One-to-one guidance through your French university application. From the Études en France procedure through to the 12-month RECE post-study permit, the Carte Talent, and setting up for what comes after graduation.
General information, not immigration or legal advice. This page draws on publicly available guidance from official government sources. Immigration, visa, and post-study rules change. We are not immigration lawyers, and nothing here is legal or immigration advice for your specific situation. Refer to the linked official government pages for the current position, and consult a qualified adviser for your personal circumstances.
A quick honest read on the French cities international students actually end up in. Each has strong universities and a real international student community.
The capital and QS Best Student City #7 in 2026. Home to the grandes écoles, Sciences Po, HEC, ESSEC, and the Sorbonne. Luxury, finance, fashion, and government are all substantial industries here. Cost of living is high but the network you build is unmatched in France.
Universities: Sorbonne Alliance, Sciences Po, HEC Paris, ESSEC, ESCP, École Polytechnique, École Normale Supérieure.
France's second-largest student city, with around 175,000 students. Strong in business, engineering, and gastronomy. Cost of living is noticeably lower than Paris, and Lyon has one of France's best food scenes.
Universities: EMLyon Business School, INSA Lyon, Université Lyon 1 (Claude Bernard), Institut Lyfe.
France's aerospace capital. Airbus is headquartered here, along with major operations from Thales, ATR, and the European space agency. Around 130,000 students, and the recent merger of ISAE-SUPAERO and ENAC into TSAAE (2025) created one of Europe's strongest aerospace engineering institutions.
Universities: TSAAE (ISAE-SUPAERO + ENAC), Université de Toulouse, INSA Toulouse.
France's tech and nanotechnology hub, ringed by the Alps. Home to MINATEC, one of the largest nanotechnology research campuses in Europe, plus CEA-Leti and STMicroelectronics operations. Strong in engineering, physics, and applied maths.
Universities: Grenoble INP, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble École de Management.
Wine, historically, but increasingly a growing tech scene. Around 100,000 students. Home to the Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin (ISVV), the world's leading wine science institute, alongside strong programmes in law, medicine, and business.
Universities: Université de Bordeaux, KEDGE Business School, Bordeaux Sciences Agro.
France has strong universities across the country. Nice, Aix-Marseille, Strasbourg, Lille, and Nantes all have well-regarded institutions and lower cost of living than Paris.
Universities: Sciences Po (Menton, Reims campuses), Université Côte d'Azur, Aix-Marseille Université, Université de Strasbourg, Nantes Université, and more.
France's post-study permit is the RECE (Recherche d'emploi ou création d'entreprise), which replaced the older APS in 2024. It gives you 12 months to look for graduate-level work or launch a business in France. You don't need an employer sponsor to apply.
The permit is available to graduates of a French Master's, MSc, Mastère Spécialisé, Licence professionnelle, or an equivalent programme. The 12-month version is non-renewable. There is an extended 24-month version available only to graduates from countries with specific professional-mobility agreements with France, including India, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, Mauritius, and Tunisia. Nigeria is not currently on that list, so Nigerian Master's graduates get the standard 12 months.
During your RECE, you have full work rights and can take any job while looking for the right graduate-level role or building a business. Securing a qualifying skilled position on the RECE is the standard route into the Carte Talent, which is the main permanent residency pathway.
For general information on the RECE, refer to the official French government guidance at service-public.gouv.fr. We're not immigration lawyers and this page is educational, not legal advice.
The main route from graduating in France to permanent residency is the Carte Talent, which was renamed from Passeport Talent in 2025. It's a multi-year residence permit valid for up to four years. The most relevant category for graduates is Talent-Salarié qualifié, which needs a qualifying skilled job offer at or above the current salary threshold. Talent-Chercheur (for researchers) and Talent-Création d'entreprise (for entrepreneurs) are also useful graduate routes.
After three years of continuous legal residence and reaching French B1, you can apply for the 10-year Carte de résident, which is functionally equivalent to permanent residence.
French citizenship by naturalisation follows five years of legal residence. This reduces to just two years if you graduated from a French higher education institution, which is one of the fastest citizenship routes in Europe for international students. From 1 January 2026, naturalisation requires French B2 and a civic exam, both of which are worth planning for from the start of your studies.
Every part of the French application process, undergraduate or postgraduate.
Navigating the Campus France centralised pre-consular process, from portal registration through to the interview and institution ranking. Meeting the tight October-to-December window matters.
