France Announces Plans to Welcome 30,000 Indian Students by 2030

The landmark decision was revealed during a visit by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to France, while the current numbers of Indian students in the European country are considerably high as almost 20,000 are anticipated to be welcomed by the end of 2025.

This move is expected to strengthen the countries’ educational ties and contribute to fostering cooperation and mutual understanding.

“The deepening of our links in education, sciences and technologies, and culture, and the blooming exchanges between our young people, as well as the success of a diaspora in expansion, bring together our people and set the bases of future partnerships,” said a joint press release from the two countries.

Since 2016, Indian students in French universities and colleges have increased by a whopping 92 per cent. These positive outcomes have prompted the French authorities to announce that Indian citizens who hold a master’s degree from any country and who have completed at least one semester in France are eligible to apply for a five-year post-study short-stay Schengen visa.

According to a spokesperson from the French embassy in India, the new alumni visa is particularly strategic as it rewards students for picking France as a study destination, including those that came for only a few months.

The visa is designed to allow these students to stay connected to France while also promoting France as a study destination.