International students planning to study in France will soon have to prove they have noticeably deeper pockets. On 28 July 2026 Campus France and the official France-Visas portal confirmed that, as of 1 August 2026, the minimum level of financial resources applicants must demonstrate for a long-stay (VLS-TS) student visa will rise from €615 to €877.50 per month – an increase of just over 42 %. The new threshold represents 47 % of the French monthly gross minimum wage and is intended to keep pace with rising living costs in university cities such as Paris, Lyon and Bordeaux. The change implements Decree n° 2026-526 of 22 June 2026, which revised the resource criteria for third-country nationals admitted for study. French authorities argue that higher proof-of-funds will reduce the risk of financial precarity among foreign students and limit recourse to public assistance during their stay. Consulates worldwide have been instructed to apply the new amount for all applications lodged on or after 1 August; files submitted by 31 July will continue to be assessed against the old €615 benchmark. For universities and Grandes Écoles, the higher bar may slightly dampen demand from price-sensitive markets, especially in Africa and South-East Asia where families budget tightly for tuition and living expenses. Institutions that rely on large cohorts of self-funded students may need to adjust scholarship offers or ramp up promotional messages about France’s comparatively low tuition fees to offset the headline jump in living-cost evidence. Campus France is already advising partners to highlight subsidised student accommodation and transport discounts as cost-mitigation measures. From a compliance perspective, corporate mobility managers should alert interns and sponsored graduate hires whose visa appointments fall in August that new bank-balance or sponsorship letters will be required. Multinationals operating trainee programmes in France should review stipend levels to ensure they exceed the €877.50 floor, otherwise visa refusals could disrupt autumn onboarding cycles. Sponsorship affidavits from parents or third parties will also have to reflect the updated figure over the intended length of stay. Practically, applicants should double-check that the amount shown on bank statements covers the entire academic period (for example – €10 530 for a 12-month stay) and be prepared for longer appointment times as consular staff verify calculations. While the French government stresses that the policy protects students, education agents warn that short notice – barely a week – leaves limited time to top up accounts before interviews. Students are therefore urged to move funds or secure notarised sponsorship declarations without delay.
Source: Campus France / France-Visas
