France
Closed: spouse may not work. This route is not ranked.
Verdict
France is the wrong fit for you as a couple. Your spouse can only arrive as a "visitor" with a sworn no-work pledge, and together you must show about EUR 28,300 (BDT 39 lakh) on top of EUR 3,950 tuition. The earliest start is September 2027, and staying long-term needs B1-B2 French.
It only works if you go alone to a public university and your spouse comes later on their own student or work status, which is not the plan of arriving together.
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source money plan for this route compare
- Can the spouse come
- Conditional
- Conditions
A master's student's VLS-TS has no dependant visa attached; it covers the student only. Your spouse has two legal routes. (1) Their own long-stay "visiteur" visa (VLS-TS visiteur), which can be filed at the same time as yours or just after.
It needs a recognised marriage certificate and resources of EUR 1,477.93 net/month (EUR 17,735.19 for the year) on top of your own EUR 877.50/month. It also needs health insurance covering the whole stay and a handwritten sworn statement not to work. The card lasts 1 year and is renewed yearly.
(2) Family reunification (regroupement familial). Service-public lists the 1-year "étudiant" card as a qualifying permit, but you must first have lived 18 months in France.
You must also show average income of the gross minimum wage (about EUR 1,867.02/month over the previous 12 months, which a 964 h/year student job cannot reach) and have 22-28 m2 of housing. The prefect then has 6 months to decide. So it is legally open but practically out of reach during a 2-year master's.
The work-authorised "Talent - Famille" card exists only for the family of a Talent permit holder, not a student.
- Spouse work rights
- None
- Spouse work in detail
Visitor status is the only route that lets your spouse arrive with you, and on it work is banned outright: no salaried job, no trade, no auto-entrepreneur, artisan or liberal activity. A handwritten sworn statement to that effect is required (service-public F302).
Your spouse can only get work rights by changing status: their own student status (964 h/year), a "salarié" permit with an employer's work authorisation, family reunification after 18+ months (unrealistic, see above), or Talent-Famille if you later get a Talent permit after graduating.
This does not meet a requirement that your spouse must have work rights.
- Student work hours
964 hours per year (60% of legal annual working time). You need no work permit, but the employer must declare the hire to the prefecture 2 working days before. Self-employment (auto-entrepreneur) is not allowed on a student card. The 964 h cap does not apply on the post-study job-search card.
- First year for two
- about 36.1 lakh USD 28,900 before earnings over the 35 lakh ceiling
- checked 14 Nov 2026 · source
- Tuition in detail
Public universities, 2026-27 (Campus France page updated 25 June 2026; service-public news updated 20 Aug 2026): EUR 3,950/year for a non-EU master's student (EUR 255 for EU), EUR 2,902 for licence. Decree no. 2026-385 of 19 May 2026 caps exemptions.
A university may exempt at most 30% of its foreign students in 2026-27, 25% in 2027-28 (the year you would start) and 20% after that, so paying the EU rate is unlikely.
Private English-taught business-school MSc programmes cost far more: KEDGE MSc Data Analytics for Business is EUR 18,000; ESSCA about EUR 21,800 and NEOMA about EUR 36,000 (these two not confirmed). Not free. Add the CVEC student-life contribution (roughly EUR 105, exact 2026-27 amount not confirmed).
- Money to show in detail
Student: at least EUR 877.50 per month, i.e. EUR 10,530 for 12 months, left over after tuition is paid. The amount was raised from EUR 615 on 1 Aug 2026 by decree no. 2026-526 of 22 June 2026 (service-public F2231 and Campus France USA). Spouse (visitor): EUR 1,477.93 net per month, EUR 17,735.19 for the year (service-public F302).
Couple total EUR 28,265 = about USD 31,350 = about BDT 39.1 lakh, excluding tuition. No blocked account. Proof: recent bank statements, a scholarship letter, or a sponsor's guarantee with the sponsor's statements. The 3 most recent statements is the Campus France USA standard; the Dhaka embassy's own rule is not confirmed.
For your visitor spouse, service-public accepts own resources, a family member's resources, or guarantees from solvent persons. A family sponsor is therefore allowed for both of you. Whether the Dhaka embassy accepts an education-loan letter is not confirmed.
- Budget note
Bangladesh Bank, 12 Nov 2026: USD 1 = BDT 124.75, EUR 1 = BDT 138.35 (so EUR 1 = USD 1.109). Show-money alone for student plus visitor spouse is EUR 28,265 (USD 31,350, BDT 39.1 lakh), before EUR 3,950 tuition.
Estimated real first-year spend for two at a public university outside Paris: tuition USD 4,380 + living about EUR 1,600/month (USD 21,300, an estimate) + visa/permit fees about USD 850 + spouse health insurance about USD 900 + flights about USD 1,400 = about USD 28,900. Your spouse cannot legally earn anything.
