Campus France India charges INR 20,000 from 1 August 2026 to review an Études en France file and conduct the academic interview for Indian residents using the procedure, while the institution decides admission and the French consular authority decides the visa.
Études en France is not the first application portal for every French programme from India. A Class XII applicant seeking first-year public-university admission uses DAP in EEF, while Paris-Saclay master’s applicants apply through the university portal first and enter EEF after admission.
What do Campus France India and Études en France actually do?
Campus France India supports the EEF process through information, file review and the academic interview. EEF is the online platform used for the relevant academic application or the record completed before the France-Visas application. The institution decides admission, VFS Global receives the visa file and biometrics, and the French consular authority decides the visa.
Campus France states that each French institution sets its own admission criteria. This is why a completed Campus France file cannot substitute for a university decision.
Each establishment defines its own admission criteria, according to the student’s background and the programme requirements.Campus France
The responsibility map below prevents four separate stages from being treated as one approval. Save the document issued at each stage because the next organisation may ask for it.
| Organisation or system | Responsibility, limit and evidence to retain |
|---|---|
| French institution or programme | Handles academic eligibility, selection and admission, but not the student visa. Retain the application receipt, decision and final admission letter. |
| Campus France India and EEF | Handle the EEF file, programme record, document review and academic interview where applicable, but not final admission or the consular visa decision. Retain platform messages, fee receipt and interview completion evidence. |
| VFS Global | Handles the appointment, administrative intake and biometrics, but not whether the visa is issued. Retain the appointment confirmation, payment receipt and tracking reference. |
| French consular authority | Examines and decides the visa, but not the programme’s academic selection. Retain the France-Visas form, personalised checklist and final passport outcome. |
The four rows also explain why the same document can matter more than once without the organisations doing the same job. An admission letter records the institution’s academic decision, then becomes evidence in the EEF and visa stages. A VFS receipt proves that the file was received, but says nothing about the consular outcome. Treating either document as a wider approval creates false certainty about the remaining stages.
Campus France India lists eleven offices across India. The nearest office can handle counselling or a file-specific query, but the office city does not change the programme’s application route.
Which application portal should an Indian student use first?
The exact programme’s current international admissions page determines the first portal. Residence in India makes EEF relevant, but it does not prove that the academic application begins there. The correct first portal depends on the study level, award and institution.
| Your target | First application action and EEF follow-up |
|---|---|
| Public-university first year after an Indian school-leaving qualification | Use DAP inside Études en France for the academic application, file review and interview. Open the live DAP and EEF instructions for the exact 2027 cycle. |
| First year at a French architecture school | Use the yellow DAP through Études en France. Check the live form and its applicable language-test conditions. |
| Selective undergraduate programme | Use France’s national undergraduate Parcoursup platform or the programme’s own portal as instructed. EEF may still be required alongside or after that academic route. |
| Public-university master’s, first year (M1) or second year (M2) | Save the exact programme’s India-resident instruction. Bordeaux and Lyon 3 use EEF for relevant routes, while Paris-Saclay uses its university portal first for current master’s applications. |
| National first-year master’s (M1) listed on the Mon Master platform | Do not assume Mon Master is your application portal. Current national guidance routes an India resident through EEF, subject to the exact programme instruction. |
| Grande École Master in Management (MiM), Master of Science (MSc) or MBA | Use the school portal or named common platform first. EEF usually follows admission through “I am accepted”, but check for any parallel action. |
| National doctorate | Use the doctoral school, thesis subject, supervisor, research unit and funding route. Taught-course EEF academic applications do not apply to doctorate enrolment. |
The table separates routes that look similar from India but create different records. A DAP applicant is asking for academic admission inside EEF. An MBA applicant may already have used a business school’s portal before EEF records the accepted place. A doctorate applicant instead works through the doctoral school and research route. Starting in the wrong system can therefore produce a duplicate record or leave the real academic application unsubmitted.
The variation is visible across official university pages. Paris-Saclay tells EEF-country residents to apply through its INCEPTION portal first and use the EEF “I am accepted” section after admission. PSL University uses several school portals and normally requires post-admission EEF formalities, with separate Dauphine instructions.
