Campus France justifies stricter financial rules for Cameroonian students

Campus France is enforcing stricter financial conditions for Cameroonian students seeking to study in France, a move aimed at curbing fraud and ensuring students are adequately prepared. Muriel Piquet-Viaux, director general of the Institut Français du Cameroun (IFC), explained that the requirement for students to pay the full tuition fees upfront for private institutions is designed to protect their academic paths.

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This is a sum of money that must be blocked in a bank account, ensuring that the student who is going to leave will be able to pursue their studies in optimal conditions.

"This is a sum of money that must be blocked in a bank account, ensuring that the student who is going to leave will be able to pursue their studies in optimal conditions," Piquet-Viaux stated during a press conference on July 11, 2026. She emphasized that the decision is not intended to block French education but to safeguard Cameroonian students against an "explosion of fraud" and unprepared departures.

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The Campus France service is part of a mobility and attractiveness hub. It is there to inform, advise and process applications. It has no legitimacy regarding the student visa.

Piquet-Viaux also clarified the distinction between Campus France and the visa services. Campus France, part of the mobility and attractiveness division, informs, advises, and processes applications. However, it holds no authority over student visa decisions, which fall under the dual jurisdiction of the French Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the Interior. "Successfully passing the orientation interview or blocking your money does not guarantee obtaining a visa in any way," she added.

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Successfully passing the orientation interview or blocking your money does not guarantee obtaining a visa in any way.

The new requirement is a direct response to a significant increase in fraudulent activities, including fake attestations, falsified transcripts, and false identities. Campus France believes these practices undermine the entire mobility process for Cameroonian students. The organization aims to ensure that students have the financial guarantees necessary to avoid precarity and academic failure upon arrival in France. With a reported 150% rise in student visa applications from Cameroon, Campus France is also questioning the role of local intermediary agencies, asserting its position as the sole authorized institution for candidate support.

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Our objective is benevolent. The important thing is that when the student arrives in the host country, the conditions are met for them to be able to study in good conditions.