Campus France Algeria: the complete procedure to study in France in 2027

Information checked on 6 October 2026.

You live in Algeria and are aiming for a university or school in France for September 2027? Your application will go through Campus France Algeria, the service of the Institut français d'Algérie (IFA, the French cultural institute in Algeria) that runs the « Études en France » procedure for Algerians and for non-European foreigners living in the country. Campus France is the French public agency for international students. The campaign opened on 1 October 2026. This guide follows the procedure in order: who it applies to, where the five offices are, which route to choose, what it costs, how the interview and visa work, and what changes for an Algerian student once in France.

Each step has its own detailed article, linked along the way. The dates that bind you remain those of the official website algerie.campusfrance.org.

Campus France Algeria: who must follow the procedure

According to Campus France Algeria, the procedure applies to every applicant of Algerian nationality, or any foreigner from outside the European Economic Area, who lives in Algeria and wants to enrol in higher education in France. It ends with the end-of-procedure certificate, a mandatory document for the long-stay study visa application.

It does not apply to you in these cases:

• you do not have the baccalauréat (secondary school leaving diploma), or you hold a diploma from the Université de la formation continue (UFC);
• your French is below B1;
• you hold French nationality or that of a Schengen country;
• you are aiming for an excluded programme: health-related DU and DIU, capacité en médecine, preparatory years (prépa PASS, prépa BTS…), short non-degree French courses, work-study programmes other than master's, au pair stays.

Two special cases. European Union nationals living in Algeria apply directly on Parcoursup (the French admissions platform) or to the institutions. Pupils preparing a French baccalauréat list their choices on Parcoursup, then return to Études en France once accepted.

The five Campus France offices in Algeria

Campus France Algeria receives the public in the five IFA branches. Your office depends on where you live, and it also determines which consulate handles your visa.

A note on Oran: another page of the same website still shows the old address, 112 rue Larbi Ben M'Hidi. The table follows the opening-hours page updated in September 2026; check before you travel. In autumn, the offices also run free information sessions and CV and cover letter workshops.

The Études en France procedure in five actions

Campus France Algeria sums up the procedure in five actions. Keep them in mind: each one has its own deadline.

One instruction appears on every official page: do not hand your file to a third party, and never share your login details or original documents. The official calendar also reminds applicants that submitting false documents is an offence, punished by exclusion from any Campus France and consular procedure.

DAP, non-DAP, Parcoursup: choosing the right route

The route depends on the programme, and the deadlines follow from it. The DAP (demande d'admission préalable) is the prior admission request for a first year of licence (bachelor's). If the distinction is still unclear, read DAP or non-DAP: which procedure.

Remember one Algerian peculiarity: non-DAP closes before the DAP, on 30 November instead of 15 December. A master's applicant who relies on the national date arrives two weeks too late.

Watch out too for the BUT (technology bachelor's) and the professional licence. The official 2027 calendar groups them with licence 1, on 15 December, while the non-DAP page of the same website places them on 30 November. Aim for 30 November, and ask your office through the platform's messaging. Every date, month by month, is in our Campus France Algeria calendar 2027.

Health studies have a separate route: the « dispense d'études » (study exemption) in medicine, midwifery, dentistry and pharmacy, for health students or graduates. It costs 10,000 DZD and is highly selective. The 2026 campaign is closed; the next one should open in December, dates to be confirmed.

French test: B1 as the threshold, B2 as the goal

No certificate, no procedure. Campus France Algeria requires at least B1 to apply. Most institutions expect B2, and C1 is strongly recommended in the humanities.

• For the DAP, submit a TCF DAP, a TCF tout public with the written test, a DELF B2, or a DALF C1 or C2.
• For non-DAP, attach a pass certificate of at least B1 when you submit. A mere exam notice is not enough.
• The validity of the test must cover the whole procedure, up to your administrative enrolment in France.