HEC, ESSEC, ESCP, EMLyon, EDHEC, Sciences Po, and École Polytechnique take direct applications alongside Études en France. We handle both routes and the different documentation for each.
Whether it's TCF B2 for a French-taught programme or IELTS 6.5 for an English-taught one, we work out the tests you need and the timeline to fit them in around your application.
The French letter of motivation is structured differently from a UK personal statement or a US essay. We coach you through drafts until each one lands in the specific French academic style.
From day one we build your shortlist with the RECE, Carte Talent, and the 2-year graduate citizenship route in mind. Programme choice significantly shapes your options after graduation.
General visa information, ANEF validation timing, CROUS accommodation, opening a French bank account, and getting from the airport to your first week of orientation.
Nigerian applicants must go through the Études en France procedure, which is Campus France's centralised pre-consular process. This applies to Bachelor's, Master's, and PhD applications. The portal opens around 1 October each year for the following September intake, with an early December deadline and interviews between January and March. Grandes écoles and private business schools (HEC, ESSEC, ESCP, INSEAD, EDHEC, EMLyon) also accept direct applications, but you'll still complete Études en France for the visa side. Campus France Nigeria charges an admin fee, updated periodically.
For French-taught programmes, yes. You'll need at least B2 French, evidenced by a TCF score of 400 or higher, or DELF B2 / DALF C1. For English-taught programmes, no French is required for admission. Campus France lists more than 1,600 programmes taught wholly or partially in English, particularly at the grandes écoles and business schools. Regardless of the language of your programme, having at least A2 or B1 French makes daily life, part-time work, and post-study job hunting significantly easier.
Yes, though the picture has changed. Public university tuition for non-EU students remains low compared to most of Western Europe, but from September 2026 differentiated fees become the standard with less flexibility for universities to exempt non-EU students than they had in previous years. Every student also pays the CVEC (student and campus life contribution). Private grandes écoles and business schools charge much more. Refer to Campus France for current rates before finalising a shortlist.
The RECE (Recherche d'emploi ou création d'entreprise, formerly APS) lets you stay in France for 12 months after graduating to look for graduate-level work or launch a business. Eligible programmes include Master's, MSc, Mastère Spécialisé, Licence professionnelle, and equivalent qualifications. The 12-month version is non-renewable. Note that the extended 24-month version applies only to graduates from countries with specific bilateral agreements (India, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, Mauritius, Tunisia, and a few others). Nigeria is not on the bilateral list, so Nigerian Master's graduates get the standard 12-month RECE.
The main route is the Carte Talent (renamed from Passeport Talent in 2025), a multi-year residence permit valid for up to four years. The Talent-Salarié qualifié category needs a qualifying skilled job offer at or above the current salary threshold, which is set each year. Other useful categories include Talent-Chercheur (for researchers) and Talent-Création d'entreprise (for entrepreneurs). After three years of continuous legal residence and French B1, you can apply for the 10-year resident card. French citizenship follows five years of legal residence, though this reduces to two years if you graduated from a French higher education institution. From January 2026, naturalisation requires French B2 and a civic exam.
Grandes écoles are France's elite specialist institutions in business, engineering, and public policy. Their reputation and network are broadly comparable to Ivy League universities in the US. Fees vary significantly by school and programme. HEC Paris, ESSEC, ESCP, EMLyon, EDHEC, Sciences Po, and École Polytechnique are among the best known. We work through the shortlist that fits your goals and profile as part of your consultation.
The Student visa (VLS-TS) requires a minimum monthly financial evidence figure that is updated periodically. On top of that you'll need tuition and airfare covered. On arrival, you validate the visa online through the ANEF portal within three months. Also worth knowing: from 1 July 2026, CAF housing subsidies (APL/ALS) for non-EU/EEA students are restricted to scholarship holders. Refer to Campus France and service-public.gouv.fr for the current figures.
Yes. Student visa holders can work up to 964 hours per year, which works out to around 60 percent of a full-time schedule (about 20 hours per week averaged over the year). This helps with living costs and adds French language and workplace experience to your CV. Working in a role related to your studies is particularly useful when transitioning to the RECE and looking for graduate-level work.
We help students apply across all our destinations. Each has its own guide with cities, post-study work rules, and pathway to residency.
Book a free consultation and we'll help you build a French university shortlist that fits your goals, your grades, your budget, and your plans for after graduation.
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