How to apply if you are a non-European living in Europe
Students who reside in Europe but are not European must file a preliminary request for admission (DAP) to apply in first year of “Licence” (Bachelor’s course) or directly contact the institution in for other levels.
Enrolling in the first year of a Bachelor's
Students who reside in Europe but do not have the nationality of European country and who wish to register in France from the first year of training at “Licence” (Bachelor's) level must file a preliminary request for admission (DAP). It must be filed between November and January preceding the academic year in which they wish to begin studying in France.
Applications must be sent to the department of cooperation and cultural action at the French Embassy in the applicant's country of residence. The white files concern enrolment in first-year university; the yellow for first year in a school of architecture.
“European” students are students with the nationality of one of the 28 countries of the European Union, one of the countries of the EEA (UE + Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein), or of Switzerland, Monaco and Andorra.
Timetable of the preliminary request for admission (DAP) to join the French higher education for the academic year 2020/2021:
- Start of the process: 1st November 2019
- End of the process: 17 January 2020
Enrolling in Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate programmes
Non-European students residing in Europe and who wish to continue studying in France in the second or third year of a Bachelor's, Master's or Doctorate degree must directly contact the institutes of higher education concerned.
The Campus France catalogues can help you select the institutes and programmes that interest you. You must then file a request for enrolment with the institutes concerned. Each institute has its own specific procedures.
If your application is accepted, you will receive a document confirming your admission. From that point on, you will be able to undertake the procedures with the French Consulate in your country of residence to obtain a visa. Ask for a student visa if your admission is for a Bachelor's or Master's programme. If it is for a doctoral programme, you can ask for a talent passport visa.
Even if the "Etudes en France" procedure applies in the country of origin, non-European students residing in Europe do not need to either return to their native country nor to follow this procedure.
