Secondary or high school enrollment of a pupil from the foreigner

Verified 05 août 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)

Your situation

  • Enrollment in middle school or high school
  • First school enrollment in France
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1st installation

If you are moving to France for the first time, your child is first assessed for their academic skills. He is then educated, according to his age and knowledge, in ordinary or adapted class.

At the time of your arrival in France, contact Casnav: titleContent on which your primary residence.

Your child meets a psychologist from the National Education. This person analyzes his or her academic background and organizes an educational evaluation.

The results of the evaluation are then forwarded to the academy.

Your child is then affected in a school. The assignment decision depends on his skills It also depends on the places available in a suitable establishment close to your home.

You must enroll your child in the college or high school of assignment designated by the academy. The child must be present in France at the time of registration.

The documents to be provided vary according to the rectorates. Before registering, ask about the documents to be provided to your institution of assignment.

Who shall I contact

The school introduces you to the French education system. Your rights and duties, and those of your child, are also presented at the time of reception.

This information takes the form of a bilingual welcome booklet available in the following languages:

The rules differ depending on whether your child was already in school or not in his or her country of origin:

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Pupil already in school

If your child was schooled in his country of origin, he is enrolled in an ordinary class corresponding to his school level.

He can join a class whose students are not the same age as him. In principle, the age difference cannot exceed 2 years.

If he needs to follow an intensive French teaching, he can integrate pedagogical unit for arriving allophone students (UPE2A).

Your child then benefits from the teaching offered in the ordinary class and an individualized schedule. His school schedule must be identical to the other students enrolled in the same level.

When the grouping of students in pedagogical units is impossible, specific French lessons are set up.

Pupil with little or no schooling

If your child was little or no schooling in his country of origin, he is welcomed full-time in an educational unit for arriving allophone students (UPE2A) to learn French.

He must acquire the basic knowledge of the cycle of the deepening of the elementary school. However, he can take ordinary classes where the command of written French is not essential (music, sports, visual arts...).)

The goal is for your child to integrate, as quickly as possible, all classes in the regular class (most often after one year). For this, your child is evaluated regularly, without waiting for the end of the school year.

Older or less well-educated children in their countries of origin are assisted and guided in the definition of a suitable training project.

FYI  

The adolescent over 16 years of age, who is no longer subject to compulsory education, can be hosted in vocational or general and technological high school and benefit from a individualized professional project.

If your child is elderly from 12 to 17 years and that its mother tongue is not french, he can pass the Diploma of studies in French (Delf) « school ».

The Delf scolaire is an official certification of the Ministry of National Education in French as a foreign language. It is issued by France éducation international. The School Delf is internationally recognized.

Who shall I contact

  • By phone

    +33 (0)1 45 07 60 00

    By post

    1, avenue Léon-Journault

    92318 Sèvres cedex

    By courier

    Using the contact form

Return to France

The rules for enrollment differ depending on the type of schooling your child is attending abroad:

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Schooling in a French institution

The procedures for registering your child are the same as those for a change of domicile.

You must first report your departure to the establishment in which your child is in school. One delisting certificate (also called Exectant) will be given to you.

You must then introduce yourself to college or high school including the following documents:

  • Cancelation certificate of the institution previously attended
  • Guidance Decision
  • Quarterly bulletins for the past year
  • Mandatory vaccination certificates
  • Fact Sheet (concerning parents)
  • Proof of address.

Please note

The property may request additional documents.

A policy decision taken by a French foreigner institution is applicable in France in establishments public and in institutions privately contracted.

Education in a non-French institution

To be admitted to a school in France, your child must pass an exam intended to assess his or her academic skills.

You must contact the sector college or high school. If you wish to enroll your child in a school outside your sector, you must contact the Department of National Education (DSDEN).

Who shall I contact

The examination is organized by the head of the host institution or the departmental services. It concerns the main disciplines common to the class attended and to the class in which the student wishes to continue his studies. Its content shall be determined by Dasen: titleContent.

As a result of this review, Dasen issues a orientation and assignment decision. As soon as you receive this decision, contact the school concerned to prepare the registration file.

You must provide the following documents to the school:

Education by correspondence (Cned)

The procedures for registering your child are the same as those for a change of domicile.

You must first get one delisting certificate (also called Exectant) to Cned.

You must then introduce yourself to college or high school including the following documents:

You must provide the following documents to the school:

  • Cancelation certificate of the institution previously attended
  • Guidance Decision
  • Quarterly bulletins for the past year
  • Mandatory vaccination certificates
  • Fact Sheet (concerning parents)
  • Proof of address.

Please note

The property may request additional documents.

The notices of passage into the higher classes and the guidance proposals made by Cned are valid in France in the establishments public and in institutions private contracts.

Example :

Your child has completed his class of 4e by post (Cned). He is allowed to pass in class of 3e. During the summer holidays, you move to France and enroll it in a public college. He will therefore be enrolled in class 3e.

Education in the family

To be admitted to a school in France, your child must pass an exam intended to assess his or her academic skills.

You must contact the sector college or high school. If you wish to enroll your child in a school outside your sector, you must contact the Department of National Education (DSDEN).

Who shall I contact

The examination is organized by the head of the host institution or the departmental services. It concerns the main disciplines common to the class attended and to the class in which the student wishes to continue his studies. Its content shall be determined by Dasen: titleContent.

As a result of this review, Dasen issues a orientation and assignment decision. As soon as you receive this decision, contact the school concerned to prepare the registration file.

You must provide the following documents to the school:

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • To enroll your child in college or high school, as appropriate

    School

  • For help if you are having trouble enrolling your child in the second degree

    Department of Departmental Services of National Education

  • For information on the Junior/School DELF

    By phone

    +33 (0)1 45 07 60 00

    By post

    1, avenue Léon-Journault

    92318 Sèvres cedex

    By courier

    Using the contact form

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