The “I am accepted” section records an admission already issued through another academic portal. It isn’t a second attempt to win the same place. Upload the final or conditional offer exactly as issued, select the correct programme and intake, and keep any remaining school conditions visible. If the offer names a deposit or document deadline, completing EEF doesn’t replace it.
After receiving approval for admission from Université Paris-Saclay, you can create your account on the Études en France portal.Université Paris-Saclay
Campus France currently lists India among the 73 EEF countries and territories. That country rule explains why EEF remains relevant before the visa application.
How do you build and submit an Études en France file?
Create the EEF account only after you know whether you are applying through EEF or declaring a direct admission. Build one consistent record of your identity, education, language preparation, programme choices and study plan. Submit it for review, correct requested items and pay only after official validation.
Campus France India’s current procedure asks applicants to complete personal information, academic records, language skills, CV and statement-of-purpose sections. Its listed uploads include a photograph, passport, CV or résumé, marksheets and certificates.
| Step | What you do | Consistency check and evidence to save |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Create the EEF account and choose the route that matches your programme instructions | Match identity, residence and application status. Save the account identifier and route screenshot. |
| 2 | Complete personal, academic, language and programme information | Match names, dates, grading details and study history. Save the draft file and document checklist. |
| 3 | Upload the requested identity, academic and programme evidence | Use readable files that match every entered fact. Save the final uploaded documents. |
| 4 | Submit the file for Campus France review | Align programme motivation with academic progression. Save the submission confirmation. |
| 5 | Make every correction requested in the platform | Match each revised entry to its supporting document. Save the messages and corrected version. |
| 6 | Pay after validation through the official platform link | Match the EEF account and payment reference. Save the INR 20,000 fee receipt. |
| 7 | Attend the academic interview with the requested originals, copies and receipt | Keep the file, programme plan, finances and next steps consistent. Save interview completion evidence. |
Each row creates evidence for the next one. The account identifier connects later messages to the right applicant, while the completed academic record lets Campus France compare the entered history with the uploaded marksheets. Corrections are part of that comparison, not a new application. Payment belongs near the end because validation shows that the file has reached the stage at which the official fee becomes due.
The file should make your progression understandable without an invented conversion. Include complete marksheets and certificates, the official grading scale if available, and certified translations where the programme or Campus France requires them. If you hold a direct admission, upload the exact offer and use the status instructed in EEF rather than rebuilding the application as an EEF programme choice.
Account creation alone does not make the fee payable. The Campus France India fee notice effective 1 August 2026 gives an explicit payment condition.
Payment can only be made after your file has been validated, and you receive the payment link from the official platform.Campus France India
A payment link from an agent or another third party is not the official route. The platform message and receipt belong together because the procedure page asks for the receipt at the interview. Without that link between the validated file and its payment evidence, an applicant may have paid money without completing the official EEF fee step.
What happens in the Campus France academic interview?
The Campus France interview checks whether you can explain the education plan recorded in your file. Prepare to discuss your prior study, programme choice, reasons for France, application status, finances and next step. It is an academic and administrative conversation, not a consular visa decision.
Campus France India describes academic interviews as part of the mandatory EEF procedure. The official description focuses on the student’s educational plan.
conducting academic interviews with applicants concerning their educational plan as part of the mandatory Etudes en France procedure.Campus France India
The table works as an evidence map rather than an answer script. A short truthful answer connected to the documents is stronger than a memorised model response that disagrees with the file.
