Studying in FranceDAP, non-DAP, Parcoursup: which procedure for which plan?
Licence 1 or master's, French baccalauréat or foreign diploma, living in France or abroad: the right procedure depends on a few simple questions. Decision tree, dossier blanc and dossier vert, verified exemptions.
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Information checked on 11 September 2026.
Choosing the wrong procedure is the most expensive mistake in an application to France, because you only see it once it is too late: a Licence 1 (first-year bachelor's) requested as non-DAP, a dossier vert posted from Dakar, a French lycée graduate waiting for a DAP that will never come. The right route depends on four things: the level of study you are aiming for, your nationality, your country of residence and the diploma you hold or are preparing. Here is how to combine them, with rules taken from the official notices of the French Ministry of Higher Education and the pages of Campus France, the French public agency for international students. To place this step in the whole journey, see our complete Campus France guide.
DAP, non-DAP, Parcoursup: the rule in three lines
- The DAP, demande d'admission préalable (prior admission request), applies to a first enrolment in the first year of a licence at university, PASS and L.AS health tracks included, and to the first year of a national school of architecture, for non-European international students holding a foreign secondary-school diploma.
- Non-DAP (hors DAP) covers the other programmes offered on the Études en France platform: Licence 2 and 3, professional licence, master's, BUT (technology bachelor's), connected engineering and business schools.
- Parcoursup is the national entry platform to higher education for holders or future holders of a French or European baccalauréat and for European nationals; some programmes, such as BTS and preparatory classes, also go through it.
A point of vocabulary: « Études en France » is not a fourth procedure. It is Campus France's online platform, compulsory for residents of just over 70 countries and territories, on which the DAP, non-DAP and visa preparation all take place.
The decision tree in six questions
Answer in order: the first yes gives you your route.
One last question remains, which changes not the route but the form: where do you live? That decides the colour of the DAP file.
Summary table by situation
| Your situation | Procedure | Where to apply |
|---|---|---|
| European, 1st year of licence | Parcoursup | Parcoursup |
| French or European bac, 1st year | Parcoursup | Parcoursup, then Études en France for the visa |
| Foreign diploma, L1 or architecture, Études en France country | Online DAP | Études en France platform |
| Foreign diploma, L1, other country abroad | DAP, dossier blanc | French embassy (SCAC) |
| Foreign diploma, L1, living in France | DAP, dossier vert | Chosen university |
| L2, L3, master's, BUT, schools, Études en France country | Non-DAP | Études en France platform |
| Master's, living in France or a country without Études en France | Mon Master | Mon Master |
| Doctorate | Outside the procedure | Doctoral school, directly |
The doctorate sits outside these channels: Campus France specifies that doctoral candidates contact doctoral schools directly.
Dossier blanc, dossier vert, dossier jaune: who uses what?
The DAP comes in several forms, and the colour depends on where you live, not on your nationality.
The dossier blanc (white file) is for applicants who do not live in France. Its official 2026-2027 notice is clear on two points. It is handed in or posted to the cooperation and cultural action department (SCAC) of the French embassy in your country of residence: « Vous ne pouvez pas l'envoyer directement aux universités » (you cannot send it directly to the universities). And it « must be completed electronically » by nationals or residents of countries under the Études en France procedure. In other words, if you live in Cameroon, Senegal or Ivory Coast, your dossier blanc is the DAP file on the platform; the paper form only concerns countries without a Campus France office running the procedure.
The dossier vert (green file) is for applicants who live in France without being European or holding the French or European baccalauréat, for example a young foreigner settled in France with their family. It is handed in or posted directly to the university, by 15 December at the latest, the postmark being proof, and the university returns a stamped receipt that must be kept.
The dossier jaune (yellow file) is the DAP form of the national schools of architecture for applicants living abroad; Campus France Morocco thus speaks of « DAP jaune » for the ENSA. Applicants living in France fall under a separate form: ask the school you are targeting.
In every case the substantive rules are the same: three universities at most, one file per programme requested, simultaneous review by the three institutions, an offer by 30 April at the latest and your answer before 31 May. The dates of the current campaign are in our Campus France calendar.
