Guide to University Admissions in France 2026: a full step-by-step roadmap (part 2)

6. Deadlines and the 2026 timelineOctober–November 2025: take TCF/IELTS, apostille the diploma, translate documents.1 November 2025: Études en France accounts open for the 2026 cycle.15 December 2025 – 14 January 2026: DAP (Demande dAdmission Préalable) deadline for first-year public universities (medicine, law, psychology included).17 December 2025: Parcoursup opens for bachelors — create the account and pick 10 programmes.15 January 2026: Eiffel Excellence Scholarship deadline (masters and PhD) — submitted by the university.13 March 2026: deadline to confirm programme choices on Parcoursup.3 April 2026: deadline to finalise the Parcoursup dossier.February–May 2026: masters programme deadlines (most universities by 30 April).May–June 2026: Eiffel results announced; first Parcoursup offers.June 2026: finalise Lettre dAdmission and Campus France attestation.June–August 2026: apply for the VLS-TS étudiant long-stay visa at the French consulate in Kyiv (if unavailable — Warsaw).September 2026: academic year starts (bachelors in September, masters in October).First month after arrival: validate the VLS-TS at administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr + pay the 200 € OFII fee.7. VLS-TS student visa and post-graduation APSStudent visa VLS-TSDocuments: Campus France attestation, Lettre dAdmission, financial proof (615 €/month × 12 = 7 380 €), housing booking for the first 3 months, health insurance (min. 30 000 €), photo, passport, application via France-Visas.Fee: 50 € (most nationalities) or free for Eiffel scholars.Processing: 15–45 working days. Submit no later than 60 days before classes start.VLS-TS = visa + residence permit in one document. Valid 1 year. Allows working 964 hours/year (≈18 hours/week) without a separate permit.Online validation within 3 months of arrival: 200 € OFII (Office Français de lImmigration et de lIntégration), upload of address, medical check.Renewal and APSEach year a Carte de Séjour Étudiant is renewed at the prefecture — 75 € fee.After receiving a masters or higher degree — entitlement to APS (Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour) of 12 months for the first job search or starting a business. Top Grandes Écoles graduates (HEC, X, Sciences Po and others) — APS up to 24 months.Since 2024, graduates in "métiers en tension" (engineers, IT, medicine) can obtain a Carte Talent (Passeport Talent) for 4 years after signing an employment contract from 41 933 €/year.Total annual budget: from 9 000 € in Toulouse or Lille (state university, regions) to 40 000 € in Paris for a top business school. That is 3–4× cheaper than the UK at comparable rankings.Housing: CROUS (state dorms) — 200–450 €/month, but limited international quotas. Private colocation — 500–800 €/month in Lyon and Toulouse; 700–1 200 €/month in Paris. All students are entitled to CAF/APL assistance (100–250