereof) by working as a medical intern during the course of your studies.

► Your situation

You must be selected to follow a training course in order to obtain a diploma in specialised medical training (DFMS) for a duration of one to three years; or an advanced diploma in specialised medical training (DFMSA) for a duration of six months to one year. The selection process is arranged by the cultural services of the French Embassy during the first quarter of the year. Certain facilities are in place in some countries, please consult your country’s "dispositions particulières".

► Your visa

You will be issued with a long-stay visa, equivalent to a residence permit for studies, which you must validate following your arrival in France.
To learn more, please consult the medical studies section on the Campus France website .

► Supporting documents

In addition to providing any supporting documents related to your personal situation as indicated in the visa wizard, you must also enclose the following documents with your visa application:

• Your medical/pharmacy degree allowing you to practice in your country or the country where you graduated in order to obtain a diploma in specialised medical training;
• Your specialised medical/pharmacy degree allowing you to practice in your country or the country where you graduated in order to obtain an advanced diploma in specialised medical training;
• The agreement drawn up and signed by the French establishment to which the applicant is posted and the posting agreement drawn up by the University of Strasbourg.

► Special conditions related to regular visits from students who graduated in France

If you received your higher education qualification i.e at least a Master’s degree or an equivalent qualification, you are entitled to a travel visa.

Useful links: Francealumni.fr

► The cost of your studies

All higher education establishments in France charge enrolment fees. These fees vary depending on the establishment i.e. from a few hundred Euros to over 10,000 Euros per annum for certain private establishments.

In addition, you may be required to pay additional fees for certain services.

► Accommodation

Do not forget to contact the international relations service in your host establishment. The majority have guides for overseas students containing useful information about preparing for your time in France.

For your visa application, you must provide a temporary address for the first three months of your stay or your permanent address if you have already found accommodation. Important: conditions may vary depending on the country.

► Working in France during your studies

The law authorises foreign students to work 964 hours, which corresponds to 60% of normal working hours in France (except for Algerian nationals whose working time is limited to 50% of normal working hours in France). Part-time work will not be sufficient to cover all your expenses and should be considered as a secondary source of income.

France has a minimum wage - SMIC (Salaire Minimum Interprofessionnel de Croissance).

► Medical care during your studies

Registering for social security is free of charge and mandatory for all non-European students under the age of 28. You must register on the health insurance website.

Students from the European Economic Area are exempt if they hold a European health insurance card (or temporary certificate) valid for the entire academic year or have a private insurance policy covering all medical risks without limit.

On average, Social Security reimburses 60% of medical costs. In parallel to this mandatory system, student health insurance schemes make up the difference making the medical care free.

Students travelling under a European Union programme, a multilateral programme with mobility measures in one or several European Union Member States or under an agreement between at least two higher education institutions in at least two European Union Member States are issued a specific visa marked “Student - Mobility”.

You could be issued either:

• a long-stay visa serving as a residence permit (VLS-TS) to be validated within three months of arriving in France, if your mobility is equal to or less than 12 months;
• a long-stay visa with a residence permit which must be requested within two months of arriving in France if your mobility period will exceed 12 months.