🇳🇬 Nigeria → France
A complete, search-friendly guide for applicants from Nigeria: admission route, documents, visa, funding and arrival steps.
General information only — not official guidance. Rules change, so confirm with the official source before you act.
At a glance
Africa
At a glance
Études en France procedure
At a glance
English-taught options common
What to do for this route
These sections are generated from the same editorial framework, so each country page stays consistent while still being specific to your route.
WAEC/NECO plus a university degree with NYSC certificate where applicable. Begin your EEF application in October for the following academic year. The legalisation of documents by the Ministry of Education and Foreign Affairs can take 6–10 weeks alone, making it a critical first step. The entire process, from application to visa, can take up to a year.
- For Licence 1 (first undergraduate year) at public universities, apply on Parcoursup (Jan-Mar).
- For Master 1 in a public university, apply on Mon Master (Feb-Apr).
- For 'Grandes écoles' and private schools, apply directly on the school's own portal, following their specific deadlines.
- English-taught masters are the main route; French programmes require a DELF B2.
Nigeria is connected to the Études en France (EEF) procedure: you build the online file, pay the Campus France fee, attend the interview, then receive the attestation your consulate requires. Campus France Nigeria — Abuja and Lagos
- Campus France Nigeria — Abuja and Lagos
- The consulate will not process the visa file without the Campus France attestation.
- Keep the same email address across Campus France, Parcoursup, Mon Master and the school portals.
The VLS-TS application is submitted at the French consulate in Lagos or Abuja after a successful EEF interview and receiving the attestation. Be prepared for additional document checks and potential delays at the consulate. The VLS-TS (long-stay student visa) is required for any stay over 90 days for study purposes.
- Use the France-Visas wizard to generate your exact document list before booking.
- Your VLS-TS étudiant must be validated online via the ANEF platform within 3 months of your arrival in France.
- Renewals are filed on ANEF, ideally 2–4 months before expiry.
Your degree certificate and transcripts must be legalised by both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Afterwards, they must be translated by a sworn translator.
- Use one consistent spelling of your name across every document.
- Check whether your country requires apostille (Hague) or full consular legalisation.
- Keep certified digital scans — you will re-upload them for housing, CAF and the bank.
Proof of approx. €{{visa.proof_of_resources_annual}}/year is a major checkpoint. Sponsor letters must be perfectly consistent with the sponsor's own bank statements and tax documents to be accepted.
- The reference figure is about €{{visa.proof_of_resources_monthly}}/month for the visa file.
- A guarantor file is usually needed for private housing, even when the visa file is complete.
- Scholarship award letters strengthen both the admission and the visa file.
Funding routes commonly used by students from Nigeria. Deadlines usually fall months before admission results, so track them in parallel with your application.
- Eiffel Excellence Scholarship — Outstanding international master's and PhD candidates — nominated by the French institution, not by the student
- French Embassy scholarship — Nigeria — Applicants residing in Nigeria; calls usually open between November and March
- Erasmus+ — EU/EEA and programme-country students on exchange or joint master's degrees
Plan CDG arrival, then domiciliation and OFII/ANEF validation in the first weeks.
- Week 1: SIM card, transport pass, proof of address (attestation d'hébergement or lease).
- Week 1–2: open a French bank account and request your RIB.
- Week 2: validate the VLS-TS on ANEF.
University enrolment, social security registration, CAF housing aid and student insurance — done in this order, the first month stays manageable.
- Complete administrative enrolment and pay the CVEC before your student card is issued.
- Register for social security (assurance maladie) online using your enrolment certificate and birth certificate.
- File the CAF housing-aid application in the month you move in — it is not retroactive.
The recurring blockers reported by students from Nigeria.
- Unlegalised transcripts
- Sponsor with no traceable income
- Booking a visa appointment before the EEF attestation
Every step above points back to a government or national-platform source. Check the date on each official page before acting on it.
What we already know about this country
Campus France Nigeria — Abuja and Lagos
Begin your EEF application in October for the following academic year. The legalisation of documents by the Ministry of Education and Foreign Affairs can take 6–10 weeks alone, making it a critical first step. The entire process, from application to visa, can take up to a year.
Your degree certificate and transcripts must be legalised by both the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Afterwards, they must be translated by a sworn translator.
Proof of approx. €{{visa.proof_of_resources_annual}}/year is a major checkpoint. Sponsor letters must be perfectly consistent with the sponsor's own bank statements and tax documents to be accepted. The VLS-TS application is submitted at the French consulate in Lagos or Abuja after a successful EEF interview and receiving the attestation. Be prepared for additional document checks and potential delays at the consulate.
Estimate housing aid and plan ahead
CAF is one of the biggest money questions after arrival, so we’re surfacing it directly on the country page.
Eligible for CAF
Usually needs a French lease and residency status.
€176
Estimated monthly CAF support
What you may still pay
€344
This is a directional estimate. CAF uses income, household size, lease details and property rules. Check the official simulator before making a financial decision.