| Likely discussion area | What your answer and evidence should establish | Weak preparation |
|---|---|---|
| Your academic history | Show how earlier subjects and results prepare you for the chosen level, using the degree, marksheets, projects and any gap explanation. | Reciting marks without explaining progression |
| Your programme choice | Show why the curriculum, level and award fit your next step, using official modules, duration, campus and award title. | Speaking only about rankings or France generally |
| Your reason for France | Show why the French programme setting matters for this plan, using programme features, language, field and institutional context. | A generic tourism or lifestyle answer |
| Your application status | Name the route and say whether the decision is pending, conditional or final, using the portal receipt, offer and EEF section. | Calling a conditional offer final admission |
| Your finances | Show who will pay and how tuition, living costs and process charges fit together, using the current budget and sponsor or scholarship evidence. | A round figure that does not match your documents |
| Your next step | Explain what remains after the interview, using the EEF message, school condition and France-Visas route. | Assuming the interview itself issues a visa |
The six discussion areas test one connected study plan from different directions. Academic history explains the starting point, the programme choice explains the proposed next step, and the financial evidence shows whether the plan can be carried out. Application status matters because a pending decision, a conditional offer and final admission are three different facts. A confident interview answer cannot repair a contradiction between any of those facts and the uploaded record.
Your answers don’t need to be long, but each one should connect a choice to evidence. Explain a lower mark or study break plainly, show what changed and connect it to the present plan. If the programme is taught in English, be ready to explain any French preparation needed for daily life. If it is taught in French, know the exact certificate, score and programme condition in your file.
Known facts and pending items need separate descriptions. An application may be under review, a deposit may remain due or a sponsor document may still be finalised. A conditional fact is not a final one. The interview is a consistency check, so an honest unresolved item with a clear next action is safer than an answer that the uploaded evidence contradicts.
Carry the originals, one photocopy set and the EEF fee receipt when the office instructs you to do so. The appointment message controls whether the interview is online or in person because the public India procedure still contains older pandemic wording.
There is no official answer bank, hidden-question list, interview pass rate or guaranteed outcome in the verified sources. Prepare your own six-point evidence sheet and rehearse clear explanations rather than claiming certainty.
How much does the Campus France process cost from India?
The known current charges are split across different stages. The EEF fee is INR 20,000, the reduced long-stay visa fee for an EEF-processed student is EUR 50, VFS adds a variable service charge, and online validation of the student long-stay visa serving as a residence permit (VLS-TS) after arrival costs EUR 150. EUR 50 is not the total visa cost.
The approximate conversions below use the European Central Bank reference rate for 5 August 2026. EUR 1 equalled INR 109.9045, rounded here to INR 109.90 for planning. Your payment provider can use a different rate and add charges.
| Stage | Charge, conversion and timing |
|---|---|
| Études en France file | INR 20,000, about EUR 182. Pay after file validation through the official EEF link. |
| Long-stay student visa for an EEF-processed student | EUR 50, about INR 5,495. Pay at the visa stage under the live India instructions. |
| VFS service charge | Variable. Check the live local charge and pay it separately from the consular visa fee. |
| Student VLS-TS validation after arrival | EUR 150, about INR 16,486. Pay online within three months after arrival. |
Current Campus France and student-visa process charges, converted using EUR 1 = INR 109.9045 on 5 August 2026
The rows fall at three different moments, which is why one headline fee understates the process. INR 20,000 belongs to the EEF review, EUR 50 belongs to the visa application, and EUR 150 becomes due after arrival when the VLS-TS is validated. The variable VFS charge prevents a single fixed total. A budget containing only the Campus France fee would therefore omit both visa-stage and post-arrival costs.
The known non-variable charges are about INR 41,981 at the dated rate, but they occur at different times and in different currencies. This calculation combines INR 20,000 with EUR 200 for planning only. It excludes the variable VFS charge, exchange spread, travel, tuition, living costs and document preparation.
Some current scholarship categories can receive exemptions, but an award name alone is not enough to promise one. The live Campus France India rules, the award letter and the visa instructions determine whether an exemption applies. VFS service charges can still apply even when another fee is exempt.
What happens after the EEF and Campus France stage?
