How many rupees does a first year in France really take? Every line of the budget, from the Études en France fee to rent in the Paris region, converted at the State Bank of Pakistan rate, with the documents that prove the money.
Which exchange rate should you plan with?
One reference rate for the whole page, and a margin for the day you actually pay.
Every rupee figure on this page uses one rate: PKR 308.04 for €1. It combines the State Bank of Pakistan’s mark-to-market revaluation rate for the US dollar on 29 October 2026 (PKR 276.7618) with the European Central Bank’s euro reference rate on the same day ($1.1130 for €1).
Rates move: the ECB rate went from $1.1188 on 26 October to $1.1130 on 29 October, and your bank sells euros at its own rate, not at the reference. Build a buffer instead of budgeting to the last rupee.
What do you pay in Pakistan before you leave?
Three fixed fees, a deposit and a flight. The fixed fees are small; the deposit is not.
Pakistan is part of the Études en France procedure, so every Pakistani file goes through Campus France Pakistan before the visa. The costs to plan before departure:
| Item | Amount | In rupees | What to know |
|---|---|---|---|
| Études en France fee | PKR 30,000 | PKR 30,000 | Paid only after Campus France Pakistan emails a payment request, within one week. Not refundable; French Government and Erasmus Mundus scholars are exempt or reimbursed. |
| Long-stay student visa fee | €50 reduced rate (€99 full rate) | PKR 15,402 (PKR 30,496) | Reduced rate for students whose file went through a Centre for Studies in France, the Pakistani route. Paid in rupees, exact amount (AEG). |
| AEG service charge per file | €8.12 Islamabad, €10 Sindh, €11.10 Punjab, €11.50 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan | PKR 2,501 to PKR 3,542 | Paid in cash, in rupees at the prevailing rate, at AEG service centres. |
| Tuition deposit | Set by your institution | Varies | For private institutions, Campus France Pakistan considers the admission final once tuition fees have been paid. |
| Flight to Paris | Airline fare | Your quote | Book once the visa is issued. |
Add attestation: Campus France Pakistan asks for school certificates preferably attested by IBCC and degrees preferably attested by HEC, each charging its own fee. Keep your passport valid for at least 18 months after the intake. The full procedure, with the AEG appointment and the embassy interview in Islamabad, is in our France student visa from Pakistan guide.
How much is tuition in France?
Public fees are set nationally; private fees are set by each school.
Public institutions under the Ministry of Higher Education charge differentiated fees to students from outside the EU. Campus France gives these 2026-27 amounts:
| Programme at a public institution | Non-EU student, per year | In rupees | EU student, per year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s (Licence) | €2,902 | PKR 893,920 | €178 |
| Master’s | €3,950 | PKR 1,216,742 | €255 |
| Doctorate (PhD) | €398 | PKR 122,598 | €397 |
A decree of 19 May 2026 changed the rules on fee waivers granted by institutions, Campus France notes, so get any waiver in writing before you count it.
Private institutions set their own fees: check whether the amount is per year or per programme, what it excludes and whether instalments are possible. Public programmes listed in the Études en France catalogue are applied for on the “I am applying” tab, with up to 3 bachelor’s or 7 master’s choices and a deadline of 18 November 2026 for the 2027-28 year, according to Campus France Pakistan.
What does living in France cost each month?
Rent decides most of the monthly bill. The rest is fairly predictable.
Campus France Pakistan publishes a budget guide for Pakistani students. Its ranges cover all of France, so Paris sits at the top of each:
| Expense | Range given | In rupees | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crous student residence | €150 to €600 a month | PKR 46,205 to PKR 184,822 | Affordable rooms and studios, subject to availability; not allocated automatically. |
| Private studio | €400 to €1,200 a month | PKR 123,214 to PKR 369,643 | Depends on the city, the location and the type of contract. |
| Crous canteen meal | €1 | PKR 308 | A full meal in a university canteen. |
| Navigo Imagine R, Paris and Île-de-France | €401.30 for the yearly student subscription | PKR 123,615 | Metro, bus and RER; in other cities a monthly pass averages about €30. |
| Complementary health insurance (mutuelle) | €5 to €50 a month | PKR 1,540 to PKR 15,402 | Recommended on top of the free national health insurance. |
Health insurance is free, the top-up is not
Campus France Pakistan states that health insurance is free for international students. You register on etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr with your passport, certificate of enrolment, a birth certificate and a bank account. The national scheme covers part of your costs, hence the mutuelle.
