How to Apply to Universities in France: Requirements, Deadlines and Portals

Which Portal You Use Depends on Nationality and Degree Level

France runs separate national platforms for undergraduate and postgraduate admission, and which one applies to you depends on your nationality as well as the degree you want.

If you hold a nationality from the EU, EEA, Andorra, Switzerland or Monaco, you apply the same way a French student does: through Parcoursup for a Licence (bachelor's) and through Mon Master for a Master's. If you are a European national from outside that group, for example the UK or a non-EU Balkan country, you generally go through the Etudes en France procedure run by Campus France instead, regardless of degree level.

Applying for a Licence: Parcoursup

Parcoursup is the single national platform for first-year Licence admission at French public universities. The exact calendar shifts by a few weeks each year, but the pattern repeats annually: the platform opens with the course catalog in December, wish registration opens in January, you submit and rank your wishes by mid-March, and you confirm your final application file in early April.

Responses arrive on a rolling basis starting in June, with the main admission phase running into July and a complementary phase for remaining places continuing into September. Always check the official Parcoursup calendar for the exact dates of the year you are applying.

You can list up to 10 wishes (more for apprenticeship programs) and write a short motivation statement for each. Selective programs such as BUT, CPGE or nursing courses rank applicants on their school record. Most Licence programs at public universities admit on capacity, prioritizing students whose profile fits the course.

Applying for a Master's: Mon Master

Mon Master is the national platform for first-year Master's admission. It opens in spring each year, with candidacies submitted over several weeks and responses arriving in phases through the following weeks. Because the platform only opened in its current form a few years ago and the calendar is adjusted annually, check monmaster.gouv.fr directly for exact opening and response dates before you plan around them.

Each Master's program sets its own entry requirements on top of the national platform, commonly a completed Licence in a related field, a transcript review and sometimes an interview or written test.

Applying via Etudes en France

If your nationality places you outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland/Andorra/Monaco group, you register on the Etudes en France platform, build your application file, and go through your local Campus France office before receiving an admission decision and moving to the visa stage. This route carries a processing fee that varies by country of residence, paid directly to Campus France as part of the procedure.

Recognition of Your Prior Diplomas

Before your application is assessed, your secondary school diploma or previous degree needs an equivalence check. The French ENIC-NARIC center handles this for foreign qualifications, confirming how your diploma lines up with the French system. Universities and grandes écoles often ask for this alongside your application, so start the process early since it can take several weeks.

Documents You Will Need

• Certified transcripts and diplomas, translated into French (or English for English-taught programs) by a certified translator

• Proof of language level: DELF/DALF or TCF for French-taught programs, an equivalent certificate for English-taught ones

• A valid passport and, for non-EU/EEA applicants, visa documentation once admitted

• Proof of financial resources to cover living costs

• A CV and motivation letter for most Master's and grande école applications

Timeline at a Glance

Waiting Lists and Multiple Offers

On Parcoursup, a wish can come back as accepted, waitlisted (en attente) or declined. If you land on a waiting list, your position updates as other students accept or decline their own offers, so check the platform regularly rather than assuming your rank is fixed. You can hold onto a waitlisted wish while still accepting a confirmed offer elsewhere, then switch later if a better-ranked wish comes through.

Mon Master works similarly: you can receive proposals from more than one program and have a set number of days to respond before the offer expires and passes to the next candidate on the list.

Grandes Ecoles: A Separate Track

If you are aiming for a grande ecole rather than a public university Licence or Master, admission usually runs through the school's own concours rather than Parcoursup or Mon Master, sometimes after 2 years of classes preparatoires (CPGE). Some business schools and engineering schools also recruit directly after the baccalaureat or after a Licence, with their own application calendar and written or oral tests. Check each school's admissions page directly since these tracks sit outside the national platforms.

Application Fees

Using Parcoursup or Mon Master itself costs nothing for EU/EEA applicants. Institutions occasionally charge a small file-processing fee for certain competitive tracks such as grandes écoles concours, so check the specific program page. Non-EU/EEA European applicants pay the Campus France Etudes en France processing fee, which varies by country and is separate from any university admission fee.