(7 Jun 2021) Resumption of services: French long-stay student visa applications and online pre-consular interviews

Digitization of document submission

The France-Visas website now allows international students (who are applying for a long-stay student visa) to submit digital copies of their supporting documents as part of their online visa application. The new service, meant to simplify procedures for international students, is accessible to applicants living in a country where the visa application process is outsourced and available online. This is the case for applicants in the Philippines, where VFS Global is the external visa service provider.

Please note that applicants must still be present in person during their VFS Global appointment date to submit their printed long-stay visa application form and their documents, as well as for the collection of their passport and their biometric data. 

• To know more about the online procedure, the steps, and required document specifications ➜ please watch this short video tutorial

Processing of long-stay student visa applications by the French Embassy in Manila 

In the processing of long-stay student visas to France for the start of the 2021-22 academic year, the Embassy is following the updated list of authorized travelers for essential travel to France, found in the certificate of international travel issued by the French Interior Ministry (for reference: https://www.interieur.gouv.fr/Actualites/L-actu-du-Ministere/Certificate-of-international-travel​)

• Select: Travel from another country outside the European Area → You wish to enter Metropolitan France → Download the certificate to enter Metropolitan France

Who can apply for a French long-stay student visa starting on Monday, 7 June 2021? 

Filipinos and foreigners who are legally residing in the Philippines who fall under these categories below can start their applications. This list follows the French Interior Ministry’s list of authorized travelers for essential travel to France (see above). There is a specific category (#8) for international students. 

1. ​Students enrolled in French as a foreign language (FLE) course prior to and must be followed by enrollment in French higher education institution for a degree program
2. Students of Undergraduate/Licence, Master's, or PhD degrees, who are accepted into or enrolled/registered at a French higher education institution for the start of the 2021-2022 academic year

❗️Please remember❗️

If your situation is not listed in any of the categories identified as essential travels, then you are not authorized to enter France.

• Additional information and guidelines ➜ Applying for a student visa from the Philippines 

Mandatory online pre-consular interview 

As part of the French long-stay student visa application procedure, Filipino citizens and foreigners legally residing in the Philippines are required to undergo a pre-consular interview with the attaché for higher education of the French Embassy in Manila. Following Covid-19 measures, this 20-minute interview will be done online via Google Meet. 

After being accepted into a program and before selecting a date to submit your long-stay student visa application documents to VFS Global, you must set an appointment for an online pre-consular interview. Your visa application will not be accepted by VFS Global if you do not have a document from the Campus France Manila office confirming that you have completed the pre-consular interview. 

Who can set an appointment for an online pre-consular starting on Monday, 7 June 2021? 

Those who can apply for a French long-stay student visa (see the list above) can also set an appointment for their online pre-consular interview. 

• Please refer to the information on this page on how to set an appointment for this ➜ Long-stay student visas