Estimated Study Cost and Living Cost in France for Pakistani Students

Studying in a European country is never cheap. You have to spend enough amounts due to a higher difference in currency rates. The student, therefore, has to plan his/her budget beforehand. The earlier you save your money while studying in France; the more you get comfortable in future years. Just take an in -depth review of expenses before leaving your country to study in France. Besides the academic and living expenses, there are many hidden charges for which you should have enough money to spend in France. 

Pre-Departure Costs

Registration Fee:

Though many universities in France do not apply any registration fee, yet there are some institutions that charge a minimum amount to process your application. The registration Fees is generally mentioned in the universities admission page.

Expenses of Language Proficiency Course and Test:

As French is the major medium of teaching in most of these universities, therefore, an Asian student has to qualify a French proficiency course prior getting the admission. This became very necessary if the student is enrolled in a French taught program. A comprehensive French course in Pakistan costs between 20k-30k. However, the original complete French proficiency test with all sections called TEF is around 60thousand PRs .Moreover, if you are enrolled in English taught program then you have to show scores of English language proficiency tests like IELTS or TOEFL. If the student can prepare the test himself then only examination fee is estimated. Many students join some institute to practice their English proficiency course. This course enrollment cost around 29 thousand. Plus the examination fees for IELTS or TOEFL is also applied. Presently it cost around 30 thousand PRs. to attend an IELT test while the cost for the TOEFL test also cost around 25-28K.

Visa Fee of France Student isa for Pakistani Students 2024:

To apply for a French student visa, the student has to pay a visa fee. This is a non- refundable amount. Most of the students have to attend the French university for 3-4 years to complete their degree program. Thus, they need a long stay visa with a residence permit.  This visa will cost you 99 Euro which is equal to 15,749.57 PRs. other short- stay visa categories normally charge around 60 Euros as visa application fees. 

Air Fare:

There are many airlines which commute between Pakistan and France. The airfare is not fixed for every airline. On an average, the flight to Paris costs you between 75K-1 MPRs.

Personal Costs: 

In addition to the above mentioned pre-departure costs, a student needs some money to buy his personal stuff to take abroad including clothes, accessories, baggage. Keep these things in mind and make a budget for your personal expenditures. 

Study Costs Upon Arrival in France

Tuition Fees at Public Universities:

Pakistan belongs to a non -European country, therefore, tuition charges for the non-EU nations are officially applied. From September 2019 French educational administrators have revised the tuition fees for international students. The current tuition costs in French public universities are as follows. 

• for Bachelor’s (Licence) programs, 2,770 Euros per year

• for Master’s programs,3,770 Euros per year

• for Doctorate (PhD) programs,3,770 Euros per year

The cost of tuition at private universities is quite high as compared to public institutions .They can even cost around 20,000 Euros per year. The private institutes include Grand Ecoles and business institutions.

Latest Scholarships in France for Pakistani Students 2024:

French Consulates and various universities in France offer exceptional scholarships to eligible students. Most of these scholarship programs are fully funded. These scholarships offer enough funds to cover the studies as well as the other living costs. However, there are some French scholarships that only offer fully funded tuition fee and the student has to bear all the living cost personally.

Living Expenses: 

Besides the study costs, the student has to bear all living expenses including residence, food, transport etc. He needs to buy clothes, stationary and if he owns a vehicle he needs fuel. Thus a minimum of 500 Euro per month is necessary to study in France as an international student. This does not include the tuition cost.