As an international student, and resident in the UAE, the application process to French universities and for student visas can seem overwhelming at the beginning. Our team will lead you through the application process from start to finish.
Applying through EEF portal
Etudes en France - EEF platform is the central application system in France. The platform allows international non-European students to apply to public and private universities and student visas by submitting one and only application.
Whether you are interested in a bachelor's or master's program, the EEF portal is designed to help you. For more details about creating an account and submitting your application on EEF portal, please check the page : How to apply to French universities.
University Admission Procedure
If you are interested to apply to a bachelor program, you can apply to up to 7 universities (3 public and 4 private) OR 7 private universities in total.
If you are interested to apply to a master program, you can apply to up to 7 universities (public or private).
Please note that some private universities require from international students to submit a second application on their website. Therefore, you may check on EEF portal the details of each academic program you are interested in know whether you need to submit a second application on the university website.
Once you get your admission on EEF portal, Campus France UAE Team will get in touch with you to lead you through the visa application process.
Moreover, some private universities are not listed in EEF catalog. This means that you must submit a separate application on the university website. Once you get an acceptance, you must start the visa application procedure on EEF portal.
Visa application process
If you have applied to French universities through EEF portal, Campus France UAE team will get in touch with you and lead you through the visa application.
If you get your acceptance letter outside EEF portal (this is typically the case for universities that are not listed in EEF catalog), then you must start the visa application process on EEF portal. Check : How to Apply for a Student visa.
Tips for a smooth and successful application
Tip 1 Prepare your documents
Before You Apply, be sure to have the following documents on hand before you begin your application :
- Emirates ID & passport.
- Resume/CV & cover/motivation letter.
- Personal photo : Scan a profile picture in Jpeg 300 - DPI 26*32 mm. It must be in JPEG or PNG format and the size must not exceed 50KB.
- Last completed degree & the school/college report. For undergraduate studies, this includes academic records, predicted testing results, counselor recommendation, school profile, and mid-year report. For graduate studies, this includes academic records of the bachelor's degrees and the original copy of your diploma.
- French language certificate (if applicable) : if you don't have a French certificate (DELF or TCF) and you are planning to take an exam soon, you can still submit your application on EEF along with the registration certificate for the exam. Once you receive the results, you can send them to us later on and we will upload them in your file.
- Art portfolio (applicable only if you are applying to an art program.)
Please note all the documents must be translated to French or English. If you would like to translate the documents to French, please visit the following link for sworn translators in the UAE : https://dubai.consulfrance.org/Liste-de-traducteurs-assermentes-714
Tip 2 Meet the Application Deadlines
Make sure to obey the deadlines. If you are submitting your admission application through EEF portal, the deadlines are different depending on the type of course you are planning to join. The deadlines can be found on : https://www.uae.campusfrance.org/how-to-apply-to-french-universities
Tip 3 Language Proficiency Test
Taught-in-French programs require a TCF language proficiency certificate. Make sure to book your place with the Alliance Française of Dubai. Several exam sessions are organized throughout the year. The exam dates are designed to match the admission calendar for each academic intake, so you don’t have to worry about picking a suitable date and time.
Tip 4 Customize your Personal Statement
We highly recommend you customize your personal statement to the programs you are applying for.
Tip 5 craft a memorable and unique application
Increase your college admission chances by uploading internship/employment certificates, references/recommendation letters, completion certificates of online courses.