Study in France from Pakistan: Campus France, Visa and Costs

To study in France from Pakistan you apply through Campus France’s Etudes en France platform, then book a long-stay student visa appointment in Islamabad. From 1 August 2026 you must show EUR 877.50 a month. This guide covers the steps, costs and work rules.

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Study in France from Pakistan: the application steps

Most students use Etudes en France (EeF), which is mandatory for a bachelor’s, master’s or PhD without a scholarship. The student visa acts as your residence permit (VLS-TS).

1. Get an admission letter from a French institution.
2. Create your EeF account, complete the file and pay the Campus France fee of PKR 30,000 for 2026-27. It is non-refundable, and French Government, HEC and Erasmus Mundus scholars are exempt.
3. Complete the France-Visas form and book your visa appointment through AEG for the French Consulate in Islamabad.
4. Attend the Campus France interview and the visa appointment, then collect your passport at AEG.

France student visa from Pakistan: timing and processing

Start at least three months before departure. Campus France Pakistan gives processing times between 10 working days and two months, on two pages that disagree. Campus France has no influence on the visa decision. We could not open an official page that states the visa fee, so we confirm it at your consultation. Institutions outside the EeF catalogue use a separate pre-consular route with an academic interview.

Documents and proof of funds

• Passport valid at least 15 months from the programme start, three photos and two visa forms.
• Admission letter, CV and cover letter.
• SSC, HSSC and degree transcripts, and a NADRA Family Registration Certificate.
• Six months of bank statements, or a guarantor’s affidavit with the guarantor’s six months of statements and ID.

Campus France Pakistan says that from 1 August 2026 students must show EUR 877.50 a month, which is EUR 10,530 over 12 months. This is up from EUR 615. An older Campus France page still shows EUR 615, so we confirm the amount before you apply.

Tuition and living costs in France

Fees come from the French government’s service-public site, updated on 20 August 2026. Many programmes are taught in English, and EeF documents can be in English without a French translation.

Working during and after your studies

Students may work up to 964 hours a year, about 20 hours a week. Campus France Pakistan states this for permit holders after graduation, who keep the same rules as students, and its page is being updated, so we confirm it at your consultation.

After a professional bachelor’s, master’s or similar degree, you can apply for an APS (autorisation provisoire de séjour). It lasts one year, cannot be renewed, and lets you look for work or start a company. You then change status to employee, entrepreneur or talent passport.

Study in France for Pakistani students: English and HSSC entry

Study in France in English: score examples

Universities set their own English levels. Paris-Saclay’s M1 International Track asks for B2, for example IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 87, and Université Grenoble Alpes asks for B2 in its nanosciences master’s. Attested SSC and HSSC certificates and HEC-attested degrees are uploaded on the pre-consular route.

HSSC entry

Campus France Pakistan does not say whether the HSSC alone gives direct entry to the first year of a licence or needs a foundation year, so we check this for each course.

Campus France Pakistan: dates, scholarships and how we help

The EeF applications for the next intake open on 1 October 2026 and close on 18 November 2026. The France Excellence Pakistan scholarship for climate-change master’s programmes opens applications on 1 October 2026 and closes on 18 November 2026. It needs a four-year bachelor’s with CGPA 3.0 from an HEC-recognised university, and covers tuition, an allowance and a return ticket.

Eiffel scholarship

Only French higher education institutions may submit Eiffel applications, so students cannot apply directly (campusfrance.org). The scheme covers master’s and PhD levels, with age limits of 29 and 35. From January 2026 the allowance is €1,200 a month for master’s and €2,000 for PhD (campusfrance.org). Extras include airfare, health insurance, housing help and tuition exemption at public institutions.

For the 2026 round, Campus France had to receive files by 8 January 2026. The usual cycle opens at the end of September, with institutions’ files due in the first week of January. We could not confirm Pakistan-specific rules, so ask the French institution you apply to.

How we help

We help with course choice, the EeF file, funds evidence and visa preparation. We cannot promise a visa. Compare other countries on our student visa from Pakistan guide or see all study abroad destinations, including Italy, Germany and Ireland.

Sources

• Campus France Pakistan: funds and dates
• Visa process
• Pre-consular route
• Work and APS
• Tuition fees
• France Excellence Pakistan

Figures checked on 11 October 2026. Campus France Pakistan pages are undated or being updated, so we confirm each figure before you apply.

Last updated 16 October 2026.