🇸🇦 Saudi citizens · 🇫🇷 France · Student
France student visa for Saudi citizens: requirements, cost and odds
We do not publish a Saudi-specific approval rate for a student visa to France, because we do not yet hold a figure from France for this category broken down by nationality. Rather than estimate one and format it like a statistic, we leave it out. For background, the published figures that do exist for Saudi Arabia are a 6% US visitor-visa refusal rate in FY2025 and a 5.2% Schengen short-stay refusal rate in 2025 — different countries and a different visa class, so treat them as context rather than as your odds. What is documented is the decision itself — officers assess whether you are a genuine student who can fund and complete the course, and the single biggest lever is admission and funding. On the money side: At least €877.50 per month for the duration of your stay — about €10,530 for a full year. This replaced the long-standing €615/month threshold on 1 August 2026, so applications from that date are assessed against the higher figure. Evidence via bank statements, a scholarship award, or a sponsor's attestation backed by their own finances. The estimator below weighs your own finances, ties, travel history and refusal record against that.
Last reviewed August 2026 per our editorial standards. Source: French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs — resource threshold for student visas .
How likely is a student visa to France for Saudi citizens? Officers focus on whether you are a genuine student who can fund and complete the course. A typical applicant sees roughly 96%, and the biggest single lever is admission and funding. Saudi applicants generally present strong finances; outcomes hinge on clearly documented ties, purpose and funds. Saudi nationals still need a US B1/B2 and a Schengen visa (the UK now uses an ETA, not a visitor visa).
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Your trip
The essentials. Pre-filled if you came from a specific page.
Key requirements
- Complete the Études en France (EEF) / Campus France procedure — academic file check plus interview — where your country requires it (India, Nepal, Pakistan, Nigeria, Turkey and 40+ others)
- An acceptance letter from a French institution
- Proof of at least €615/month for the planned stay (bank funds, scholarship or a documented sponsor)
- Proof of accommodation in France for at least the first three months
- Valid passport, photos and travel/health cover for the start of the stay
- After arrival: validate your VLS-TS (long-stay visa worth a residence permit) online within 3 months
Visa fee (cost)
€50 visa fee for students applying through the EEF/Campus France procedure; €99 standard long-stay fee otherwise (plus any Campus France/EEF processing charge in your country).
Money & funds
At least €877.50 per month for the duration of your stay — about €10,530 for a full year. This replaced the long-standing €615/month threshold on 1 August 2026, so applications from that date are assessed against the higher figure. Evidence via bank statements, a scholarship award, or a sponsor's attestation backed by their own finances.
Typical timeline
Allow several weeks for the EEF/Campus France stage (file validation + interview), then the consulate commonly decides in 2–6 weeks. For a September intake, start in spring and apply by June — peak-season processing slows in May–August.
Common refusal reasons
- An unconvincing EEF file or interview — a study plan that doesn't fit your academic background
- Insufficient or poorly documented funds (below €615/month, unexplained deposits, no sponsor evidence)
- Missing accommodation proof for the first months
- Inconsistencies between the EEF file, visa forms and supporting documents
- Doubts about genuine student intent — vague motivation or weak academic coherence
Where Saudi Arabia sits in the official data
Two governments publish visa outcomes broken down by country. Neither predicts an individual decision, but together they show how Saudi applicants fare relative to everyone else, and which of the destinations we cover currently refuses the fewest applications from Saudi Arabia.
US visitor visas — FY2025
A 6% adjusted refusal rate places Saudi Arabia 15th of 199 nationalities the State Department publishes — a lower refusal rate than 92% of them. The median nationality sits at 31.8%, so Saudi Arabia is 25.8 points below it.
