France: Increase in Required Financial Resources for Student Visa from August 2026
As of 1 August 2026, all applications for a long-stay student visa in France must include proof of financial resources of at least €877.50 per month, up from the previous €615. The new threshold is now calculated as a percentage of the SMIC (minimum wage), meaning it will automatically adjust with each increase in the minimum wage. Applications submitted up to and including 31 July 2026 will still be assessed based on the previous amount.
A threshold now linked to the SMIC
The change stems from Decree No. 2026-526 of 22 June 2026, published in the Official Journal on 24 June and effective from 1 August. It amends Article R. 422-2 of the Code on the Entry and Residence of Foreigners and Asylum Rights, now requiring students to demonstrate "monthly means of subsistence corresponding to at least 47% of the gross monthly SMIC in force on the date of their application".
With the SMIC gross monthly wage set at €1,867.02 for a 35-hour week, 47% of this amount equals the €877.50 now required. The key change is that the threshold is no longer a fixed figure in the legislation but a calculation based on the current SMIC. The previous threshold of €615 had remained unchanged for over twenty years; the new system will adjust automatically with each SMIC increase, without requiring a new decree.
In practice, students preparing their applications should check the current threshold at the time of submission, not the figure they noted months earlier when budgeting.
The submission date determines the applicable amount
The rule applied by the authorities is based on the date the application is submitted to the visa centre or consulate, not the departure date or the start of the academic year.
Applications submitted up to and including 31 July 2026 will be assessed against the €615 monthly threshold. Those submitted from 1 August 2026 onwards must provide proof of resources amounting to €877.50 per month.
A transitional measure is in place until the end of the current academic intake. If a candidate has already completed an online application on France-Visas when the old threshold was still displayed and provided supporting documents for that amount, the authorities may request additional evidence to meet the new minimum, rather than rejecting the application outright. This flexibility does not exempt students from complying but allows them time to supplement their dossier.
Beware of official documents still showing the old amount
The new threshold is reflected in the French government’s practical guide for foreign students, updated on 1 August 2026, which now lists €877.50 for both the long-stay visa (VLS-TS) and the residence permit.
However, the list of supporting documents published by the Directorate-General for Foreigners in France (DGEF) — the document students download when preparing their residence permit application — still states "the required amount of €615/month" under the section for third-party sponsorship. A dossier built on this outdated figure would fall below the legal threshold.
Such discrepancies are common during regulatory changes and also affect consulate websites and Campus France pages, which update at different speeds depending on the country. In case of conflicting information between official pages, the legal text prevails, meaning the 47% of the SMIC.
Acceptable forms of financial proof and eligibility
The same list of supporting documents outlines the types of resources accepted for a student residence permit, which extend beyond bank balances:
Third-party sponsorship: bank attestation from the guarantor confirming regular transfers, a sworn statement of financial support, and the guarantor’s ID;
Scholarship: attestation from the paying body in the student’s home country, or proof of status for French government scholarship holders and beneficiaries of European programmes;
Salary: the last three payslips;
Own resources: bank attestation showing a sufficient credit balance.
If multiple sources of income are used, each must be justified separately, allowing combinations such as partial scholarships with guarantor support to reach the required amount.
French government scholarship recipients funded by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs are exempt from the increase, as their €900 monthly stipend exceeds the new threshold. However, students on co-financed scholarships may be affected if the portion they receive is below €877.50.
Current students in France also impacted
The new threshold applies not only to first-time applicants abroad but also to renewals of student residence permits, affecting those who began their studies with a visa based on the €615 threshold and are now pursuing courses longer than one year.
At renewal, the threshold in force on the date of application applies — currently €877.50. A student who arrived with a financial plan based on the old amount will need to demonstrate resources approximately €260 higher per month than what they originally presented to the consulate.
A tight timeline for the Études en France procedure
The increase comes at a critical time in the application cycle, just weeks before university intakes. Candidates residing in one of the 42 countries covered by the Études en France procedure (Algeria, Argentina, Benin, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, South Korea, Côte d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, United States, Gabon, Guinea, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Madagascar, Mali, Morocco, Mauritius, Mauritania, Mexico, Peru, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Russia, Senegal, Singapore, Taiwan, Togo, Tunisia, Turkey, Vietnam) must complete their online application before the visa interview and submission, leaving little room to adjust financial documentation mid-process.
For students from other countries, applications are made directly to the relevant consulate or visa centre, but the financial threshold remains the same: it is set by the Code on Entry and Residence, regardless of the applicant’s nationality. Special arrangements negotiated by some states, such as the five-year Schengen circulation visa available to Indian master’s graduates, relate to the duration and issuance of visas, not the entry financial requirements.
