No French yet, and France on your list? A French degree in English is a realistic plan from the Kingdom, though not at every level. Here is where English works, what proof to prepare, how Campus France and VFS fit together, and which Ministry of Education checks to make before you pay a deposit.
Can you really study in France in English without French?
Yes, although the level you enter at decides how wide the door is.
Campus France’s main catalogue, Programs Taught in English, counts more than 1,600 programmes taught wholly or partly in English. The Saudi office quotes older figures, nearly 1,500 in total and over 1,200 at master’s level, which show where the offer sits: mainly at graduate level.
Each entry states the programme’s status, duration, degree and location, plus its admission requirements: academic level, fees, and both English and French proficiency. Read that last line first, because partly taught in English may leave you with modules you cannot follow. Our page on how much French you need in France covers daily life and work; this table deals only with getting in.
| What you apply for | Language rule | How it works from Saudi Arabia |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 of a Licence at a public university | French is compulsory: a TCF, DELF or TEF result | The DAP request on Études en France, up to three ranked courses |
| Year 2 or 3 of a bachelor’s, or a master’s, at a university, business or engineering school | Set by each programme; English where the listing says so | Études en France, then a pedagogical interview with Campus France |
| Any programme at an institution not on Études en France | Set by the institution | Apply directly, then contact Campus France once you hold the acceptance letter |
The first row matters most to school leavers: without a French result, Year 1 of a public Licence is out of reach, so an English start after secondary school means an institution that teaches its bachelor’s in English. See our guide to a bachelor in France for Saudi students.
What does a master’s in English look like in France?
Several labels, one structure, and one question that matters more than the label.
Campus France Saudi Arabia lists the qualifications at this level: engineering degrees, the Master in Management, the MSc, the specialist masters of the Grandes Écoles and the MBA. A master’s normally spans two years, M1 and M2, and you can apply to either: M2 entry can lead to the degree in one year. Which year you join is not automatic, since each institution sets its own criteria and only the host institution can accept or refuse you.
The label says little about legal standing. France guarantees a diploma’s value when it is a national diploma, a diploma approved by the ministry (diplôme visé) or a title registered in the RNCP, the national directory of professional certifications. Put that question to any programme, in writing:
| Route | Yearly fee, non-EU student | What backs it | What to ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| National master’s, public university | €3,950, about SAR 16,490 (2026-27) | National diploma | Are all modules, exams and the defence in English? |
| Approved diploma or RNCP title, private institution | Often €6,000 to €18,000 or more, about SAR 25,040 to SAR 75,130 | State guarantee | Which approval or RNCP number, at which level? |
| A school’s own diploma | Set by the school | Independent accreditations or labels, if any | Which accreditation, and does it serve your plan in the Kingdom? |
Riyal amounts use the European Central Bank reference rate of 29 October 2026, USD 1.1130 per euro, and the official peg of SAR 3.75 per US dollar reaffirmed by the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA): about SAR 4.17 per euro, rounded to SAR 10. A full budget is in our guide to the cost of studying in France for Saudi students.
What English proof will you need?
Your school sets the level, and Campus France Saudi Arabia expects evidence in your file.
France puts no English score in its visa rules: Service-Public lists enrolment or pre-enrolment and resources, and no language test. Proof comes in at two earlier points. Your institution decides the level and the evidence it accepts. Then the Campus France KSA pre-consular guide names a language certificate, with DELF B2 and IELTS as examples, among the documents to scan.
So a waiver from your school may not settle the matter alone. If your admission rests on a medium-of-instruction letter, ask your Campus France adviser before submitting whether it is enough for your Études en France file. One email now avoids a correction round later. Alternatives to a test, and the new TOEFL scale, are in our guide to studying in France without IELTS.
| Your situation | Evidence to prepare | Confirm with |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor’s taught and assessed in English | Medium-of-instruction letter from the registrar, signed and stamped, plus transcript | The school in writing, then Campus France |
| Last diploma taught in Arabic | A test score at the level on the catalogue entry, such as IELTS or TOEFL | The school’s accepted tests, before booking |
The British Council reports 17 IELTS locations in Saudi Arabia, with computer-based tests in Riyadh, Jeddah and Dammam. Campus France KSA wants every document in French or English, in PDF or JPG of 300 KB at most, so Arabic transcripts need translating first.
Will your French degree count back in Saudi Arabia?
The Ministry of Education decides, and its rules are best read before you pay anything.
