Campus France 2026: how to prepare your translations to enrol

What is Campus France and the CEF procedure?

Campus France is the French national agency for promoting higher education abroad and welcoming international students. It operates the Centres pour les Études en France (CEF) — Centres for Studies in France — outposts present in 67 countries, which guide and pre-screen candidates before the visa application.

The digital platform pastel.diplomatie.gouv.fr is the single entry point: account creation, submission of the academic file, a mandatory motivation interview, and ultimately, the application for a long-stay student visa (VLS-TS) through the consulate.

The 67 countries with a mandatory CEF procedure

If you live in one of these countries, you must go through Campus France — direct applications to institutions are closed. Main countries concerned:

• Africa: Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Gabon, Mali, Guinea, Benin, Madagascar, Mauritius, Comoros, Djibouti, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Togo, Niger, Congo, DR Congo, Chad
• Middle East: Lebanon, Syria, Türkiye, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait
• Asia: China, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos
• Americas: United States, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Haiti, Guatemala
• Non-EU Europe: Russia (2024 restrictions), Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan

DAP procedure: for the 1st year of a bachelor's degree

The Demande d'Admission Préalable (DAP) — Prior Admission Request — applies to students wishing to enrol in the first year of a bachelor's degree at a French university. Two variants:

• DAP blanche (non-CEF countries): paper application sent to the university
• DAP verte (CEF countries): via Campus France

Timeline to respect: applications generally open between November and January of year N-1 for a September N start. Plan your translations for October.

Direct application (Master's, Doctorate, Grandes Écoles)

For higher levels (Master's 1 and 2, Doctorate) and for the Grandes Écoles (ESSEC, HEC, ESCP, EM Lyon, École polytechnique, Sciences Po, Centrale, Mines...), applications are generally made directly to the institution, even from a CEF country. Certified translations remain mandatory.

Documents to translate for Campus France

Essential documents (all cases)

Frequently requested documents

• Certificate of completion / attestation of graduation (if the diploma has not yet been issued at the time of application)
• Programme of study / syllabus (for specialised Master's programmes requiring comparability of coursework)
• Letter(s) of recommendation (especially for Grandes Écoles)
• Academic CV
• Cover letter (often required in French, but a certified version may be requested for demanding applications)
• Certificate of French level (DELF/DALF B2, TCF, TEF) — generally does not need to be translated
• Certificate of English level (TOEFL, IELTS) for international programmes

For scholarships and housing

• Tax notice / proof of parental income
• Bank statement (minimum of €7,380 held in a blocked account in 2026)
• Proof of accommodation (if staying with family, provided by a third party)

Special cases by country of origin

European Union countries

Exemption from translation for civil status documents in certain cases thanks to EU Regulation 2016/1191 (multilingual form). Diplomas, however, must still be translated.

Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia

Algeria (since March 2024) and Tunisia: a single apostille is sufficient. Morocco: double legalisation is still required (Ministry of Foreign Affairs + French consulate). See our Arabic → French translation page.

China

Chinese diplomas require notarisation + consular legalisation. China became a signatory to the Hague Convention in November 2023: the apostille is now the norm. Make sure to include the name in both Latin characters AND Chinese characters on the translation.

United States and Canada

Apostille or authentication depending on the state/province. Note: in Canada, accession to the Hague Convention dates from January 2024. Older documents may still require legalisation by Global Affairs Canada.

Sub-Saharan African countries

Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Mali, Cameroon, Benin, Gabon: check case by case. Most still require double legalisation. Plan for the delays (sometimes 3-6 weeks).

Timelines to expect

Step	Recommended timeline	Comment
Obtaining original documents	2-6 weeks	Depends on the country and town hall
Apostille / legalisation	1-8 weeks	Highly variable by country
Transdoc certified translation	48h (standard)	24h express available
Campus France application	Opens November-January	For the following September intake
Motivation interview	1-2 months after submission	Often by video call
Decision	2-4 months	Before May for a September start
VLS-TS visa application	15-30 days	After acceptance

The €109 Transdoc student pack

To make life easier for Campus France candidates, we offer a student pack covering the three key translations:

• 🎓 Highest diploma (baccalauréat, bachelor's, master's)
• 📄 Full transcript
• 👶 Birth certificate less than 3 months old

Price: €109 all-inclusive instead of €147 if bought separately (-26%). Delivery in 48 working hours, PDF + paper original by tracked post, rejection guarantee. See also the ENIC-NARIC procedure if you need a separate comparability statement.

Testimonials: three successful student journeys

Li Wei, 23, Shanghai → Master's in Finance, Paris-Dauphine

"I went through the Campus France procedure in November 2024. My engineering diploma from Fudan University was first apostilled in Shanghai after China joined the Convention (November 2023), then translated into French by Transdoc in 3 days. Accepted at Dauphine in March 2025, I started in September. No hiccups at all."

Youssef B., 20, Casablanca → Bachelor's in Economics, Paris I

"I did the DAP verte. The longest part was getting the double legalisation done in Morocco — almost a month. The Transdoc translation was done in 48h. I received my admission letter in April 2025, and my degree starts in 4 months."

Aminata D., 22, Dakar → Master's in International Law, Paris-Saclay

"Since Senegal isn't a signatory to the Hague Convention, I had to have my documents legalised by the French consulate in Dakar before translation. Transdoc handled everything on the French side — student pack plus bank statement. Accepted!"

Get my Campus France student pack