The 22 June decree sets the threshold at 47% of the SMIC
Decree No. 2026-526 of 22 June 2026, published in the Journal officiel on 24 June, raises the minimum amount of funds a non-European student must prove to come and study in France or to stay there. This minimum now becomes a percentage: 47% of the gross monthly SMIC, France's statutory minimum wage. It will apply from 1 August 2026.
Based on the gross SMIC in force since 1 June 2026, €1,867.02 a month, that comes to €877.50 a month. The previous threshold of €615 had not changed since 2002: it was pegged to the basic allowance paid to French government scholarship holders.
Here is what changes:
| Threshold | Until 31 July 2026 | From 1 August 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Per month | €615 | €877.50 |
| Over 12 months | €7,380 | €10,530 |
| How it is calculated | Fixed amount | 47% of the gross monthly SMIC |
The increase comes to €262.50 a month, or €3,150 a year (+42.7%). In the explanatory note to the decree, the government says the old amount was too low and did not keep pace with change. It adds that 47% of the gross SMIC equals 60% of the net SMIC, a rate chosen with reference to the part-time work international students are allowed to do (up to 964 hours a year).
First applications and renewals from 1 August
The threshold applies to nationals of third countries, meaning countries outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, who apply to stay for study purposes. It is checked at two points.
The first is your visa application from your home country: the student VLS-TS (long-stay visa that serves as a residence permit, valid for 4 months to 1 year) is requested from the French consulate, after the Campus France Études en France procedure in countries where it applies. The second is your renewal in France: when your VLS-TS ends, you apply for a student residence card on the ANEF (Administration numérique pour les étrangers en France), the Ministry of the Interior's online platform, and the prefecture checks your funds again. The steps are covered in our student VLS-TS guide.
The decree applies to applications submitted from 1 August 2026. An application submitted before that date should, in principle, still be assessed against the old €615 threshold. Renewals are filed between 4 and 2 months before your permit expires: if yours expires by the end of November 2026, your filing window opens before 1 August.
If you arrive in September 2026 with a one-year VLS-TS, you will apply for your residence card between May and July 2027: you will then need to show 47% of the SMIC in force at that time, even if your visa was granted on a lower amount. For schools and universities, the change also affects students admitted for the 2026 intake who have not submitted their visa application before 1 August.
An amount that will follow every SMIC increase
The SMIC is raised at least once a year, and also mid-year when inflation requires it, as happened on 1 June 2026. Each time it goes up, the threshold will rise with it, without any new decree.
Filing datethe required amount is based on the SMIC on the day you submit your application, not the day the prefecture makes its decision. Keep the filing receipt the ANEF gives you.
For a renewal in 2027, €877.50 is therefore only a temporary floor: check the amount on the Service-Public page for international students when you submit your application.
Scholarship, guarantor, salary: accepted supporting documents
The decree changes the amount you need to reach, not the proof that is accepted. For renewals, Service-Public lists a scholarship (from the French government, a European programme or your home country, with a certificate stating the amount and duration), your last three payslips if you work, support from a third party (their ID and regular transfers, or a sworn statement), or a bank statement showing a sufficient balance. You can combine several sources of income, with a supporting document for each.
The official list does not include a blocked account: you need to show the money is available, not lock it away. At renewal time, your bank issues the balance or transfer statement, and having a bank account in France makes this step easier.
An administrative minimum, not a budget
The €877.50 is an administrative floor, not an estimate of living costs: your real budget depends above all on your rent and your city.
This increase comes on top of two other 2026 measures that weigh on your budget. The fees for the student residence permit went up on 1 May. And from 1 July 2026, students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland will no longer receive housing aid, unless they hold a needs-based grant, are employed or are on a work-study programme: we cover this in our article on the end of APL for international students.
Sources
- Légifrance – Decree No. 2026-526 of 22 June 2026 updating and indexing the level of funds a third-country national must prove to be admitted to stay for study purposes
- Service-Public – International student in France: long-stay visa or residence permit
- Code du travail numérique – The SMIC rises on 1 June 2026
