How to apply to post-secondary studies in France
If you are a Canadian national or resident and wish to carry out post-secondary studies in France, different application procedures apply depending on your situation.
Applying for the first year of university
For a first-time registration in the first year of a bachelor's degree (licence) or in the 1st common core year of health studies (PASS) in a French university, a prior admission request (demande d'admission préalable - DAP) is mandatory for foreigners holding a foreign secondary school diploma.
This application procedure is for candidates:
- who do not have French nationality or of a member state of the European Union, of a state party to the agreement on the European Economic Area or of the Swiss Confederation (if you are in this case, please apply via the Parcoursup platform);
- who are not holders or future holders of the French or European baccalaureate (the European baccalaureate is a diploma awarded by the only approved European schools in the Member States of the European Union) (if you are in this case, please apply via the Parcoursup platform);
- who live abroad (if you reside in France throughout the application and admission procedure, you should follow the green DAP procedure).
The DAP application procedure is entirely online, and is to be completed through the Etudes en France platform.
To know more about this procedure, please read the dedicated article.
Applying for a master's degree or a 2nd or 3rd year of a bachelor's
The non-DAP (hors-DAP) procedure concerns international candidates who wish to apply for the second or third year of an undergraduate program (Licence 2 and 3), a selective university training (BUT, DEUST, DU) or a Master's program in France.
The non-DAP application procedure is entirely online, and is to be completed through the Etudes en France platform.
To know more about this procedure, please read the dedicated article.
Applying to a school of architecture (all levels of study)
The yellow Prior Admission request (or "yellow file" - DAP jaune) concerns candidates who wish to be admitted to a national school of architecture (ENSA) in France and who do not have French nationality, are not holders or future holders of the French or European baccalaureate and who do not reside in France.
This application procedure is for candidates who would like to enroll in an architecture school to prepare for one of the following diplomas:
- Diploma in architecture (bachelor's degree)
- State diploma in architecture (master’s degree)
- Authorization to exercise project management in one's own name (HMONP)
The yellow DAP application procedure is entirely online, and is to be completed through the Etudes en France platform.
To know more about this procedure, please read the dedicated article.
Applying for a program outside of the 'Etudes en France' platform
The 'Etudes en France' platform includes more than 50,000 post-secondary programs in France, but some institutions or programs operate outside of the platform for their admissions processes and have their own calendar.
In order to apply to these institutions, you should contact them directly to know about their international admissions process and their calendar.
If your application is accepted and if you do not hold citizenship of a country that is part of the European Economic Area, you have to apply for a student visa to France. The visa application involves submitting a "pre-consular file" on the Etudes en France platform. For more information on the student visa application process and Etudes en France, please read the dedicated article.
Applying for a BTS, CPGE or CPES program
Some post-secondary programs in France are taught in high schools or training centres, such as BTS (Brevet de Technicien Supérieur), CPGE (Classes préparatoires aux grandes écoles) or CPES (Cycles Pluridisciplinaires d'Etudes Supérieures). They are usually taught exclusively in French.
If they are present on the Parcoursup platform and not on Etudes en France, then you must apply through the platform, no matter your nationality or the country you completed your secondary studies in.
If your application is accepted and if you do not hold citizenship of a country that is part of the European Economic Area, you have to apply for a student visa to France. The visa application involves submitting a "pre-consular file" on the Etudes en France platform. For more information on the student visa application process and Etudes en France, please read the dedicated article.
Applying for a doctoral program
For more information, please read the dedicated article.
Applying for post-secondary studies if you are a European citizen
If you hold citizenship (and a passport) of a member country of the EU, a country part of the European Economic Area or of Switzerland, even if you have not completed your post-secondary studies in these countries, you should follow the same admissions processes as French students:
- To apply for the 1st year of undergraduate studies, you should apply through the Parcoursup platform
- To apply for a master's degree, you should apply through the MonMaster platform
To know more about the procedures and the calendar, please read the dedicated article on the Campus France international website.
Support and monitoring
Campus France Canada is available to candidates to help them throughout their admission process. If you have any questions regarding the processes, please contact the Campus France branch of your province of residence:
- Québec: montreal@campusfrance.org
- Ontario (except Ottawa), Manitoba, Nunavut: toronto@campusfrance.org
- Ottawa, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island: ottawa@campusfrance.org
- British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Yukon, Northwest Territories: campusfrance.vancouver-cslt@diplomatie.gouv.fr
For any questions related to your Etudes in France file, please contact: peefcanada@campusfrance.org
