how to apply from Nepal
France routes Nepali applicants through Campus France, which means one organised process rather than a scatter of university portals — and one interview that carries real weight.
The Campus France procedure sits in the middle of everything and has its own calendar. Build your plan around it rather than around university deadlines alone.
Shortlist and check the fee
Public university or grande école. Confirm what you will actually pay under the 2026 differentiated-fee rules, and whether any exemption applies to you.
Language certification
French for French-taught programmes; English certification for English-taught ones. Start French anyway if you intend to stay.
Open your Études en France file
The EEF online procedure — your academic project, your choices, your documents.
The Campus France interview
In Kathmandu. Roughly 3 days to 3 weeks for this stage, and the substantive screen for your application.
Acceptance, then MoEST NOC
Your Accord préalable, then Nepal's approval before you remit tuition.
France-Visas and VFS
The consular application, then submission and biometrics in Kathmandu.
Your local infrastructure: a dedicated Campus France Népal office in Kathmandu, plus a France–Népal alumni network
France's higher education splits into two quite different worlds, and the choice affects cost, teaching style and admission route.
Public universities: state-funded, now charging differentiated non-EU fees from 2026/27
Grandes écoles and private schools: selective institutions charging €5,000–20,000+, strongest in engineering and business
For Nepali applicants the Études en France procedure is the common route either way — it is how your file reaches French institutions and how your visa file begins. Campus France Népal in Kathmandu is the office that runs it.
Unlike almost every other destination here, France interviews you about your studies before your visa is considered.
The Campus France interview assesses your study plan, academic fit and finances. A weak or incoherent academic project is a practical failure mode.
Be ready to explain, in your own words: why this subject, why this institution, how it follows from what you have already studied, and what you intend to do afterwards. A vague answer here is more damaging than a mediocre transcript — and a strong one can carry an otherwise ordinary file.
English-taught programmes: exist mostly at master's level, in grandes écoles and business schools — you can often be admitted without French
French-taught programmes: require French certification, typically DELF/DALF or TCF
A single national academic threshold: does not exist
Even if your programme is in English, begin French before you arrive. It determines your access to part-time work, your daily life, and — since the 2026 change — your ability to convert to a longer-term permit at A2.
Academic transcripts
NEB/+2 and bachelor's records, with certified translations.
Academic project statement
Your motivation and plan — the backbone of the EEF file and the interview.
Language certificates
French or English, depending on the programme.
CV
For master's applications.
Passport
Valid at least 6 months beyond your intended stay.
Proof of funds
Around €615/month, in one of several accepted forms.
Arrange certified translations early — French institutions and the consulate both expect documents in French or English, and translation is a slow step that sits on the critical path.