Admission schedule
How to enrol in a French institution of higher education: There are three steps involved in enrolling in a French institution of higher education: Proof of admission to the chosen institution: this is essential for obtaining an entry visa for France.

Administrative enrolment that validates the admission: this is completed at your institution when you arrive in France, upon payment of registration fees. A certificat de scola rite [study certificate] and a French student ID card, which are proof of this payment, must be produced when you request a residence permit.

Note: There is no standard regulatory procedure in France for recognizing foreign qualifications. The request for a determination of equivalency ­which evaluates the number of years of French higher education that correspond to the studies undertaken in the applicant's home country - is considered when an institution receives an application for admission. Professional experience in the chosen area may also be taken into account. Both the addmission and the student's starting level are determined by the educational institution alone.

Selection
With the number of applications increasing regularly, teaching establishments have adopted different methods of selections, criteria for which are determined by chancellors of universities and heads of institutions. A good level in the discipline concerned, corresponding with properly meeting admission requirements, is necessary to avoid disappointment after candidates' arrival in France.

Because of a limited number of seats, certain courses are not generally open to foreign students. Moreover, some institutions (research laboratories) or even certain specialisations in some top sectors of the French industry would require prior approval from the civil or military authorities concerned: admission of foreign students to these fields could, therefore, be restricted.