FAQs
Q: What are the different scholarships available?
Eiffel Scholarships FRANCE
The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Program is a flagship program of the French Government. It is ideal for overseas students who seek Master’s, Engineering and PhD degrees in France. The Eiffel Program does not cover tuition fees but scholars are given a monthly allowance, travel expenses, health insurance and accommodation allowance. Nearly 400 new scholarships are awarded every year.
The Eiffel program does not cover tuition fees but a few favorable financial conditions, waiver of Enrolment fees for Master’s students on French government scholarship benefit the students. They receive an allowance of €1,181 and various expenses like return trip, health insurance, and accommodation allowance.
PhD course students receive an allowance of €1,400, expenses on return travel, health insurance and accommodation allowance.
Q: What is the tuition fee?
Tuition Fees is very high in France Universities. Below are the details:
- The average tuition fees for an under graduate course is £144 and for a Masters it is £200. Additional fees may be assessed for specific services.
- Tuition rates at private institutions – particularly schools of business and management – are higher (from £2,400 to £8,000 a year).
Q: What are the different employment opportunities?
Just like many other countries, students can work for twenty hours for weekdays and forty hours for weekends.
People from Non-EU countries will get the employment opportunity only if they obtain a residence permit. At least one should have a temporary resident's card for students. Ability to speak, read, and writes French is a must.
One can find the employment through local media. Local media and local job centers are the main sources to find employment. Here they are known as the ANPE (pronounced Are Enn Pay Euh) or "Pole Employ".
Employers require their identity proof and evidence of their right to work. Also a hand written contract should be submitted, irrespective of the nature of work. Opening a bank account in France is needed, since employers are likely to pay all kinds of wages by cheque or through a bank draft. This is obligatory for any employee earning over 1500 € a month.
Social Security (French National Health Service) contributions
Employees with a French work contract will get a 10% deduction from their take-home pay in the form of social security contributions (covering your right to health care, retirement, unemployment benefit and other advantages). However, Income tax will not be deducted, as French income-tax is not deducted at source. Employees should request the local Social Security office for a Social Security Number. The process may take a couple of months. In the meanwhile you will be provided with a temporary SSN. It allows you to benefit fully from subsidized health care, sickness, injury and other social security rights.
Work contracts
In France, Employment is of two types; they are temporary contracts and open-ended contracts. Contract Duration Determine holds most of the new jobs, where the employee's contract can be terminated or renewed at the end of the contract. In a CDD at total period of employment cannot exceed more than 18 months.
Self Employment
Before 2009, setting up as self employed (enterprise individually) in France was an expensive and complex process. It required flat-rate Social Security contributions. But since 2009, things have got much easier and fairer. As per the new "régime de l'autoentrepreneur" (or self-employed entrepreneur scheme), all tax and social security payments due are based on actual earnings. It is a pay-as-you-earn self employment system.
This is a self-employee friendly scheme and anyone whose annual income does not exceed €32,000 for service activities can opt for this.
Q: What are the admission requirements?
- Application Form of the respective college and program
- Application fee (As per the University)
- A Resume
- Degree Marks Memos
- Provisional and Original Certificates
- 12th Marks Memo & Certificate
- 10th Marks Memo & Certificate
- IELTS/TOEFL
- If the candidate have any French language certificate
- Statement of Purpose
- Two Recommendation letters from the college
- Work Experience letter
- Passport copy
- Any other qualification certificates attested
- Two passport size photographs
Q: How to obtain a student Visa?
To obtain a student visa, one should get an offer letter from the French University of his/her choice. Then only they can obtain for a student visa. Moreover, the student has to get the Visa before he/she leaves their resident country.
French Government is not eager to provide jobs, due to high unemployment. In addition, France is infamous for its extensive red tape, which can make everything from buying a car to renting an apartment an administrative nightmare.
One common job for students is an au pair position.
Marry a French citizen will facilitate to obtain French citizenship to some extent. But a lot of paperwork is also required. In other words, marriage will not automatically make you a French citizen.
Though, there are ways to find the work that pays you under the table, they are highly risky as they are illegal.
LIST OF REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
- Valid passport;
- Two copies of the application form
- Two passport size photographs;
- Flight ticket
- Visa Application fee
- Health Insurance Certificate
- Birth certificate
- Resume (curriculum vitae);
- Copies of all educational certificates
- Offer letter
- Proof of sufficient funds
- Scores of commonly accepted English entrance tests
- Bank account
- Proof of a scholarship, if any;
Q: How to get a Green Card?
The process to get a permanent residency permit in France is more complicated.
If a non-EU national above 18 wishes to stay and study in France for more than three months, he/she must have a residence card. In France, residence permits are divided into four different categories:
- Temporary residence permit
- Skilled residence permit
- Resident card
- Retired residence permit
Temporary residency permit is valid for one year. Skilled residency permit is up to three years. Resident card is for ten years and lastly retired residence permit is valid up to ten years. However all categories can be renewed.
You must submit your application for a residence card in person within two months of arriving in France.
Following are the required documents for Visa processing:
- A valid Passport
- A valid identity card
- Three passport-size photos
- Proof of residence
- Offer Letter from a recognized University
- Medical clearance certificate
- Medical Insurance Certificate
Applicants must have a certificate of employment from their employer and should provide evidence of their status, such as VAT number or work payment receipts.
After getting the permanent residence card, they are supposed to always carry it in public places as a French person.
The police are having all the rights to stop you at anytime, anywhere and ask for identity papers.
Q: Whom should I contact if I want to undertake studies in France?
Ans: If the person is a holder of a secondary education diploma from a non EU country, then he/she should contact “The administration of the establishment.”
If the person is a holder of a secondary school teaching diploma, then they should contact the school Education department of the Ministry of National Education.
If the candidate is a holder of higher education diploma, the respective applicant should contact the administration of their University or School to make a recognition request or a qualification exemption request.
Q: What is a comparability certificate?
Ans: In France, there is no equivalence between diplomas and qualifications obtained at French Institutes and at abroad. Nevertheless, the Centre international d'études pédagogiques (International education studies centre) (CIEP) − ENIC-NARIC Centre France – can draw up a comparability certificate that establishes a comparison between a diploma obtained abroad and the French education system. This certificate may be useful in the context of a job search and can be used to demonstrate the value of a foreign diploma to an employer. The cost of issuing a comparability certificate is 70 Euros.
Q: Which education courses are covered by the comparability certificate?
Ans: Comparability certificate cannot be issued automatically. The issuance of a comparability certificate is not automatic; it is done case-by-case, after examining student’s educational career and file. However, it covers the diplomas recognized by the competent authorities of the State that issued them and the courses leading to diplomas. It does not cover qualifying diplomas or courses that certify exclusively linguistic knowledge.