This guide is for people living in Tunisia who are preparing to study, do research, take a work-study (alternance) place or gain first work experience in France. For the September 2027 intake, the Campus France Tunisie calendar (2026/2027 procedures) opens "Études en France" files on 1 October 2026. You must submit your file and pay by 11 December 2026 for DAP applications (first-year licence, L.AS/PASS, architecture schools) and by 18 December 2026 for non-DAP ones (BUT, second- and third-year licence, master's, engineering and business schools). Interviews run until 15 March 2027, institutions reply by 30 April 2027 and you confirm your final choice by 31 May 2027 at the latest. Campus France, France-Visas and the consulate remain the authority for your case.
Reading room of the Sainte-Geneviève Library, Paris
You apply through the "Études en France" procedure run by Campus France Tunisie. The application fee has been 400 TND since 1 August 2025, payable by card at a Campus France office or online. If you are admitted through Parcoursup (BTS, CPGE, DCG), to a doctorate, to a work-study place or directly by an institution, you follow the "Je suis accepté" procedure. At public institutions under the Ministry of Higher Education, non-EU students pay differentiated fees: for 2026/2027, EUR 2,902 a year for a licence (bachelor's) and EUR 3,950 for a master's. Doctorates are not affected and cost EUR 398 a year. The 2027/2028 amounts are to be confirmed. Some institutions grant exemptions, under conditions revised by a decree of 19 May 2026. For scholarships, see our Eiffel guide and the opportunities list.
The VLS-TS student visa lets you work 964 hours a year, about 20 hours a week, to top up your resources. Work-study (alternance) and doctoral contracts are separate routes, tied to an employment contract with their own rules. For work experience, the Tunisia-France young professionals exchange agreement lets you practise your occupation in France for 3 to 24 months. According to the Tunisian Ministry of Employment (page accessed 23 October 2026), you must be aged 18 to 35, be a young professional or recent graduate of vocational training or higher education, take a job that matches your training and experience, and speak enough French. The contract usually lasts 3 to 12 months and can be extended up to 24; the employer files the application with OFII.
Once your Études en France procedure is complete and your prior enrolment agreement is stamped, the Campus France office sets your visa appointment at TLScontact; this route has been mandatory since 1 May 2022. Since 18 July 2023, you must first fill in the France-Visas form and give Campus France your France-Visas reference number. Only the Consulate General of France in Tunisia decides whether to issue the visa; Campus France cannot explain or receive a refusal. The visa granted is marked "student", serves as a residence permit (VLS-TS) and covers four months to one year.
For admission, the French institution decides what your Tunisian qualification is worth. It may ask for a statement of comparability issued by ENIC-NARIC France. According to Service-Public, this statement has no legal force and is not compulsory. For work, the process depends on the occupation, and regulated professions follow their own rules. Service-Public (page verified on 17 April 2025, accessed 23 October 2026) gives a cost of EUR 120 and a reply within 4 months of payment at most; check the current fee on the ENIC-NARIC France website before paying.
Your file is built in two stages: the Études en France file, then the visa application. Campus France Tunisie asks you to bring your original transcripts and diplomas, in Arabic and French, to the interview. Then keep the prior enrolment agreement stamped by Campus France and your France-Visas reference number. France-Visas generates the final document list for your situation; translation and legalisation requirements for your diplomas and transcripts are to be confirmed on that list. Campus France Tunisie gives a processing time of 15 to 45 days after filing at TLScontact, so leave a margin before term starts.
Service-Public (page verified on 1 August 2026) states that a student must show resources of at least EUR 877.50 a month, the amount shown on 23 October 2026. This does not apply if you passed the entrance exam of an institution that has an agreement with the State. The amount for the 2027 intake is to be confirmed. Also budget for the 400 TND Campus France fee, the visa fee, the EUR 100 tax paid when validating the VLS-TS (amounts shown on 23 October 2026), the rent deposit and the first month's rent. The VISALE rent guarantee and CAF housing aid exist, subject to conditions.
Campus France Tunisie requires a French certificate (TCF, DELF or DALF) in the application file unless you are exempt. For first-year licence, L.AS/PASS and architecture schools, you need the TCF DAP or DELF/DALF; for other programmes, the TCF tout public or DELF/DALF. The level expected depends on the programme, so check each programme page before booking the test. For a programme taught in English, also check which proof of English it requires.
Within three months of arriving, validate your VLS-TS online and pay the EUR 100 tax (amount shown on 23 October 2026): this makes your stay lawful and lets you leave and re-enter the Schengen area. Before the VLS-TS expires, apply for your residence permit between four and two months before the end date. Admission does not guarantee housing: CROUS residences, CAF aid and private rentals have different conditions.
How much does the Campus France procedure cost in Tunisia?
The application fee has been 400 TND since 1 August 2025, according to Campus France Tunisie (page accessed 23 October 2026).
What tuition does a Tunisian student pay?
At the public institutions concerned, the 2026/2027 differentiated fees are EUR 2,902 a year for a licence and EUR 3,950 for a master's; doctorates are not affected (EUR 398 a year). The 2027/2028 amounts are to be confirmed.
How many hours can I work on a student visa?
The student VLS-TS allows 964 hours of work a year, about 20 hours a week.
Who decides on the visa?
The Consulate General of France in Tunisia, which alone has authority. You file at TLScontact after the Campus France procedure.
Can Opporiva apply for me?
No. Opporiva is free, gathers official information and never applies on your behalf.
