Schooling your child in Europe

Verified 14 February 2022 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

If you go to live in another country of the European Economic Area (EEA), your child can attend local schools. You can also enroll your child in a French school and receive financial assistance. Your child can also take courses remotely through the National Center for Distance Learning (Cned).

To enroll your child in a school in the host country, gather before your departure the latest school bulletins and any other useful documents (proof of language level).

You may need to request translation and/or legalization of these documents in the language of the host country.

In some countries, you will also need to get your child's school certificates recognized by the national authorities before you can enroll them in a local school.

There is no mechanism for automatic recognition of school certificates in the the European Economic Area (EEA).

Whatever your child's language level, he or she has the right to be welcomed into a classroom equivalent to the one attended in his or her country of origin.

For more information on your child's education, contact the embassy of the country where you wish to settle.

How do I register it?

You can enroll your child in a French school in your country of residence.

These are schools, colleges and high schools recognized by the Ministry of National Education.

They are managed directly by the French Education Abroad Agency (AEFE).

They may also be contracted or partners of this agency (such as the schools of the French Secular Mission).

These institutions prepare colleges and bachelor's degrees for the patent diplomas.

Contact the school you have chosen directly to find out the registration procedure.

Your application is reviewed by the institution.

If the establishment is managed directly by the AEFE and has not replied to you within 2 months, your application is refused.

For other institutions that have been contracted or are partners of the EFA, the procedure for examining applications differs according to the institution.

What is the cost of registration?

Tuition and fees differ from country to country.

Check with the establishment where you want to register your child.

Can you get financial help?

You can benefit from a scholarship for your child from kindergarten to high school.

To do this, you must meet the following 4 conditions:

  • Your child must be French and at least 3 years old
  • You must reside with him abroad (at least you or the other parent or legal guardian) and be enrolled in the register of French nationals established outside France
  • Your child must attend a French school recognized by the Ministry of National Education. If such an institution is absent, remote or lacking in capacity, the child must be enrolled in a dispensing institution 50% minimum level of french education
  • Your resources must not exceed certain limits (set each year according to a scale defined according to the economic and social situation of each country)

Contact the bursary department of the French Consulate in your host country to find out how and when to submit your application.

Consular authorities review grant applications and submit them to local grant commissions.

The files are then forwarded to theAEFE: titleContent which allocates the grants definitively.

You are notified by the consulate of the decision to grant or reject your application.

The AEFE scholarships are not cumulable with the benefits of the Caf: titleContent or the MSA: titleContent in France.

If necessary, you must therefore provide the EFA with an attestation of the Caf: titleContent or the MSA: titleContent indicating that you no longer receive these benefits.

General case
Who shall I contact
Agricultural arrangements
Who shall I contact

You can enroll your child in National Center for Distance Learning (Cned) if there is no French establishment in the host country. In this case, the child benefits remotely from the full French curriculum.

You can also enroll him in Cned in addition to his local schooling. In this case, your child benefits from an international supplementary education (reduced training in French around 3 basic subjects).

Who shall I contact

  • National Center for Distance Learning (Cned)

    Information about training and registration packages for distance learning offerings

    By telephone

    +33 (0)5 49 49 94 94 (non-business hours voice server)

    From Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 6 pm (from June to October: closed at 6:30 pm)

    By E-mail

    Access to contact form

    By mail

    Cned

    BP 60200

    86980 Futuroscope Chasseneuil Cedex

    By fax

    05 49 49 96 96

To enroll your child in Cned, you must complete an online form.

Register at the Center national d'éducation à distance (Cned)