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🇿🇦 South African citizens · 🇫🇷 France · Student

France student visa success rate for South African citizens

In the UK — the only government that publishes visa outcomes broken down by both nationality and visa type — 90.5% of South African student visa applications were approved, down from 92.7% a year earlier, across 631 decisions in the year to March 2026. For South African student applicants that is the only approval rate on record anywhere. France does not publish student decisions by nationality, so no France-specific rate exists for South Africa — and any site quoting one is estimating. Where South Africa does have published rates, they run at 88.3% on US visitor visas in FY2025 and 94.7% across 194,250 Schengen short-stay decisions in 2025 — a wider picture of how South African applications are treated, though neither is a student-visa figure. What France does document is the decision itself: officers assess whether you are a genuine student who can fund and complete the course, and the biggest single 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 .

France assesses a student visa on whether you are a genuine student who can fund and complete the course. As an approximate starting point, this route runs near a 95% base approval for South African citizens — your finances, ties and history then push your personal odds up or down. Published approval rates for South Africa run at 88.3% on US visitor visas in FY2025 and 94.7% on Schengen short-stay applications in 2025.

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Your trip

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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 South Africa sits in the official data

Two governments publish visa outcomes broken down by country. Neither predicts an individual decision, but together they show how South African applicants fare relative to everyone else, and which of the destinations we cover currently refuses the fewest applications from South Africa.

UK student visas — year to March 2026

The UK is the only government that publishes outcomes by nationality and visa type, so it is the one place a student-visa figure for South Africa actually exists. 9.5% of South African student applications were refused across 631 decisions , against 7.3% the year before. That volume makes South Africa the 55th-largest source of UK student applicants, of 73 countries with meaningful numbers. Different country, different rules — a reference point, not your odds here.

US visitor visas — FY2025

A 11.7% adjusted refusal rate places South Africa 40th of 199 nationalities the State Department publishes — a lower refusal rate than 80% of them. The median nationality sits at 31.8%, so South Africa is 20.1 points below it.

Schengen short-stay visas — 2025

Across all Schengen consulates in South Africa, 5.3% of short-stay applications were not issued — 22nd of 127 countries with a meaningful application volume, and 10.3 points below the 15.6% median.

Schengen short-stay applications lodged in South Africa in 2025, by issuing state. All rows use the European Commission's methodology, so they are comparable with each other — the US figure is computed differently and is shown separately above.
DestinationRefusedIssuedDecided
Greece1.8%98.2%12,689
Spain2.3%97.7%21,066
the Netherlands3%97%21,397
Italy3%97%33,534
Germany3.5%96.5%24,683
Portugal7.2%92.8%10,787
Francethis page8.5%91.5%32,367

Among Schengen states, applications lodged in South Africa were refused least often by Greece at 1.8% and most often by France at 8.5% — a gap of 6.7 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 South Africa between 2024 and 2025. Schengen consulates there decided 194,250 short-stay applications, against 191,536 the year before — up 1.4% — while the refusal rate went from 5.7% to 5.3%. That easing meant roughly 869 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 South Africa applicants

Published approval rates for South Africa run at 88.3% on US visitor visas in FY2025 and 94.7% on Schengen short-stay applications in 2025. 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 South African 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.

Explore related visa odds

France student visa odds for other nationalities

Helpful guides

Schengen visa bank statements: how much money and how to show it → Schengen travel insurance: 30,000 euros cover & cost (2026) → How to prove funding for a student visa → How to read visa approval and refusal rates → How to prove strong ties to your home country → How to document your finances for a visa →