Applying from other countries
If you live in a country where the CEF procedure is not yet in use, here's how to apply for admission.
How should I make contact with institutions that offer the programs that interest me?
Almost all French institutions of higher education have a Web site and those sites are listed in the CampusFrance catalog. The Web, therefore, is your first point of contact.
If you seek to enter French higher education in the first or second year of university study (licence level), in the common first year of study for the health professions (medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, midwifery), or in the first year at a national school of architecture, you must submit an application for preliminary admission (DAP, demande d'admission préalable) to the cultural service of the French embassy in your country of residence.
For admission to the first year of all other postsecondary programs, you must use the online "Admission post bac" system.
To how many institutions should I apply?
It's a good idea to apply to at least three different institutions. Doing so will really improve your chances!
Keep in mind that some institutions receive far more applications than they can accept. Fortunately, France's higher education system is large and diverse, so you can nearly always find alternatives that will offer you the quality education you seek.
When will I get their decision?
Institutions inform students of their admission decisions between June 15 and September 15 for programs beginning in October.
It's possible, therefore, that you may have no more than a month to make arrangements for your departure.
The last step: registering for classes
On arriving France, you—and every other student—will have to take the last step before classes begin. That last step to register in person at your new institution. As part of the registration process, you will choose your courses for the upcoming term and pay any balance due for tuition and fees.
When you register, you will receive a certificate of enrollment and a student ID card. These are important—they confirm your legal status as a student. These documents are delivered in person, and generally only after you have settled any outstanding balances.
