French student visa from Algeria: from Campus France to the residence certificate

Information checked on 6 October 2026.

You have received the end-of-procedure message from Campus France Algeria (the local office of the French public agency for international students): your admission is secured, now the visa. The French student visa from Algeria starts the same way as for other nationalities (France-Visas form, appointment with a service provider, resources to prove), but it diverges on arrival. Algerians fall under the Franco-Algerian agreement of 27 December 1968: no VLS-TS (a visa that serves as a residence permit) to validate online, but a residence certificate (certificat de résidence) to request once in France. This guide follows every step, from the Capago appointment to that certificate. If you are still at the application stage, start with our Campus France Algeria guide.

Before the visa: the end-of-procedure message

The visa application only opens once the Études en France procedure is complete. Campus France Algeria points out that the Campus France end-of-procedure message is what allows you to book an appointment to file your application. Without it, no filing is possible on study grounds.

Campus France Algeria's calendar also asks you to file the visa application at least two months before classes start. For a September start, aim to file in June or early July, not in August.

Capago, the student visa provider in Algeria

Since April 2025, Capago has taken over from VFS Global and TLScontact for collecting French visa applications in Algeria. Capago handles appointments, reception, file intake and fingerprinting; the decision rests solely with the Consulates General of France in Algiers, Annaba and Oran.

Your filing centre depends on where you live:

For students in the Algiers area, Campus France Algeria specifies that the Capago centre in Algiers automatically sends a filing appointment. Elsewhere, follow the instructions of your Campus France office and the Algeria page on France-Visas. In every case, the consulate receives no one without an appointment booked with the provider: there is no point going to the consulate.

The Consul General in Algiers has warned against intermediaries: no agency has privileged access to the appointment system. Prepare and book yourself.

How much the student visa costs in Algeria

Filing a visa application in Algeria involves two items, according to France-Visas:

Visa fees are shown in Algerian dinars (DZD) and vary with the chancellery rate. Students who went through Campus France generally benefit from the reduced 50-euro rate in the official fee table, instead of 99 euros for a long-stay visa; check the amount in dinars when you pay. Paying the service fee in advance confirms your appointment, and the rest is paid at the centre, by card or in cash.

The documents for the visa file

At the end of data entry, the France-Visas form generates the list of documents suited to your situation: follow it to the letter. For a long-stay « étudiant » visa, it revolves around these items:

Details of each document, and the most common pitfalls, are in our guide to the French student visa application.

Resources: 877.50 euros a month

For applications filed since 1 August 2026, you must prove at least 877.50 euros a month, or 10,530 euros for a year. Service-public (the official French government information site) uses this amount for the residence certificate of Algerian students. It replaces the old 615-euro threshold still shown on some pages: do not rely on it. Where the figure comes from is explained in the minimum resources for the student visa.

The texts mention three ways to prove it: a scholarship (certificate from the funding body, amount and duration), a sufficiently funded bank account or regular transfers, or support from a relative, with their written commitment and supporting documents. Our guide on proving resources for the student visa details each option.

The timelines to anticipate

France-Visas gives two benchmarks for Algeria:

The visa high season, June to November, coincides with the students' season. Book your appointment as soon as you receive the end-of-procedure message, and do not buy a non-changeable plane ticket before you have your passport back.

The Algerian specificity: no VLS-TS, a residence certificate

This is where the Algerian path diverges. The stay of Algerians in France is governed by the Franco-Algerian agreement of 27 December 1968, not by the general rules of the French code on the entry and residence of foreigners. In practice:

• you receive a long-stay « étudiant » visa, not a VLS-TS serving as a residence permit;
• you therefore have no online VLS-TS validation to do: our guide to validating your VLS-TS does not apply to you;
• instead, you must request an Algerian residence certificate marked « étudiant ».

On arrival: requesting your student residence certificate

According to service-public.gouv.fr (page checked on 1 August 2026), the application is made online, on the website of the administration for foreigners in France (ANEF), in the student residence permit section. Do it as soon as you arrive, without waiting for your visa to expire.

The documents required:

Civil status documents must come with a French translation by an approved translator. The certificate costs 150 euros (50 euros stamp duty and 100 euros tax), paid in tax stamps and requested when the permit is handed over. That happens at the prefecture or sub-prefecture of your home address. The certificate is valid for one year and renewable. Beware: without an answer from the administration within 4 months, the application is deemed refused.

Working during your studies

The « étudiant » certificate allows you to work up to 50% of the annual working time of the sector or profession concerned, but not without authorisation. Campus France Algeria insists that Algerian students must request a temporary work authorisation (APT, autorisation provisoire de travail) before any paid job, with the contract or job offer, and renew it for each new job. The other rules on student work are explained in working as an international student.

If the visa is refused

A refusal is not always final. Read the ground ticked on the notification carefully: insufficient resources, doubts about the study plan, a document considered unreliable. Depending on the case, a better-supported new file or an appeal can succeed, within strict deadlines. Our article on a refused student visa details the appeal routes and their deadlines.

Arriving when you already know fellow Algerians

Between getting your passport back and arriving, there are sometimes only a few weeks, and everything happens on arrival: housing, bank account, first visit to the prefecture. On Compatri, the Algerian community in your future city brings together students and workers who went through these steps before you and know what the local prefecture really asks for. Find it from the Algerians in France page, join it before you leave, and follow the « Étudiants africains » (African students) group for questions on grants, housing and mutual aid between campuses.

Compatri is not a service of Campus France or of the State, and does not replace the official source: for your visa, only France-Visas, Capago and the consulate are authoritative; for your residence permit, service-public.gouv.fr and your prefecture.

Official sources

• France-Visas: filing a visa application in Algeria
• Campus France Algeria: consular procedure and status of Algerian students in France
• Service-public: 1-year residence certificate for Algerians
• Service-public: applying for a student residence permit
• Service-public: international student in France, long-stay visa or residence permit