After the relevant EEF work, move to the personalised France-Visas application and VFS appointment. The sequence depends on whether you applied academically through EEF or declared a direct admission, but the consular decision remains separate in both cases.
| Step | Action, responsible organisation and result |
|---|---|
| 1 | Receive and accept admission under the institution’s rules. The French institution and academic portal confirm your place and any remaining conditions. |
| 2 | Complete or update the correct EEF section. Campus France India and EEF establish the academic record needed before the France-Visas application. |
| 3 | Use the France-Visas assistant and complete the online form. France-Visas provides your personal category and required-document list. |
| 4 | Book VFS, submit the ordered file and give biometrics. VFS Global completes the administrative intake. |
| 5 | Wait for the examination and passport outcome. The French consular authority makes the visa decision. |
| 6 | Validate the student VLS-TS online after entering France. Online validation activates the visa’s residence-permit status for your stay. |
The hand-off works because each organisation produces the input needed by the next one. Admission establishes the academic place, EEF records the relevant academic process, France-Visas defines the visa category and checklist, and VFS receives that file. The consular authority then makes a decision that none of the earlier organisations can promise. Online VLS-TS validation matters only after entry, but it changes the issued long-stay visa into the residence status used during the stay.
France-Visas India currently says a long-stay application should be filed at least one month before departure and not more than six months before it. This is a filing window, not a processing-time promise. Leave enough time before that window for admission, EEF review, corrections, payment and the Campus France interview.
At VFS, submit the France-Visas form and personalised checklist in the requested order, provide biometrics and pay the applicable charges. VFS does not decide the visa. Optional VFS services do not improve appointment access, consular processing or the decision.
After arrival on a student VLS-TS, use the official online validation service within three months and pay the current EUR 150 tax. The older Campus France India page still describes a superseded in-person immigration-office process, so the current government instructions control this post-arrival step.
How should you plan Campus France for September 2027?
Evidence status is more reliable than a copied past calendar. On 6 August 2026, the verified 2027 DAP, Parcoursup and Mon Master dates were pending. Work such as route mapping and document preparation does not need those dates, while final submission timing depends on the exact live 2027 page when it appears.
| Your evidence | Planning status and next action |
|---|---|
| The exact programme publishes a 2027 application route and identifies the first portal | The route is usable. Save the page, create the required account and work to its stated deadline. |
| The route is official but the 2027 calendar is not yet live | The sequence is usable, but the dates are pending. Prepare records, translations, test evidence, CV and programme reasoning while monitoring the source. |
| A direct school offer is available but the EEF acceptance stage is incomplete | Academic admission exists, but the Campus France and EEF work before France-Visas remains. Enter the offer in the instructed EEF section and follow Campus France India messages. |
| Your only date comes from the closed 2026/27 cycle, the stale India calendar or an agency table | The date is not usable for 2027. Reopen the national platform and programme page before submitting or paying. |
A usable plan begins with the shortlist, award level and language requirements, followed by a route for every programme through DAP, Parcoursup, EEF, Mon Master or a direct school portal. A dated route sheet preserves the page URL, opening date, closing date, required documents and any EEF action after admission.
The main autumn cycle and private-school rounds do not share one national deadline. A school can publish its own 2027 round while a national calendar remains pending. The exact programme page is the controlling academic source, while Campus France India is the EEF process source.
This difference in source ownership explains why two official dates can both be correct. A school deadline can control the admission application, while a later EEF action follows a separate timetable. Replacing either date with the previous year’s national calendar can close the wrong task or create a false sense that the programme application is still open.
How do you resolve conflicting school and EEF instructions?
When two official pages appear to disagree, the first distinction is whether they describe the academic application or the later EEF stage before France-Visas. Many apparent conflicts disappear once those two purposes are separated. Duplicate applications remain inappropriate until the programme and Campus France India clarify the route.
- Save the exact programme’s current international application page, not the university’s general admissions homepage.
- Mark whether each instruction describes academic selection, an EEF application, the “I am accepted” section or visa preparation.
- Check your residence, nationality, study level and award because each can change the applicable portal.
- Ask the programme admissions office and Campus France India the same written question with the programme URL and your residence stated clearly.
- Keep both replies and avoid a second application unless one of the official contacts tells you to create it.
- After direct admission, reserve time for EEF review, corrections, payment and interview before the France-Visas filing window.
