🇬🇧 United Kingdom → France
A complete, search-friendly guide for applicants from United Kingdom: 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
Europe
At a glance
Direct application
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.
A-levels for undergraduate entry, UK bachelor's (including 3-year degrees) for master's. Follow the institution's deadlines for direct applications. For public universities, the national 'Parcoursup' (for Licence 1, Jan-March) and 'Mon Master' (for M1, Feb-April) platforms are still mandatory.
- 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 plentiful; DELF B2 needed for most public-university tracks.
No Études en France procedure — apply directly; post-Brexit the UK is a third country. You can still use Campus France resources for programme search, grade equivalence and scholarship calls.
- No Études en France procedure — apply directly; post-Brexit the UK is a third country.
- No Campus France attestation is required for your visa or enrolment file.
- Keep the same email address across Campus France, Parcoursup, Mon Master and the school portals.
A long-stay VLS-TS is required for programmes over 90 days. Short exchanges (under 90 days) may stay visa-free under Schengen rules, but this does not grant student status. 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.
Prepare your transcripts, degree certificate, and passport. Legalisation is generally not required for UK-issued documents.
- 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.
For any stay over 90 days, you must prove you have €{{visa.proof_of_resources_annual}}/year. Official letters from UK student finance bodies are accepted as proof.
- 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 United Kingdom. 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
- Entente Cordiale Scholarship — UK postgraduate students studying in France
- Erasmus+ — EU/EEA and programme-country students on exchange or joint master's degrees
Eurostar or short flights; register with a French bank and CAF quickly.
- 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 United Kingdom.
- Assuming pre-Brexit free movement still applies
- Travelling on the 90-day rule for a full year
- Missing the ANEF validation
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
No Études en France procedure — apply directly; post-Brexit the UK is a third country.
Follow the institution's deadlines for direct applications. For public universities, the national 'Parcoursup' (for Licence 1, Jan-March) and 'Mon Master' (for M1, Feb-April) platforms are still mandatory.
Prepare your transcripts, degree certificate, and passport. Legalisation is generally not required for UK-issued documents.
For any stay over 90 days, you must prove you have €{{visa.proof_of_resources_annual}}/year. Official letters from UK student finance bodies are accepted as proof. A long-stay VLS-TS is required for programmes over 90 days. Short exchanges (under 90 days) may stay visa-free under Schengen rules, but this does not grant student status.
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.