Schengen short-stay visas — 2025
Across all Schengen consulates in Saudi Arabia, 5.2% of short-stay applications were not issued — 19th of 127 countries with a meaningful application volume, and 10.4 points below the 15.6% median.
| Destination | Refused | Issued | Decided |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 2.4% | 97.6% | 83,253 |
| Spain | 2.8% | 97.2% | 57,875 |
| Francethis page | 3.8% | 96.2% | 233,101 |
| Germany | 8% | 92% | 50,841 |
| Portugal | 12.7% | 87.3% | 16,501 |
| the Netherlands | 15% | 85% | 18,777 |
| Greece | 18.9% | 81.1% | 11,391 |
Among Schengen states, applications lodged in Saudi Arabia were refused least often by Italy at 2.4% and most often by Greece at 18.9% — a gap of 16.5 points on a like-for-like basis. That gap reflects who applies where as much as how strictly each state decides, so it is a starting point for choosing a main destination, not a ranking of leniency. You must still apply to the state where you will spend the most nights.
Demand and outcome moved together for Saudi Arabia between 2024 and 2025. Schengen consulates there decided 550,463 short-stay applications, against 501,380 the year before — up 9.8% — while the refusal rate went from 5.9% to 5.2%. That easing meant roughly 4,010 more applicants were issued a visa than 2024's rate would have produced.
Sources: U.S. Department of State — Adjusted Refusal Rate, B-Visas Only, by Nationality and European Commission — Schengen short-stay visa statistics for consulates . Schengen figures are grouped by the country an application was lodged in, not by passport.
What actually moves the needle
Admission to an accredited institution
This is the heart of student decisions for France. Make it concrete and documented rather than assumed.
Clearly documented funding for tuition and living costs
Officers weigh this alongside everything else — gather clear evidence before you apply.
A credible study plan that fits your background
Officers weigh this alongside everything else — gather clear evidence before you apply.
Context for Saudi Arabia applicants
Saudi applicants generally present strong finances; outcomes hinge on clearly documented ties, purpose and funds. Saudi nationals still need a US B1/B2 and a Schengen visa (the UK now uses an ETA, not a visitor visa). Your personal profile matters far more than any nationality-level pattern, so focus on the levers above.
Avoid the common pitfall
The most frequent reason this route fails is unclear funding or a course that does not fit your profile. Address it directly and you remove the biggest doubt.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an official France student visa success rate for Saudi citizens?
Not one we currently carry. We only print a rate when we hold the publisher's own figure for this nationality and this visa category, and we do not hold one for France student visas. The figure shown on this page is a modelled estimate built from published route-level data and your answers — we label it as such rather than presenting it as a government statistic. What you can act on is the documented requirement set below, which is what the decision actually turns on.
What matters most for a France student visa?
Officers focus on whether you are a genuine student who can fund and complete the course. In practice the single biggest lever is admission and funding, so make that part of your application as strong and well-documented as possible.
Does a previous visa refusal affect my chances?
Yes. A prior refusal weighs on new applications until its underlying reason is addressed. Find out exactly why you were refused, fix what caused it, and clearly show what is different this time.
Is this a guarantee of approval?
No. GetVisaOdds is an educational planning tool, not legal advice and not a guarantee. Only a consular or immigration officer can decide your application. We show approximate odds and the reasons behind them so you can prepare better.
Is my information private?
Completely. The estimate runs entirely in your browser. Your answers are never sent to a server or stored — there is no sign-up and nothing to leak.
What is the France student visa success rate?
France doesn't publish a single official student-visa approval rate. In practice, complete EEF/Campus France files with genuine admission and clearly documented funds generally succeed; refusals concentrate on weak funds, incoherent study plans and inconsistent documents. The figure on this page is an educational estimate, not an official rate.
What is the Études en France (EEF) procedure?
A mandatory pre-visa procedure run by Campus France in 40+ countries: you build an academic file on the EEF platform, pay the local processing charge and attend an interview. Only after Campus France validates the file do you book the actual visa appointment.
How much money do I need for a French student visa?
At least €615 per month for your planned stay — about €7,380 for a year — proven with bank statements, a scholarship or a documented sponsor. Consulates read stability and source of funds, not just the balance.
What is the VLS-TS?
The long-stay visa 'worth a residence permit' (visa long séjour valant titre de séjour). It is your first French residence permit — you must validate it online within 3 months of arriving, or it lapses.
Can I work in France on a student visa?
Yes — student-visa holders can work up to 964 hours per year (about 60% of full time) alongside their studies, without a separate work permit.