Housing aid has narrowed for non-EU students
Since 1 July 2026, Service-Public explains, a non-EU student holding a residence permit for studies can receive the APL housing aid in only three cases: with a needs-based Crous grant, with a professional activity, or with an apprenticeship or professionalisation contract. Leave it out of your budget unless one applies. Our guide to student accommodation in the Paris region covers the options.
Which costs come after you land?
Two official charges and a heavy first month.
- Visa validation tax, €100 (about PKR 30,804). Service-Public requires you to validate your long-stay student visa (VLS-TS) online within three months of arrival and pay this tax, on top of the visa fee.
- Student and campus life contribution (CVEC), €105 for 2026-27 (about PKR 32,344). The official CVEC site says every student in initial training at a higher education institution must obtain the CVEC certificate before enrolling, by payment or exemption. Some programmes are not subject to it; your institution tells you.
- Rent deposit and first month, agreed with the landlord before you travel. Arrival costs all land in the first four weeks.
How do you show the money from Pakistan?
Six months of statements, in your name or a guarantor’s.
Service-Public sets the rule: for a long-stay student visa you must prove resources of at least €877.50 a month, which is PKR 270,301 a month or PKR 3.24 million for twelve months at our rate. Tuition comes on top. Campus France Pakistan and AEG translate that rule into a Pakistani checklist:
Your own account
A guarantor
A scholarship
The balance is judged in euros on the day it is read. If your account is in rupees, a balance that only just reaches €10,530 today can fall short a few weeks later. Our proof of funds guide explains why a margin is a sensible precaution. Check that names match across your CNIC and certificates: HEC will not start an attestation when they differ.
Can a part-time job reduce the bill?
Up to 964 hours a year, at a minimum of €12.31 gross an hour.
Partly, once you are in France. Service-Public allows a foreign student to work up to 964 hours a year, 60% of the legal annual working time, without a work authorisation. The minimum wage (Smic) is €12.31 gross an hour, about €9.74 net, according to Service-Public (checked 1 June 2026).
An illustration, not a forecast: ten hours a week for forty weeks is 400 hours, about €3,900 net at the minimum wage, close to PKR 1,200,108. It helps, but the visa funds must exist before you leave, and a job is never guaranteed. Our page on working while studying in France covers contracts and hours.
Work-study (alternance) is the larger lever: under an apprenticeship contract the employer’s training fund pays tuition and you earn a salary, and Service-Public allows work beyond 964 hours once the contract is validated.
What does the whole first year add up to?
Tuition plus twelve months of living funds plus the fixed fees.
The table adds three blocks: tuition, twelve months of the visa minimum, and the fixed fees (PKR 30,000 for Études en France, €50 visa fee, up to €11.50 AEG charge, €100 validation tax and €105 CVEC), about PKR 0.112 million together. Flights and the rent deposit are not included.
| Scenario | Tuition | Visa living funds | First year in rupees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public university, bachelor’s year | €2,902 | €10,530 | PKR 4.25 million |
| Public university, master’s year | €3,950 | €10,530 | PKR 4.57 million |
| Private school at €9,000 a year | €9,000 | €10,530 | PKR 6.13 million |
| Private school at €12,500 a year | €12,500 | €10,530 | PKR 7.21 million |
Treat the visa minimum as a floor. In the Paris region, a shared flat or a Crous room makes €877.50 a month workable; a studio alone does not.
Where AI2 fits in a Pakistani budget
One campus near Paris, fees published per programme, scholarship assessed for everyone.
AI2, the Applied Institute of Artificial Intelligence, teaches every programme 100% in English on one campus, the Hub Nikola Tesla in Écouen, 22 minutes by train from Paris Gare du Nord. English at B2 level is required (IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 72 or equivalent) and French is not. AI2 admits directly, so Pakistani applicants use the “I am accepted” tab of Études en France.
