During a visit to New Delhi on 19 February, President Emmanuel Macron pledged to streamline France’s student-visa process and expand English-taught programmes so the annual number of Indian students in France can reach 30,000 by 2030—up from roughly 10,000 today.
Speaking at AIIMS, Macron said consular posts would consolidate documentation requirements, cut appointment wait-times and roll out a fast-track for graduates of accredited Indian institutions. An inter-ministerial task-force will present implementation guidelines in April.
For applicants keen to seize these new opportunities but daunted by the paperwork, VisaHQ can be an invaluable partner. Its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) walks users through each stage of the French student-visa application, offers real-time checklist updates, and can even arrange consular appointments—services that also extend to a wide range of other countries should study plans change.
![France to Simplify Student Visas and Triple Intake of Indians by 2030]()
The announcement complements France’s plan to recognise India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at major tourist sites and follows the launch of a Franco-Indian tax-treaty amendment aimed at reducing double taxation on cross-border researchers.
Universities such as Sorbonne and École Polytechnique have already committed to adding over 500 English-medium seats in engineering and AI by 2027. Education consultants expect the simplified visa to make France a stronger competitor to the UK and Australia, particularly if post-study work rights remain liberal.
Prospective students should still budget for €800-€1,200 per month in living expenses and note that applications typically open nine months before programme start dates.
Speaking at AIIMS, Macron said consular posts would consolidate documentation requirements, cut appointment wait-times and roll out a fast-track for graduates of accredited Indian institutions. An inter-ministerial task-force will present implementation guidelines in April.
For applicants keen to seize these new opportunities but daunted by the paperwork, VisaHQ can be an invaluable partner. Its India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) walks users through each stage of the French student-visa application, offers real-time checklist updates, and can even arrange consular appointments—services that also extend to a wide range of other countries should study plans change.
The announcement complements France’s plan to recognise India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) at major tourist sites and follows the launch of a Franco-Indian tax-treaty amendment aimed at reducing double taxation on cross-border researchers.
Universities such as Sorbonne and École Polytechnique have already committed to adding over 500 English-medium seats in engineering and AI by 2027. Education consultants expect the simplified visa to make France a stronger competitor to the UK and Australia, particularly if post-study work rights remain liberal.
Prospective students should still budget for €800-€1,200 per month in living expenses and note that applications typically open nine months before programme start dates.
