🇵🇰 Pakistan → France
A complete, search-friendly guide for applicants from Pakistan: 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
Asia
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.
16 years of education (BS/MSc) is the usual bar for master's entry; HEC attestation expected. Start your EEF file in October for the following academic year. The mandatory HEC attestation for your degrees can take several weeks or months, so initiate this process immediately to avoid delays.
- 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 Ă©coles' and private schools, apply directly on the school's own portal, following their specific deadlines.
- IELTS/TOEFL for English-taught masters; French only for francophone programmes.
Pakistan 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 Pakistan — Islamabad (with sessions in Lahore and Karachi)
- Campus France Pakistan — Islamabad (with sessions in Lahore and Karachi)
- 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 consulate in Islamabad after receiving the EEF attestation. Ensure all documents are consistent and complete to avoid processing delays. 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 Ă©tudiant 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 application must include HEC-attested degrees and transcripts, a valid passport, and certified translations for any documents not in English or French.
- 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 €{{visa.proof_of_resources_annual}}/year is required. This is typically demonstrated with parental bank statements for the last 6 months, accompanied by a formal sponsorship affidavit.
- 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 Pakistan. 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 — Pakistan — Applicants residing in Pakistan; calls usually open between November and March
- Erasmus+ — EU/EEA and programme-country students on exchange or joint master's degrees
Usually via a Gulf hub to CDG; secure housing before travel.
- 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 Pakistan.
- Missing HEC attestation
- Bank balance parked days before the application
- Weak, generic statement of purpose
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 Pakistan — Islamabad (with sessions in Lahore and Karachi)
Start your EEF file in October for the following academic year. The mandatory HEC attestation for your degrees can take several weeks or months, so initiate this process immediately to avoid delays.
Your application must include HEC-attested degrees and transcripts, a valid passport, and certified translations for any documents not in English or French.
Proof of €{{visa.proof_of_resources_annual}}/year is required. This is typically demonstrated with parental bank statements for the last 6 months, accompanied by a formal sponsorship affidavit. The VLS-TS application is submitted at the consulate in Islamabad after receiving the EEF attestation. Ensure all documents are consistent and complete to avoid processing delays.
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.