Mon Master needs particular care. The official foreign-student guidance places residents of an EEF country on the EEF route. A false residence entry would not create a valid ordinary Mon Master route. A different programme instruction needs written clarification specific to that programme.
A written clarification also preserves which authority answered which part of the problem. The programme office can settle where its academic application belongs, while Campus France India can settle how that admission enters EEF. Keeping those answers separate prevents a general process reply from being mistaken for a programme-specific admission decision.
- Campus France India reviews the relevant EEF file and conducts the academic interview, while the institution decides admission and the French consular authority decides the visa.
- India’s EEF status does not prove that EEF is the first academic portal for every programme.
- DAP, Parcoursup, Mon Master, EEF and school portals have different purposes, so use the exact programme’s current route.
- The EEF fee is INR 20,000 from 1 August 2026 and must be paid only after validation through the official platform link.
- The EUR 50 reduced student-visa fee excludes the variable VFS charge and the EUR 150 post-arrival VLS-TS validation tax.
- The 2026/27 cycle is closed and verified 2027 national dates were pending on 6 August 2026, so don’t treat an older cycle’s dates as 2027 deadlines.
Frequently asked questions about Campus France India
Is Campus France mandatory for Indian students applying to France?
Campus France and Études en France apply to Indian residents where the EEF procedure covers the study route. The academic application may still begin on a university or school portal. Doctorate enrolment sits outside the taught-course EEF application, so follow the doctoral host’s instructions and the later immigration route.
Do I apply to the university through Études en France?
Sometimes. Public-university first-year DAP and some master’s routes use EEF for the academic application. Other programmes require a school portal first, followed by the EEF “I am accepted” section. Read the exact programme’s current India-resident instructions before creating or duplicating any application.
How much is the Campus France India fee?
The Études en France fee is INR 20,000 from 1 August 2026. Pay only after Campus France validates the file and the official platform sends the payment link. This fee is separate from the EUR 50 reduced visa fee, the variable VFS charge and the EUR 150 post-arrival validation of your long-stay student visa (VLS-TS).
What documents are needed for the EEF application?
Campus France India lists personal information, academic records, language information, CV, statement of purpose, photograph, passport, marksheets and certificates in its current procedure. Your programme or file review can request more. Use readable documents, follow translation instructions and make every date and qualification match the online entries.
What happens in the Campus France academic interview?
You explain your academic history, programme choice, reason for studying in France, application status, finances and next step. Take the requested originals, copies and EEF fee receipt. The adviser checks the educational plan recorded in your file. It is not a consular visa interview or visa decision.
Does a positive Campus France interview guarantee a student visa?
No. Campus France handles the EEF file and academic interview, while the French consular authority examines and decides the visa. VFS only receives the application and biometrics. A coherent interview helps complete the academic process, but neither it nor a complete visa file guarantees that a visa will be issued.
What should I do after receiving a direct university admission?
Check whether the institution tells you to use the EEF “I am accepted” section. Upload the exact admission evidence, complete Campus France review, payment and interview steps, then use France-Visas and VFS. A direct admission changes the EEF section, but it does not automatically remove the Campus France and EEF steps before France-Visas.
When should I start Campus France for September 2027?
Start route mapping, documents, language preparation and programme research now, but use only live 2027 deadlines. On 6 August 2026, the verified national DAP, Parcoursup and Mon Master dates were pending, while Campus France India’s calendar was stale. Save the exact programme page and monitor its official updates.
Sources
- Campus France India, application and admission procedure
- Campus France India, EEF fee from 1 August 2026
- Campus France India, role and office network
- Campus France, Études en France procedure
- Campus France, higher-education application routes
- Mon Master, foreign-student application guidance
- Université Paris-Saclay, international master’s applications
- Université PSL, master’s application platforms
- University of Bordeaux, M1 application route
- Jean Moulin Lyon 3 University, application route
- France-Visas, India filing procedure
- VFS Global, France visa applications in India
- Service Public, online VLS-TS validation
- European Central Bank, euro reference rates
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