Your part-time ceiling is roughly EUR 750-800 net/month. A family sponsor can cover the show-money on paper, but the real first-year cash gap is still about USD 12,000-13,000. Going alone would cost about USD 16-17k. Private MSc fees are EUR 18-36k.
- Realistic earnings
Minimum wage is EUR 1,867.02 gross / EUR 1,477.93 net per month full-time (figures from service-public F17359 and F302). A student at the 964 h/year cap earns roughly EUR 750-800 net per month at best (a calculation, not an official figure). A visitor-status spouse earns zero legally.
Most part-time jobs outside Paris need working French; English-only roles are limited. Graduate analytics/tech salaries of about EUR 38-45k are not confirmed. Note the EUR 33,606/year (2,800.53 x
12) floor to stay after graduation.
- Visa
- VLS-TS "étudiant" (a long-stay visa that also counts as a residence permit), through the Études en France (EEF) procedure run by Campus France Bangladesh
- Lands
- August 2027 (estimate) An estimate, not a promise.
Late August or September 2027
- Next intakes
- January/February 2027 (private business schools only; public universities have essentially no winter master's entry)Deadline: School-specific. Campus France Bangladesh requires 'I am accepted' EEF registration at least 60 days before the intake. A January start is therefore already impossible, and a late-February start would need admission plus EEF registration by about 24 Dec 2026. No February programme deadline is confirmed.Still open: Effectively no (January closed; February theoretical only)
- September 2027, public university master's via Études en France (Hors DAP)Deadline: 15 January 2027 on EEF (campaign opened 1 Oct 2026; page updated 15 Oct 2026). The same page's Step 3 says programme choices cannot be modified after 18 November 2026, which is 4 days after 14 Nov 2026. Treat 18 Nov as the working deadline for choosing programmes until Campus France Bangladesh clarifies. Some universities close earlier.Still open: Yes, but choose your programmes by 18 Nov 2026 because of that note
- September 2027, private business schools (direct application, then EEF 'I am accepted')Deadline: Rolling. KEDGE MSc Data Analytics lists 2027 sessions with deadlines 3 Jan, 17 Jan, 31 Jan, 14 Feb, 28 Feb and 14 Mar 2027 (more may be added). EEF registration at least 60 days before intake.Still open: Yes
- Typical length
- 24 months
- Where to apply from Bangladesh
All in Dhaka, no travel abroad. Campus France Bangladesh office at Alliance Française de Dhaka, Dhanmondi: EEF file, fee BDT 12,170 (non-refundable), pre-consular interview there. The visa file then goes through France-Visas and the assigned visa centre (VFS Global Dhaka, not confirmed).
The Embassy of France in Dhaka decides; for visa questions, Campus France Bangladesh lists the consular section's contact. Your spouse files a separate long-stay visitor application the same way.
Visa and passport risk
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- Risk for a Bangladesh passport
- High
- Why
There is no official approval or refusal rate for French long-stay student visas issued in Dhaka (not confirmed).
A Schengen short-stay refusal figure for Bangladesh (43.3%, Henley, Jan 2025) is not confirmed and does not measure student visas. Études en France only started for Bangladesh on 1 Oct 2026, according to Campus France Bangladesh, so the process is brand new there.
Service-public's country list, verified 1 Aug 2026, does not yet show Bangladesh. The weak point is your spouse's visitor visa: EUR 17.7k of resources and a no-work pledge for a young spouse of a student is a hard file. No suspension or ban on Bangladeshi students is known. Student alone: medium; couple together: high.
- Visa processing time
No official figure for Dhaka (not confirmed). The Embassy of France in Bangladesh site only says delays vary by place and season and that a file can be lodged up to 6 months before departure. Service-public says 3 months at the earliest for long-stay visas in general.
Campus France USA quotes about 3 weeks from the visa-centre appointment for a well-prepared student file, with no express option; that is a US figure, not Dhaka. Before the visa come the EEF file, the fee and the Campus France interview. Plan 2-4 months end to end; the time for your spouse's visitor visa is not confirmed.
- checked 14 Nov 2026 · source
- Hassle
- 9 out of 10 10 is the most hassle. This site's rating, not a checked fact.
After the degree and PR
no single source · see all sources- Work after the degree
Carte de séjour "recherche d'emploi ou création d'entreprise" (RECE): 1 year, not renewable, for a master's-level French degree (also licence professionnelle, Mastère Spécialisé, CGE-labelled MSc) obtained within the last 12 months. It costs EUR 150 (EUR 100 tax + EUR 50 stamp). It does not give open full-time work rights.
Salaried work without employer authorisation is allowed only in a job related to the degree paying more than EUR 2,800.53 gross/month; the 964 h cap no longer applies. Such a job then allows a switch to a "salarié" card; the Talent (qualified employee) card needs EUR 39,582 gross/year.