France can guarantee a diploma’s value in France. Equating it in the Kingdom is a separate decision, taken by the Ministry of Education through its service for qualifications issued abroad. If you need your degree for a government job or sponsorship, make this the first step of your project and confirm with the ministry before enrolling, whichever French institution you choose. Its English page, dated 26 October 2026, sets out these rules:
| Ministry rule | What to do |
|---|---|
| Self-funded students need prior approval to study abroad; approval is no commitment to equate the certificate later | Request it before you enrol and keep the reply |
| The institution and the programme should be on the list of recommended universities and programmes; otherwise each case is reviewed separately by the committee on non-Saudi institutions | Check both names. If one is missing, ask what the review looks at |
| Study is in principle regular and full-time, with residence in the country of study; the rules allow some flexibility at master’s and doctoral level | Ask how your format is treated, including online modules, company projects and internships |
| A master’s follows a first degree, with at least 24 credit hours plus a thesis, or 30 without, and at least one academic year of attendance and residence | Ask your school for a description showing hours, credits and duration |
| The subject should relate to your bachelor’s, or you need complementary courses or an accepted justification | Changing field? Keep proof of bridging courses |
| Documents must be certified by the Saudi cultural attaché in the issuing country, or the nearest Saudi embassy | Plan this before leaving France |
The request itself is made after graduation on the ministry’s portal, eqs.moe.gov.sa, with your national ID, passport, certificate and transcript. The ministry lists the service as free, in Arabic, with a five-business-day service level; its care centre answers on 19996.
A four-point check before you enrol
- 1Name your goalGovernment post, sponsorship, private-sector work or a career in France. Your employer or sponsor can say what it requires.
- 2Look up the institution and programmeUse the ministry’s recommended list and note the date you checked.
- 3Ask the ministry directlyDo you need prior approval, and does your format meet its study and residence rules?
- 4Keep the paperworkAdmission letter, programme description, hours, credits, attendance records and the legal status of the qualification.
Hoping to join a scholarship after starting at your own expense? The ministry’s Request to Join a Mission page sets separate conditions, with limited seats and university ranking thresholds. See our guide to scholarships in France for Saudi students. Going the other way, the French ENIC-NARIC centre can attest the French value of your Saudi degree for €120 per request. It is not an equivalence, but some institutions require it, so ask yours first.
How do you apply from the Kingdom?
The route depends on whether your institution is connected to Études en France.
Campus France Saudi Arabia advises preparing almost a year ahead, and each institution keeps its own calendar. Every resident of the Kingdom, Saudi or not, uses Études en France for the visa stage, even when admission happened elsewhere. What changes is the part before it:
| Stage | Institution on the platform | Institution outside it |
|---|---|---|
| Application | Inside Études en France, within the published window | Directly to the school, on its calendar |
| Acceptance | Received on the platform | School letter, uploaded under “I already have an admission” |
| SAR 300 pre-consular fee | Exempt | Bank transfer, reference EEF plus file number |
| Interview | Campus France adviser | Same: Embassy in Riyadh or Consulate General in Jeddah |
| Next | France-Visas form, then VFS Global | Same, with your EeF certificate |
When should you begin?
The latest round announced on the Saudi site opened on 1 October 2024 for September 2025, so treat the October before your start as the likely opening and check the current window. Outside the platform, some institutions run several intakes. For February 2027 you must be applying now, to a school with a winter intake, with little margin for a test or a ministry reply. For September 2027, shortlist now. Either way, France-Visas advises a month between lodging and departure, and VFS slots open up to three months before travel.
The student visa in brief
What is specific to the Kingdom; the detail is in our visa guide.
- Visa: the long-stay student visa (VLS-TS), valid four months to one year.
- Where: any VFS Global centre, whatever your city: Riyadh, Jeddah or Dammam (listed under Al Khobar by VFS). The Embassy and Consulate General also take files by appointment.
- Money: at least €877.50 a month, €10,530 (SAR 43,950) for twelve months. VFS service fee: SAR 118, prepaid online.
- Timing: Campus France KSA indicates an answer within 15 days of lodging.
- After landing: validate online within three months and pay €100, about SAR 420. You may then work up to 964 hours a year.
Documents and common mistakes are in our France student visa guide for Saudi Arabia. Your lectures may be in English, but your lease will not be: Campus France warns that housing in Paris is costly and hard to find, and landlords expect a guarantor and home insurance. It counts four French language centres in the Kingdom, one in Jeddah, one in Khobar and two in Riyadh, if you want a head start.