The French test, cornerstone of the DAP
The DAP comes with a check of your French level: the TCF tout public with a compulsory written expression test, often called the TCF DAP. It is paid and run by France Éducation International. The official notices exempt, among others:
- nationals of states where French is the only official language, and residents of those states who obtained their secondary-school diploma there;
- applicants whose secondary education took place mostly in French;
- pupils of certain French-language schools appearing on an official list;
- holders of a ministry French diploma at B2 level or above, such as the DELF B2 or the DALF;
- applicants who scored at least 400 out of 699 in the written tests of the TEF and passed the oral tests.
A detail that catches applicants out every year: the exemption must be proven by the submission deadline, 15 December, at the latest. The TCF certificate is valid for two years, and you can only retake the test at least 30 days after the previous session. Applicants from Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia or Lebanon, where French is not an official language, are often required to take the test. Our article on the Campus France French test compares the options.
Non-DAP: what actually changes
Non-DAP is not a lighter DAP, it is a different logic. Each institution sets its criteria and answers for its own programme, the number of choices depends on your country (Campus France Ghana allows up to 7 for the 2027 intake, against 3 for the DAP) and so does the deadline. For the 2027 intake, it falls on 31 December 2026 in Togo and on 8 January 2027 in Ghana, while Morocco closes all connected programmes as early as 15 November 2026.
What makes the difference here is the coherence of your path: each choice must extend your previous studies in a readable way. Our article on choosing programmes on Études en France explains how to build a list that holds up, and the one on the Campus France cover letter how to defend it.
Mistakes that cost a year
- Applying for a Licence 1 as non-DAP. A first year of licence falls under the DAP and its 15 December date; waiting for your country's non-DAP deadline will not save you.
- Sending the dossier blanc straight to a university. It must go through the embassy, or through the platform if your country is under Études en France.
- Filling in a dossier vert from abroad. The green file is reserved for applicants living in France.
- Waiting for a DAP with a French baccalauréat. French or European baccalauréat holders go through Parcoursup, whose campaign starts as early as December.
- Forgetting to prove your TCF exemption before 15 December. Without proof in time, the test is required.
- Letting 31 May slip by. According to the official notice, no answer by 1 June counts as a refusal of the offer.
Those who went through the same procedure
The notices state the rule; those who followed the same route as you know what it means in your country: how long the embassy took to answer, which centre runs the TCF, what extra documents the Campus France office asks for. On Compatri, the community of your country in your future city brings together students who arrived through the DAP or non-DAP in previous years, and you can join it even before you leave: start with your diaspora's page, for example Cameroonians, then read how to join your community before you leave.
Compatri is neither Campus France nor a legal advice service: for a specific case, your country's Campus France office or the embassy's cultural department remain your official contacts.
Official sources
Frequently asked questions
What is the Campus France DAP?
The demande d'admission préalable (prior admission request) is the compulsory procedure for a first enrolment in the first year of a licence, PASS or L.AS included, or in a national school of architecture, for non-European international students with a foreign secondary-school diploma. It lets you apply to three universities at most, before 15 December. In countries under the Études en France procedure, it is done online on the Campus France platform.
What is the difference between the dossier blanc and the dossier vert?
It all depends on where you live. The dossier blanc is for applicants living outside France: it is handed in at the French embassy in their country, or completed online on Études en France if their country is under that procedure. The dossier vert is for applicants already living in France: it is handed in directly to the university.
Who is exempt from the prior admission request (DAP)?
Nationals of the European Union, the EEA, Switzerland, Andorra and Monaco, as well as holders of a French or European baccalauréat, who go through Parcoursup. Universities also exempt French government scholarship holders or holders of scholarships managed by an approved French body, refugees, stateless persons and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection, and children of diplomats posted in France. These applicants contact the university directly.
Does an international student with a French baccalauréat need a DAP?
No. Holders or future holders of a French or European baccalauréat, including in a French lycée abroad, apply for the first year via Parcoursup, whatever their nationality. If they live in a country under the Études en France procedure, they normally go back through the platform once admitted, to prepare their visa application.
Does a master's degree fall under the DAP?
No, the DAP only concerns the first years of licence and architecture. For a master's, applicants living in a country under the Études en France procedure go through non-DAP on the platform, with the deadline set by their Campus France office. Those living in France or in a country without that procedure apply on Mon Master. Some universities, such as Paris-Saclay, have their own master's application platform: you then return to Études en France once admitted.