Document checklist
Pakistan → 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
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
Études en France file with your pre-enrolment
RequiredPeople from the countries on this list apply for their student visa through the Campus France "Études en France" platform, at the same time as they pre-enrol online in a French higher education school. Campus France says this procedure depends on the country where you live, so check with your local Campus France office if you live somewhere other than your home country.
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