One English-taught option near Paris: AI2
Direct admission, three intakes in 2027, and entry points that follow your qualification.
AI2, the Applied Institute of Artificial Intelligence, teaches every programme 100% in English on its Écouen campus, 22 minutes from Paris Gare du Nord by Transilien line H. French is not required, and optional classes run each year. English is B2 (IELTS 6.0, TOEFL iBT 72 or equivalent); a medium-of-instruction certificate may support a waiver. Selection is a file review and online interview, with no GRE or GMAT, and your admission letter then goes into Études en France.
| You hold | Entry at AI2 | Length | Tuition 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary certificate with mathematics | Bachelor Year 1 | 3 years | €9,000 a year (SAR 37,560); final year €9,900 |
| Three-year bachelor’s in computing, mathematics, engineering or science | MSc Year 1 | 2 years: 1,000 h plus a 6-month internship | €12,500, from €10,500 (SAR 43,820) after scholarship |
| Related four- or five-year degree | Direct MSc Year 2 | 18 months: 1,000 h in 12 months (500 h Year 2 on campus, 280 h online platform modules, 220 h company project), then a 6-month internship (IoT 920 h) | €13,000, from €11,300 (SAR 47,160); IoT from €11,800 |
| Accredited engineering degree or master’s | Fast-Track, Data Science only | 11 months, February 2027 | €12,500, or €11,000 (SAR 45,910) before 15 November 2026 |
A four-year Saudi bachelor’s in a related field can be reviewed for the 18-month route. Each MSc final year awards the AI2 diploma and prepares a professional certification recognised by the French State, registered in the RNCP at level 7, master’s level (EQF 7): RNCP39978, “Information Systems Architect for Industrial Processes” (« Architecte des systèmes d’information dans les processus industriels »), for Data Science and Cybersecurity, and RNCP40554, “Internet of Things (IoT) Architect”, for IoT. DATAKOO, AI2’s parent company, is the certifier. Curriculum: MSc Applied AI and Data Science; rules: AI2 tuition fees.
Intakes are planned for February, May and September 2027. For February, the priority deadline and complete visa file fall on 30 November 2026, with enrolment and deposit by 15 December 2026. If your plan relies on Saudi equivalency or sponsorship, run the ministry check above on the exact programme and format first, using your admission letter and AI2’s programme description. For a wider comparison, read our guide to a master’s in France for Saudi students.
Frequently asked questions
Can Saudi students study in France in English?
Yes. Campus France lists more than 1,600 programmes taught wholly or partly in English, mainly at graduate level. Each listing states any French requirement, so read it before applying.
Do I need to speak French to apply?
Not for a programme taught fully in English, unless the school asks for it. The main exception is Year 1 of a public Licence, where the DAP procedure makes a French result compulsory.
Is IELTS required for a French student visa from Saudi Arabia?
IELTS is not a visa condition. However, your school sets an English requirement, and the Campus France KSA guide lists a language certificate, such as IELTS, among the Études en France documents.
Can a medium-of-instruction letter replace IELTS?
Often, if your school accepts it. Ask your Campus France adviser whether the letter is also enough for your Études en France file before you submit.
Will the Saudi Ministry of Education recognise my French degree?
The ministry decides, looking at its recommended list, the study format, residence and credit hours. If you need equivalency, confirm with the ministry before enrolling.
Do self-funded Saudi students need ministry approval?
Yes, according to the ministry’s equivalency page: prior approval to study abroad is required, and it does not commit the ministry to equate the certificate after graduation.
Where does the Campus France interview take place?
At the French Embassy in Riyadh or the Consulate General of France in Jeddah. Campus France also has a branch in Al Khobar.
Sources consulted on 30 October 2026: Campus France KSA: English programs · Admissions · Finding a master program · First step · Higher education system · Études en France · Student visa · Pre-consular guide, 2022 · Contact · Accommodation · Learning French · Campus France: finding a programme · French degrees · Tuition fees · Saudi Ministry of Education: equivalency · Request to Join a Mission · France-Visas: Saudi Arabia · Service-Public F2231 (verified 1 August 2026) · F2713 (verified 7 October 2025) · France Compétences: RNCP39978 · RNCP40554 · British Council Saudi Arabia: IELTS · SAMA: exchange rate policy · ECB: euro reference rates · AI2: apply now · AI2: tuition fees 2027
Send your transcripts and English evidence. AI2 admissions holds an online interview and confirms your entry year, tuition and any scholarship in writing. Priority deadline for February 2027: 30 November 2026.
