Indian Student Numbers in France Surge as Visa Rules Tighten Elsewhere
Indian enrolments in French higher education jumped 17% last year, reaching about 9,100 students, as tighter visa policies in traditional destinations push more learners toward Europe.
Tightening visa rules in traditional study destinations have led Indian students to look to Europe, with France seeing a 55% increase in Indian enrolments over five years and a 17% jump to roughly 9,100 in the 2024-25 academic year. The surge coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's June 2026 trip to France, where both governments adopted the India-France Innovation Roadmap 2030, placing student mobility at its core, and President Emmanuel Macron restated a goal of welcoming 30,000 Indian students by 2030.
French Embassy counsellor Grégor Trumel noted the availability of over 1,500 English-language programmes, a one-year APS residence permit renewable once, and the ability for students to work up to 20 hours weekly, making France a stable and attractive option. Institutional support includes ten Campus France offices, fifteen Alliance Française centres, webinars, and the Classes Internationales foundation year launched in 2024. Indian students now rank France as the 11th biggest source country for international students, and figures for 2025-26 are expected to rise when released in September 2026.
Why it matters
The trend reshapes global student mobility and strengthens Indo-French economic and educational ties.
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