Tests take place in the IFA branches, with online registration. Centres, sessions, prices and exemptions are covered in TCF Campus France Algeria.

Campus France Algeria fee: 20,000 DZD

The official 2027 calendar sets the application fee at 20,000 DZD (Algerian dinars), payable online. The deadline matters as much as the amount: you have 48 hours after submitting your file, otherwise you are excluded from the campaign.

These fees are never refunded: not if an institution refuses you, not if your visa is refused, not if you withdraw. Read the grid and the exemptions before paying. They cover neither the French test nor the sworn translations required for any document not in French. The full budget, from test to first rent, is in our article on Campus France fees.

The Campus France interview in Algeria

Once your file has been submitted, paid and validated, the office invites you to book a slot from your Études en France account, within 72 hours. The interview takes place in person. Bring your ID, your notice and the originals of your documents.

Deadline: 15 March 2027, for the DAP as for non-DAP. The adviser checks the consistency between your background, your choices and your project. After the interview, your file goes to the chosen institutions and nothing can be changed any more. So polish your Campus France cover letter beforehand, and prepare with the Campus France interview questions in the Maghreb.

Institutions' answers and final choice

Institutions answer at the pace of their admissions committees. For the DAP, the national answer date is 30 April 2027. From the first acceptance, compare, then make your final choice before 31 May 2027. Without a choice, the procedure stops.

After the choice comes the authentication of your documents, then the end-of-procedure message. No « yes » at all? A refusal does not wipe out the year: read Campus France refusal: what to do.

The student visa from Algeria

The end-of-procedure message, sent by email, opens the visa application. You book an appointment with CAPAGO, the provider named by Campus France Algeria, at the consulate your office depends on. If you come under Algiers, CAPAGO automatically sends you an appointment a few days after the message; keep an eye on your inbox.

The official calendar asks you to file the application at least two months before classes start. Among other things, the file proves resources of at least 877.50 euros per month, the threshold for applications filed since 1 August 2026. Documents, timelines and grounds for refusal: see French student visa from Algeria.

Algerian student in France: a separate status

This is where Algeria differs from almost every other country. The stay of Algerians in France falls under the Franco-Algerian agreement of 27 December 1968, not under ordinary immigration law. In practice, the « VLS-TS » route described by most guides, the visa that serves as a residence permit and is validated online, does not apply to you.

That last point weighs heavily in a budget. A student of another nationality can take a student job the same day; you must first obtain the APT.

Housing, scholarships and arrival

Look for housing as soon as you are accepted, without waiting for the visa. The Crous halls of residence (French student services) open a supplementary phase to international students in early July; the other options are in finding student housing from abroad.

For funding, the IFA runs its own programmes, including the France Excellence IFA scholarships for those admitted to a master's 2, and relays the Eiffel 2027 call. The full overview is in scholarships to study in France: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia. And if France is not your only option, compare with studying in Belgium from the Maghreb: the procedure there is entirely different.

Arriving already knowing fellow Algerians

The Algerian students who came to France before you went through the same steps: the CAPAGO appointment, ANEF, the APT, the first remote flat viewing. On Compatri, the Algerian community of your future city connects you with them even before you leave: find it from the page of the Algerian diaspora in France, and read our article on Algerian students in France and their community. The group « Étudiants africains » (African students) also brings together, beyond a single city, students who share tips on scholarships, degree recognition and mutual help. Joining a community is free: see join your community before you leave.

Compatri is not a service of Campus France, the IFA or the State, and does not replace the official source: only algerie.campusfrance.org and the consular services are authoritative.

Official sources

• Campus France Algeria: Études en France campaign 2027
• Campus France Algeria: procedure calendar, 2027-2028 intake (PDF)
• Campus France Algeria: application fees and exemptions
• Campus France Algeria: office hours and addresses, September 2026
• Campus France Algeria: consular procedure and status of Algerian students
• Service-public.fr: one-year residence certificate for Algerians