The RECE can also be requested from abroad within 4 years of graduating.
- no single source · see all sources
- PR route
Master's (2 years, student status), then the RECE job-search year or a direct hire, then a "salarié" permit (job linked to the degree, above EUR 2,800.53 gross/month) or a "Talent" permit (EUR 39,582 gross/year).
After that comes the 10-year carte de résident de longue durée-UE, after 5 years of legal uninterrupted residence on counted permits. Service-public lists visiteur, salarié, vie privée et familiale, entrepreneur, talent and resident; étudiant is not on the list.
The card needs income of at least the gross minimum wage (EUR 1,867.02/month), French B1, the civic exam and EUR 350. Naturalisation is quicker in practice: the 5-year residence rule drops to 2 years for someone who earned a French higher-education diploma after 2 years of study.
It needs French B2 oral and written, the civic exam, a prefecture interview, stable income from work and EUR 255; the administration has up to 18 months to decide.
- Language for PR
French B1 plus civic exam for the 10-year resident card; French B2 (oral and written) plus civic exam for citizenship. English alone does not get PR or citizenship.
Recent rule changes
checked 14 Nov 2026 · source- 2025 and 2026
1) 1 Aug 2026: student proof of funds raised from EUR 615 to EUR 877.50/month (decree 2026-526).
2) Decree 2026-385 of 19 May 2026 (in force 21 May 2026): EUR 3,950 master's fee for non-EU students; exemption cap 30% in 2026-27, 25% in 2027-28, 20% afterwards.
3) 1 Oct 2026: Études en France campaign opened for Bangladesh; fee BDT 12,170; master's deadline 15 Jan 2027.
4) Residence-permit taxes as of 14 Nov 2026: student VLS-TS validation EUR 100, visitor first card EUR 350, renewal EUR 250, RECE EUR 150 (service-public; a '1 May 2026 budget law' date for these is not confirmed).
5) From 1 Jan 2026: civic exam for resident card and naturalisation; B1 for resident card, B2 for naturalisation (arrêté of 22 Dec 2025, decree 2025-648).
6) Decree of 26 Oct 2026 changed rules from 30 Oct 2026; service-public pages F302, F17359 and Talent pages are flagged as being updated, so visitor and resident-card figures may shift.
7) VFS taking over Dhaka submissions in Sept 2025: not confirmed.
- Corrected in this check
- Family reunification: service-public F11166 lists the 1-year 'étudiant' card as qualifying. The real barriers are 18 months' residence, average income of about EUR 1,867.02 gross/month over 12 months, 22-28 m2 housing and a 6-month decision time. It is legally open but practically unreachable.
- Post-study RECE card: service-public F17319 limits permit-free salaried work to a job related to the degree paying more than EUR 2,800.53 gross/month. The Talent threshold is EUR 39,582/year.
- Tuition exemption cap: official figures are 30% for 2026-27, 25% for 2027-28 (your start year) and 20% long-term.
- Exchange rate: EUR 1 = BDT 138.35 (Bangladesh Bank 12 Nov 2026); EUR/USD 1.109. Show-money is USD 31,350, BDT 39.1 lakh; tuition USD 4,380.
- Visa fees for the couple are about USD 850 and the first-year total about USD 28,900, including spouse insurance and flights; upfront cash about USD 12,000.
- Naturalisation processing: the official maximum is 18 months from the receipt.
- Intakes: KEDGE 2027 session deadlines are listed from the school page (3 Jan to 14 Mar 2027). The Excelia 22 Feb 2027 date and the IESEG deadline are not confirmed; the February row is marked theoretical.
- The 18 Nov 2026 'programme choices cannot be modified' note is treated as an immediate working deadline (4 days after 14 Nov 2026), not just a query.
- Visa filing window: the Embassy of France in Bangladesh site says up to 6 months before departure (updated 6 Mar 2026); service-public says 3 months. Both are shown.
- Processing time: '15 days to 3 weeks' and '4-8 weeks for spouse' are not Dhaka facts. The only official figure is Campus France USA's 'about 3 weeks', which is a US figure.
- Insurance: a EUR 30,000 cover figure is not confirmed. Service-public only requires insurance covering the whole stay.
- Student work: the employer must make a prior declaration to the prefecture, and self-employment is banned.
- University examples (Aix-Marseille, Paris 1) are left out of the tuition text because they are not confirmed.