Fees are published on the AI2 tuition fees page, and every international candidate is assessed automatically for the AI2 scholarship, stated in the admission letter and applied to the first year. Same method as above:
| AI2 programme | Standard tuition | After AI2 scholarship | First year in rupees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor in Applied AI, Year 1 (after FSc, ICS or A-levels) | €9,000 | AI2 scholarship possible | PKR 6.13 million |
| BSc final year, one-year top-up (after two years of computing) | €9,900 | AI2 scholarship possible | PKR 6.41 million |
| MSc Year 1, applied AI common core | €12,500 | from €10,500 | PKR 6.59 million to PKR 7.21 million |
| MSc direct entry, 18 months | €13,000 | from €11,300 | PKR 6.84 million to PKR 7.36 million |
| Fast-Track Data Science, February 2027, 11 months | €12,500 | €11,000 if you apply before 15 November 2026 | PKR 6.74 million to PKR 7.21 million |
Tuition can be paid in instalments, as set out in the admission letter, or in full, one of the scholarship criteria; the February 2027 deposit is due by 15 December 2026. It covers teaching, examinations, visa guidance and tools such as Google Workspace with Gemini and DataCamp, but not housing, insurance, travel or visa fees. AI2 estimates Paris-region living costs at about €900 to €1,700 a month, rent included.
Work-study is possible in Bachelor Year 2, the BSc final year and MSc Year 2 once an employer signs a contract, never guaranteed at admission. Each final year awards the AI2 diploma and prepares a professional certification recognised by the French State and registered in the RNCP: level 6 for the BSc years, level 7 (master’s level) for the MSc. Which entry year matches your degree is explained in our guide to studying AI in France from Pakistan; with a two-year degree, read studying in France after 14 years of education, and after FSc, ICS or A-levels, see a bachelor’s in France for Pakistani students.
When does each payment fall?
Work backwards from the intake: deposit, Campus France, then the embassy.
| Intake | AI2 dates | Campus France Pakistan, “I am accepted” tab | Money to have ready |
|---|---|---|---|
| February 2027 | Fast-Track scholarship until 15 November 2026; priority deadline 30 November 2026; deposit by 15 December 2026 | Spring campaign for January to March 2027, applications close 30 December 2026 | Deposit, PKR 30,000, six months of statements |
| May 2027 | Dates sent on request by AI2 admissions | Not covered by the two published campaigns | Ask Campus France Pakistan first |
| September 2027 | Dates sent on request by AI2 admissions | Fall campaign for September to November 2027, applications close 30 August 2027 | Six months of statements from early 2027 |
Campus France Pakistan says the pre-consular process takes up to three months, and the consulate decides two weeks to two months after the interview. Funding options, from the French Embassy award to Eiffel, are compared in scholarships in France for Pakistani students.
📘 Related guide: Masters in France for Pakistani students.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to study in France from Pakistan for one year?
At PKR 308.04 per euro, a first year in a public bachelor’s programme costs about PKR 4.25 million, counting €2,902 of tuition, €10,530 of visa living funds and the fixed fees. At a private school charging €9,000 to €10,500, plan on PKR 6.13 million to PKR 6.59 million, before flights.
How much bank balance is required for a French student visa from Pakistan?
Service-Public requires resources of at least €877.50 a month, about PKR 270,301, or PKR 3.24 million for twelve months. Campus France Pakistan asks for six months of your statements, or a guarantor’s affidavit, statements and ID.
What is the Campus France fee in Pakistan?
PKR 30,000 for the Études en France procedure. Pay it only after Campus France Pakistan emails a payment request, within one week. It is not refundable.
How much is the French student visa fee for Pakistani students?
The France-Visas fee table gives €50, the reduced rate for students whose file was examined by an Études en France centre, against €99 at the full rate. AEG collects it in rupees, plus a service charge of €8.12 to €11.50.
Is health insurance free for Pakistani students in France?
Campus France Pakistan says health insurance is free for international students: you register with Assurance Maladie on etudiant-etranger.ameli.fr. It covers part of your costs, so a mutuelle at about €5 to €50 a month is recommended.
Can I work in France to pay my expenses?
Yes, up to 964 hours a year without a work authorisation, according to Service-Public, at a minimum wage of €12.31 gross an hour. The income helps once you are in France, but the visa funds must be shown before you leave.
Sources consulted on 29 October 2026: State Bank of Pakistan: USD/PKR M2M revaluation rate · ECB euro reference rates · Campus France Pakistan: pre-consular application · Campus France Pakistan: prepare your budget · Campus France Pakistan: long-stay student visa · Campus France Pakistan: FAQ · Campus France: tuition fees · France-Visas: visa fee table (PDF) · AEG Pakistan: French visa · Service-Public F2231 · Service-Public F2713 · Service-Public: Smic · Service-Public: APL · CVEC · Assurance Maladie: foreign students · HEC: degree attestation
Apply online: AI2 admissions reviews your file, holds an online interview and states your entry year, tuition and any scholarship in your admission letter, the document your Campus France Pakistan file needs.
