French student Visa!

THE PROCEDURE (INDIA)

This post will continue in bullets, making it easier to follow along.
Use this as a base/starting point if you will!

Campus France Process — For the NOC

• Register and sign in at https://pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr/etudesenfrance/dyn/public/authentification/login.html
• While registering give all authentic information like passport number and name as on passport number and so on…
• This website keeps changing its UI but in short, you’ll need to enter your details, provide scanned copies of your school/college documents, your payslips and offer letters( if you are working), GMAT/GRE (and other tests) score reports, internship certificates, passport front and back and a photo.
• Now, if you already have an admission from a school in France then just fill out the details of the school and once you have filled out everything, verify all the information and hit submit.
• The team will now review your file and get back to you for corrections.
• Once they verify your application, you have to pay a fee (Rs.18000 might vary year on year). Make sure to save a copy of the receipt while making the payment.
• After the payment, the team will set up an interview of sorts with your local/nearest Campus France office. Here you’ll have to take in the originals of all the documents you submitted online and the payment receipt I mentioned earlier.
• The meeting will last for half an hour as they try to understand your application and the reasons for studying in France. Once done with the interview, you can ask them questions about the process ahead. They’ll also inform you that they’ll send other documents that are required for your visa.
• After the interview, in a while (days), you’ll receive an email NOC stating that you can begin your VFS process. This mail is your NOC, so take a printout.

The Visa prep

• So this process starts only after you get your campus France NOC.
• You can begin by registering here — https://connect.france-visas.gouv.fr/realms/usager/protocol/openid-connect/auth?response_type=code&client_id=fv-fo-keycloak-web&scope=openid&state=727dec10-d759-49ad-b78e-99a96b2b83c6&redirect_uri=http://application-form.france-visas.gouv.fr/fv-fo-dde/login/oauth2/code/keycloak&nonce=qdQxiGzXWZxLnhL_NMEaFEgxtuHtjvVkNMk02ZZqOIs
• Once you register, you will be prompted to fill out the form. What you are filling out is the Schengen visa form. Also, toward the end of the form, you will be prompted to upload certain documents. It is optional, you’ll have to produce those documents at the VFS centre regardless.
• Here’s the list of documents you’ll have to have and consolidate in this particular order.

Kudos to the Seniors!

• Things to note:
  - The photo specifications
  - Expense statement — ask Campus France
  - Cover letter — something that you’ll have to create
  - EEF forms you’ll get from the campus France application website.
  - Resume
  - If parents are sponsoring then you’ll need those documents as well.
  - It’s not mentioned here, but you’ll need an affidavit from your parents stating they’ll fund your studies.
  - Passport copy printouts with every stamping that is present
  - Ensure you’re passport has enough space (>2 empty pages) for the stamping.
  - Visa appointment letter is the document you get after booking and confirming your visa slot on VFS
  - Registration receipts are the last few pages of your Schengen visa form that you’ll download from the France-visas portal
  - Also make sure your passport isn’t expiring in the next 6 months!
• To book the visa slot at VFS — https://visa.vfsglobal.com/ind/en/fra/login
  Here while registering you’ll have to mention the number on the Schengen visa form — The form you filled out at France-visas

Once you submit these documents to VFS along with your passport, you are now done! Just wait for the visa.

Note: This is what I followed and please keep checking the campus France websites — https://france-visas.gouv.fr/en/web/france-visas/studies-training for any updated information.

Connect with me @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/shidharth-s-870077170/