Document checklist
Aruba → France: Long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit: student (VLS-TS "étudiant")
What you need before you submit, checked against official requirements, not guesswork.
Not yet checked. This page was drafted from the sources listed below but hasn't passed verification yet. Double-check anything critical directly with the official source before you rely on it.
Required documents
7 itemsIdentity
Online long-stay visa application on France-Visas
RequiredIf your country is not on the Études en France list, you apply for the student visa through the France-Visas website. Use its visa wizard first: it tells you the exact list of documents you need for your situation.
Source: Service-Public.fr (Prime Minister), Foreign student in France: long-stay visa or residence permit
Recent passport photo
RequiredA recent ID photo on a white background, 35 x 45 mm.
Source: Campus France Mauritius, Getting a student visa (document list)
Valid passport
RequiredYour original passport and a photocopy. It should have been issued less than 10 years ago. The Campus France office in Mauritius, for example, asks for at least 1 year and 3 months of validity left, check the list you get from France-Visas or your Campus France office.
Source: Campus France Mauritius, Getting a student visa (document list)
Financial
Proof of resources (at least €877.50 a month)
RequiredProof that you will have at least €877.50 a month to live on. This amount applies to applications filed from 1 August 2026 (it was €615 before) and follows the French minimum wage, so it can change. You can show it with your own bank documents (for example a bank letter and your last 3 months of statements), a scholarship certificate showing the amount and length, or a letter from a person supporting you with their ID and proof of their income. You don't need to show this if you passed the entrance exam of a school that has an agreement with the French state.
Source: Service-Public.fr (Prime Minister), Foreign student in France: long-stay visa or residence permit
Purpose of travel
Proof of enrolment or pre-enrolment
RequiredProof that you are enrolled, or pre-enrolled, in a public or private higher education school or a higher vocational training organisation in France. If you went through Études en France, this is the enrolment authorisation showing your Études en France ID number.
Source: Service-Public.fr (Prime Minister), Foreign student in France: long-stay visa or residence permit
Accommodation
Proof of accommodation for your first month
RequiredA document showing where you will live in France, at least for your first month.
Source: Campus France Mauritius, Getting a student visa (document list)
Other
Your latest diploma
RequiredThe original and a photocopy of the last diploma you received.
Source: Campus France Mauritius, Getting a student visa (document list)
Why applications on this route get refused
Resources below the monthly minimum
Student stays in France are only open to people who can show at least €877.50 a month. Documents that show less, or don't make clear how much you will have each month, don't meet this condition.
How to avoid it: Make sure your bank documents, scholarship letter or sponsor papers clearly show at least €877.50 for every month of your stay.
Using the old €615 amount
The minimum went up from €615 to €877.50 a month for applications filed from 1 August 2026. Older guides and checklists may still show €615.
How to avoid it: Plan your funds around the current amount and check Service-Public.fr before you apply.
No enrolment or pre-enrolment
This visa is for people who are enrolled or pre-enrolled in higher education in France. Without that proof, the student visa doesn't fit your situation.
How to avoid it: Finish your enrolment or pre-enrolment first, through Études en France if your country uses it, and bring the proof to your appointment.
Visa not validated within 3 months of arrival
After you arrive in France, you must validate your VLS-TS online and pay a fee within 3 months. This is what keeps your stay regular and lets you cross Schengen borders.
How to avoid it: Validate your visa on the Ministry of the Interior's online service soon after arrival. You need an email address, your visa details, your arrival date, your address in France and a bank card.
Sources
- Service-Public.fr (Prime Minister), Foreign student in France: long-stay visa or residence permit · checked 14 Sept 2026
- Préfecture du Bas-Rhin, Change to the minimum resources for foreign students (1 August 2026) · checked 14 Sept 2026
- France-Visas (Ministry of the Interior / Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs), Student · checked 14 Sept 2026
- Campus France, Long Term Visa used as Residence Permit (VLS-TS) · checked 14 Sept 2026
- Campus France Mauritius, Getting a student visa (document list) · checked 14 Sept 2026
Check your documents against this list before you pay the France application fee.
Answer a few questions, add what you have, and get a report of what is missing or needs fixing. Documents you add are read on your device, never uploaded.
Check my documents