Studying in France for Russians and Ukrainians 2026

Studying is not just a diploma — it’s the most accessible legal way to settle in France for the long term. The logic is simple: student visa → diploma → work → eventually citizenship. Let’s go through the whole path in order.

Campus France ‘Études en France’

For residents of Russia and Ukraine, admission runs through the mandatory Campus France ‘Études en France’ procedure — a single online platform that takes you from the university application to the visa request.

• First-year bachelor’s (L1) with a foreign diploma — via DAP (Demande d’Admission Préalable) on the ‘Études en France’ platform.
• Master’s (and second- or third-year bachelor’s) — directly via ‘Études en France’.
• If you have a French or European diploma — registration on Parcoursup in parallel with the procedure.

Deadlines exist and depend on the cycle — check the current year’s calendar on the Campus France site.

Cost of studying

Standard fees at public universities (2025–2026): bachelor’s €178, master’s €254, doctorate €397, plus the student-life contribution CVEC of €105. This is one reason France is an accessible destination.

Non-EU students face differentiated fees: ~€2,895 for a bachelor’s and ~€3,941 for a master’s per year. But many universities waive them fully or partly; doctoral students, scholarship holders and refugees are exempt separately. From 2026–2027 a cap on the share of exempt non-EU students is introduced — check the specific university’s conditions before applying.

Student visa and resources

For study over 3 months you need the long-stay VLS-TS ‘étudiant’ visa, validated online within 3 months of arrival (fee €150).

Proof of resources is about €615/month (as of 2026); from 1 August 2026 the minimum rises to €877.50/month. The right to work is up to 964 hours a year without a separate permit.

Housing and aid

The cheapest option is CROUS halls (state-run, subsidised). Students, including foreign ones, are entitled to the APL housing benefit from CAF with a valid residence permit. Note: from 1 July 2026 non-EU students may need a means-tested scholarship to access APL (per service-public.gouv.fr) — check current rules.

The path after the diploma

This is the main value of studying as a relocation route:

1. A master’s-level graduate can get the ‘recherche d’emploi ou création d’entreprise’ card for 12 months (non-renewable) — to look for work or start a business.
2. On taking up a qualified job — a move to a passeport talent (threshold €39,582/year) or a salarié card.
3. A French university diploma cuts the residence requirement for naturalisation from 5 to 2 years.

Higher education in France

The French higher-education system follows the LMD model: Licence (3 years) → Master (2 years) → Doctorat (about 3 years on average). It’s the standard Bologna-area structure, familiar from most CIS countries.

Three kinds of institution — different rules

Public universities are state-funded, which is exactly why fees for EU citizens and many residence-permit holders are nominal (roughly €170–380/year depending on the cycle; check the current rates on the specific university’s site). Non-EU students have faced “differentiated fees” since 2019 — roughly around €2,770/year (bachelor’s) and €3,770/year (master’s) at public universities. That said, many categories are exempt (refugees, scholarship holders, and others), and a number of universities have chosen not to apply them at all. The exact amounts for your intake year are only on the relevant university’s site or Campus France.

Grandes écoles are engineering, business and administrative schools with competitive selection and high prestige on the job market (Sciences Po, HEC, Centrale and others). Tuition is generally higher and usually involves a separate admission process.

Private institutions set their own fees; the range is wide. Check the accreditation before you enrol.

“Free” is an overstatement, but the context matters

Higher education in France has never been entirely free — there are always fees. But the real cost of public education, even with the differentiated fees, is noticeably lower than in the US or the UK. “Cheap” rather than “free” is the honest framing.

Language and admission

Most programmes are taught in French; the standard bar is B2 level (proven by DELF B2, DALF C1 or TCF). English-taught master’s programmes do exist, especially in technical and business fields. For citizens of non-EU countries, the admission route runs through the ‘Études en France’ procedure at Campus France plus the student visa.

Scholarships

There are French Government Scholarships, the Eiffel Excellence scholarship, regional grants and bilateral cooperation programmes. Look for the current list on Campus France — the terms and deadlines change every year. For the broader step-by-step logic, see moving step by step.

Which southern universities are strong in your field, how to build a dossier and pass the Campus France interview — community members who studied or are studying in Montpellier, Toulouse, Nice share their experience in the chat.

The “Vibe South of France” community chat on Telegram — study, moving and life in the South

See also:

• Working in France as a Russian-speaker
• French citizenship: naturalisation, marriage, timelines
• How to move to France: every legal route