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Studying in France: Campus France, Enrolment, Student Life

1 July 2026 10 min readJARI 에디터
Studying in France: Campus France, Enrolment, Student Life

Studying in France as a Korean starts well before you leave — with the Campus France procedure — then continues with enrolment, housing and student life. This guide brings together the essentials: the procedure, the timeline, the fees, the French level, the CROUS, and your right to work. (Updated June 2026.)

JARI tip: for your applications or to improve your French, find a pro (study guidance, French lessons) who speaks Korean via JARI Pro Services.

Studying in France: the paths

  • University (public): bachelor's (licence), master's, doctorate. Moderate fees, a wide choice of fields.
  • Language school (école de langue, FLE): to improve your French before or during your studies (DELF/DALF, TCF).
  • Grandes écoles & specialized schools (business, engineering, art, fashion…): selective, often pricier, with many English-taught programmes.

The "Études en France" procedure (Campus France)

Korea is one of the "Études en France" countries: you must go through the Campus France platform to apply and obtain your student visa. Everything is done online, with an interview (20-30 min, in French) at the Campus France Korea office (French Embassy).

Without a validated "Études en France" file, there's no student visa for the programmes concerned. Start very early, several months before the academic year.

→ For the visa and validating it on arrival, see our Residence permit guide.

The 2026-2027 timeline

  • Institutions reply before 30 April 2026.
  • You must confirm your choice before 31 May 2026 — after this deadline, no reply counts as a refusal.

Respect every date: the procedure is strict.

Fees and budget

  • University tuition (non-EU, 2026): about €2,895/year for a bachelor's, €3,969/year for a master's. However, many universities apply an exemption (you then pay the reduced rate, ≈€175-250), and scholarship holders are exempt — check with each institution.
  • CVEC (student and campus life contribution): about €100, mandatory every year (amount revised annually).
  • Also budget for housing, insurance and transport.

Before enrolling, ask the university whether it exempts international students: the gap is huge (from ≈€175 to ≈€2,900).

The French level

Most French-taught programmes require a B2 (DELF/DALF or TCF test). There are also many English-taught programmes, especially at master's level and in schools.

Since January 2026, renewing from your first student residence permit to the next (e.g. bachelor's → master's) requires level A2 and passing a civic exam. Plan your French ahead.

Proving your resources

For the visa, you must prove resources of at least €615/month (about €7,380/year), via a blocked account or a parental support attestation.

CROUS: housing, student canteen, scholarship

The CROUS manages student housing (cheap, apply early on messervices.etudiant.gouv.fr), the restos U (low-cost meals) and scholarships. Most Korean students aren't French-government scholarship holders — important to know for housing benefits. → For housing (CROUS or private, Visale, file), see our Housing guide.

Working during your studies

With a student residence permit, you can work up to 964 hours per year (about 60% of full-time), with no extra authorization. It helps the budget — and since 2026, working opens the right to housing benefits for non-EU non-scholarship students. → Details on APL and the 2026 change in our CAF housing benefit guide.

Common mistakes

  • Starting the "Études en France" procedure too late → missed visa.
  • Missing the confirmation before 31 May → automatic refusal.
  • Paying full fees without checking whether the university exempts international students.
  • Forgetting the CVEC (without it, no final enrolment).
  • Underestimating the French level required (B2, and A2 for renewal).

FAQ

Do I have to go through Campus France? Yes: Korea is an "Études en France" country, so it's mandatory for the student visa.

Can I study in English? Yes, many master's programmes and schools are taught 100% in English. But some French helps for daily life and for renewing your permit.

I'm not a scholarship holder — am I entitled to benefits? For housing (APL), since 1 July 2026 a non-EU non-scholarship student is only eligible if they work — see the CAF guide.

How much does a year at university really cost? It varies widely: from ≈€175 (a university that grants exemption) to ≈€2,895 in tuition, plus the CVEC (≈€100), housing and living costs.

Official resources

the detailed guides

To go further, the JARI guides in the Studies cluster:

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