Studying in FranceCampus France DR Congo 2027: the complete guide, from Kinshasa to the visa
Campus France DR Congo: four offices (Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Bukavu, Goma), diplôme d'État required, 100 dollar fee, 30-minute interview with passport, visa at the embassy. The 2027 calendar is not yet published: here is what is certain.
Founder · Compatri, the social network for diasporas
Information checked on 2 November 2026.
As of 2 November 2026, Campus France DR Congo has not yet published its calendar for the 2027-2028 intake: its website still shows the dates of the previous campaign. What is certain is the procedure, and a rule specific to the DRC that changes everything for school pupils: no application without the diplôme d'État. This guide gathers what the office publishes today: the four branches in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Bukavu and Goma, the documents, the 100 dollar fee, the interview of about thirty minutes and the visa at the embassy. For the general logic of the platform, see also our complete Campus France guide.
Campus France DR Congo: who does it apply to?
Campus France DR Congo is a service of the French embassy in the DR Congo. For an applicant from the DRC, going through the Études en France procedure is compulsory to pursue higher education in France. It is for students who are not EU nationals, have lived in the DRC for more than three months and need a long-stay study visa. Two tracks coexist.
| Track | For whom | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Electronic acceptances ("Je suis candidat") | Universities, BUT, architecture schools and other programmes connected to Études en France | Apply online, pay, take the interview |
| Paper acceptances ("Je suis accepté") | Students who already hold an enrolment certificate, usually from a private institution | Declare the admission obtained outside the platform, then follow the procedure before the visa |
A programme taken entirely online or at a distance does not fall under the Études en France procedure. An applicant aiming for a connected public institution must follow the electronic track, not the paper one.
Campus France offices in the DRC
| Branch | Address | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Kinshasa, Institut français (Halle de la Gombe) | 33, avenue de la Gombe | contact@campusfrance.ifrdc.org, +243 843 964 803, +243 851 103 588 |
| Lubumbashi, Institut français (Halle de l'Étoile) | 63, chaussée L.-D. Kabila | etudesenfrance@institutfrancais-lubumbashi.com, +243 89 00 22 453 |
| Bukavu, Institut français (Halle des Grands Lacs) | 110, boulevard Patrice Emery Lumumba | campusfrance@institutfrancaisbukavu.org, +243 84 11 93 475 |
| Goma, Institut français (Halle des Volcans) | 171, avenue des Ronds-Points, rue Lynn Lusi, Les Volcans district | campusfrance.ifgoma@gmail.com, +243 84 11 93 479 |
Students from Kisangani now come under the Kinshasa office, following the closure of the Alliance française. Campus France DR Congo is open Tuesday to Friday, with separate slots: group information sessions (Tuesday 9 am to 12 pm and Thursday 2 pm to 5 pm), personal assistance with your file (Tuesday 2 pm to 5 pm and Friday 9 am to 12 pm), and self-service opening to use the computers (Wednesday and Thursday 9 am to 12 pm).
Before you start: diplôme d'État and passport
Two requirements stop applicants every year.
- The diplôme d'État (or the pass certificate) is compulsory to submit a file. A pupil in the sixth year of secondary school (humanités) without the diplôme d'État must wait for the next campaign. This is a clear difference from other countries, where you apply during your final year. Dates, the 50% pass mark and results are explained in our article on the Examen d'État in the DR Congo.
- The passport: only the passport and the voter card are accepted as identity documents, with the student card tolerated to create the account. But from the interview onwards, a valid passport is required, and any other document gets the interview cancelled. Apply for it as early as possible.
The Campus France DR Congo procedure in 8 steps
Campus France DR Congo 2027 dates: what is published
The office's 2026-2027 calendar is not online as of 2 November 2026. Two sources still give reliable reference points.
| Reference point | Date | Source |
|---|---|---|
| National closing of the prior admission application (first-year bachelor's) | 15 December 2026 | Campus France, national website |
| Replies from institutions | By 30 April 2027 at the latest | Campus France, national website |
| Applicant's reply (final choice) | By 31 May 2027 at the latest | Campus France, national website |
The national date is a maximum: each office may close earlier, and Campus France DR Congo did so in the previous campaign. For the 2026 intake, it required submission before 10 December 2025 for first-year bachelor's and architecture (payment before 22 December), before 26 December 2025 for other programmes (payment before 12 January 2026), and the interview before 1 March 2026. Those dates do not apply to 2027, but they give the order of magnitude: aim to submit in early December 2026, and check the office's Facebook page and website every week. The comparison with other countries is in our Campus France calendar 2027-2028.
Campus France fees in the DRC
The file fee is 100 dollars, non-refundable. It covers the follow-up of your file, whatever the number of programmes you choose. The order matters:
Never pay before you have received that email, and ask your branch where to pay. The full budget for leaving, CVEC and tuition included, is in our article on Campus France fees.