Not verified
unverified- VFS Global Dhaka as the visa centre, its address and service fee, the 'two interviews' rule and exact long-stay visa fees (EUR 50 student under EEF vs EUR 99; EUR 99 visitor)
- Official refusal/approval rate for French long-stay student visas for Bangladeshi applicants; the Henley 43.3% Schengen short-stay figure
- Official processing time at the Embassy of France in Dhaka for student and visitor long-stay visas
- Dhaka embassy's own proof-of-funds rules (statement age, loan letters)
- Whether a spouse admitted through family reunification gets work rights (the standard 'vie privée et familiale' rule), and whether Talent-Famille carries work rights
- That student and job-search years are excluded from the 5 years for the resident card: the service-public list omits 'étudiant' but does not say so explicitly
- CVEC 2026-27 amount; spouse health insurance cost; VFS fee; flights: estimates
- Living cost for a couple (EUR 1,600/month outside Paris) is an estimate; Campus France gives EUR 600-800/month per student as a floor
- ESSCA and NEOMA fees, Excelia/IESEG winter intake dates, VFS takeover date, and the '1 May 2026' date for permit-tax rises
- Effect of the 26 Oct 2026 decree on visitor and resident-card rules: service-public pages are still marked as being updated
- Service-public F2231 (verified 1 Aug 2026) does not list Bangladesh among Études en France countries although Campus France Bangladesh runs the campaign
- Graduate analytics/tech salaries of about EUR 38-45k; EUR 30,000 insurance cover figure
- Whether any other recent rule changes exist beyond those listed here
Confidence in this page: Medium.
Programmes
0 in the programme listSources
21 official pagesStudent resources EUR 877.50/month; VLS-TS validation tax EUR 100; Bangladesh not yet in the EEF country table
www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2231Visitor permit: EUR 1,477.93 net/month, EUR 17,735.19/year; family/third-party resources accepted; handwritten no-work statement; insurance for whole stay; EUR 350 first card, EUR 250 renewal
www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F302Family reunification: 18 months' residence, 'étudiant' 1-year card qualifies, resources about EUR 1,867.02 gross/month for 2-3 people, 22-28 m2 housing, 6-month decision
www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F11166Talent-Famille card is for the family of a Talent permit holder
www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F16922Bangladesh EEF campaign opened 1 Oct 2026; master's (Hors DAP) deadline 15 Jan 2027; 18 Nov 2026 programme-choice note; fee BDT 12,170; interview at Alliance Française Dhanmondi; 60-day rule
www.bangladesh.campusfrance.org/en/etudes-en-france-2026-2027-campaign-0Campus France Bangladesh visa page: interview first, embassy requirements, consular email
www.bangladesh.campusfrance.org/en/documents-for-visaEmbassy of France in Bangladesh: apply via France-Visas, file up to six months before departure, delays vary
bd.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/demander-un-visaLong-stay visa: fee varies by country (see France-Visas), apply at the earliest 3 months before departure
www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F16162Non-EU tuition 2026-27: EUR 2,902 licence, EUR 3,950 master's; waiver rules after decree 2026-385
www.campusfrance.org/en/tuition-fees-FranceDecree 2026-385 of 19 May 2026: exemption cap 30% (2026-27), 25% (2027-28), 20% long-term; EUR 3,950 vs EUR 255
www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/actualites/A18927Funds threshold 615 -> 877.50 on 1 Aug 2026 (decree 2026-526); 3 most recent statements; sponsor guarantee and loan letters accepted (US); long-stay student visa fee EUR 50
www.usa.campusfrance.org/guidance-for-student-visa-applicantsStudent work: 964 h/year, employer declaration, no self-employment
www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2713RECE: 1 year, not renewable, EUR 150, job must relate to degree and pay above EUR 2,800.53 gross/month, Talent threshold EUR 39,582/year, 4-year return window
www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1731910-year long-term resident card: 5 years on listed permits, income at least EUR 1,867.02 gross/month, B1, civic exam, EUR 350
www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F17359Naturalisation: 5 years, 2 years after a French diploma from 2 years of study; civic exam and interview; EUR 255; decision within 18 months
www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2213Naturalisation French level B2 oral and written
www.service-public.gouv.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F11926KEDGE MSc Data Analytics for Business: EUR 18,000; 2027 session deadlines 3 Jan to 14 Mar 2027; IELTS 6
student.kedge.edu/programmes/msc-in-data-analytics-for-business/admission-and-fundingExchange rates: USD 1 = BDT 124.75; EUR 1 = BDT 138.34-138.36
www.bb.org.bd/en/index.php/econdata/exchangerateCampus France living budget EUR 600-800/month per student (floor)
www.campusfrance.org/en/faq/what-is-the-cost-of-life-in-franceBangladesh page on France-Visas (VFS, interviews, fees): could not be opened, HTTP 403
france-visas.gouv.fr/en/bangladeshBangladesh Schengen short-stay refusal rate 43.3%
www.henleyglobal.com/publications/global-mobility-report/2025-january/global-mobility-contradiction-schengen-visa-discrimination-numbers