French test: not compulsory, but recommended
The official notice for the prior admission application lists the DR Congo among the countries where French is the sole official language: the TCF, DELF or any other certificate is not compulsory for a first-year bachelor's. Campus France DR Congo still advises obtaining a DELF B2 or a DALF C1 or C2, taken at the Instituts français in Kinshasa, Goma, Bukavu or Lubumbashi: an official certificate makes your level indisputable, and some institutions require it. Details are in our article on the Campus France French test.
The Campus France interview in the DRC
The academic interview is compulsory and lasts about thirty minutes with an adviser. It is where you present your study project, highlight your background and explain your choices, your motivation and your career plan. The office's instructions are strict:
After the interview and validation by the embassy, your file goes to the institutions. Our guide to the Campus France interview covers the typical questions.
Private schools and paper acceptances: the warning
Campus France DR Congo points to the growing number of unreliable private schools, which issue dubious enrolment certificates or offer poor-quality programmes. Before accepting an admission, check two markers: the EESPIG label (private institutions recognised by the State as being of general interest) and the registration of the qualification in the RNCP, without which a programme is not recognised in France. If you are torn between a direct application and Études en France, our comparison Campus France or direct application helps you decide.
The student visa from the DRC
Campus France DR Congo does not handle consular procedures. The application is prepared on France-Visas, and it is the visa section of the French embassy in Kinshasa that processes the file and may ask for additional documents. The main reasons for refusal cited by the office are an incomplete file and irregularities (forged documents, fraudulent transfers). Staying with a relative or friend is proven by a legalised accommodation certificate, the host's identity document, their latest tax notice, the lease or title deed and a recent bill.
Watch the amounts: the office's FAQ still quotes the old threshold of €615 per month. Since 1 August 2026, the minimum required of a foreign student is €877.50 per month. Prepare your file on that basis. Our guide to proving your resources lists accepted evidence, and the one on the student visa application covers the whole file. If you are admitted but do not get a visa, you must start the whole procedure again the following year, with the same login details.
Scholarships, budget and preparation
The Campus France simulator (in French) places your profile in a few minutes; its thresholds are measured on admitted Beninese students and only give a rough idea for a Congolese applicant. Our directory gathers the scholarships open to students from the DR Congo (in French), including the Eiffel scholarship (in French) for master's and doctorate, and our overview of scholarships to study in France from sub-Saharan Africa compares the programmes. If you would rather be guided, Compatri offers Campus France coaching (in French): it is a paid service, and the price is given at the first conversation.
Arriving with the Congolese community
You build the file on your own; arrival is easier with people around you. On Compatri, the DR Congo diaspora page brings together Congolese communities city by city, and every 30 June DR Congo's Independence Day gathers compatriots in the diaspora. Joining the community of your future city is free, even before universities reply. Volunteer mentors from the diaspora also accept connection requests.
Compatri is not a service of Campus France or of the State, and does not replace the official source: only the information from Campus France DR Congo and the embassy is binding.
Official sources
- Campus France DR Congo: who we are and opening hours
- Campus France DR Congo: branch contacts
- Campus France DR Congo: electronic acceptances
- Campus France DR Congo: paper acceptances
- Campus France DR Congo: the short FAQ
- Campus France DR Congo: previous campaign calendars
- Campus France: the Études en France procedure and national dates
- French Ministry of Higher Education: notice for the prior admission application
- Bas-Rhin prefecture: minimum resources for a foreign student
Frequently asked questions
What is the Campus France DR Congo 2027 deadline?
As of 2 November 2026, Campus France DR Congo has not published its 2027 calendar. The national closing date for first-year bachelor's is 15 December 2026, but it is a maximum: last year, the office set 10 December for first-year bachelor's and 26 December for other programmes. Aim to submit in early December and follow the office's website.
How much does Campus France cost in the DRC?
The file fee is 100 dollars, non-refundable, whatever the number of programmes chosen. It is paid after the payment request email, at the bank, with that printed email, your file number and an identity document, then the payment is declared in your Études en France account.
Can you apply to Campus France DR Congo without the diplôme d'État?
No. Campus France DR Congo requires the diplôme d'État, or the pass certificate, to submit a file on Études en France. A pupil in the sixth year of secondary school must wait for the next campaign.
Where is Campus France in the DRC?
In the country's four Instituts français: Kinshasa (33, avenue de la Gombe), Lubumbashi (63, chaussée L.-D. Kabila), Bukavu (110, boulevard Patrice Emery Lumumba) and Goma (171, avenue des Ronds-Points). Students from Kisangani come under Kinshasa.
How does the Campus France interview work in the DRC?
It is a compulsory one-to-one interview of about thirty minutes with an adviser. You must show a valid passport and all originals of the scanned documents, otherwise the interview is cancelled. If you are absent, the office is not obliged to give you a second appointment.