France

Pick your preferred location in France

Students applying for France have the option to pick the region they would like to live in during their exchange. Students can select up to 3 regions.

If applicants are successfully placed in one of their preferred regions, then an additional location fee will be applied to the normal program price.

Providing you meet our usual eligibility criteria, your placement on one of these limited spots will be confirmed when your application is received by our office, accepted and your deposit paid. 

Location selection options are subject to availability and are not guaranteed. You can view the Location Options and applicable fees by clicking here or below.

It's not too late to apply for a Scholarship or Early Bird Discount and save $$ off the price of your exchange

If you are planning to go on exchange and want to reduce the price of your program, then we have some good news for you!  The deadline for Scholarship & Early Bird Discount applications is Wednesday 31st October 2018 for our Standard Short, Semester & Year programs departing between April - September 2019.  If you haven't completed your application form yet, find out how to apply now!

Please note that

• Students applying for France will need to have a basic knowledge of French to allow easy adaption to school and Host family life.
• Some program arrivals include an orientation in Paris. Please contact our office for further information.
• Optional Program Extras are available at additional cost. These include tours and language camps on request. Please contact our office for further information.

2WayExchange Program

The 2WayExchange Experience involves you in a unique exchange program where students from Australia and New Zealand are ‘matched’, with a student in either France, Canada, Italy or Spain. You choose which country and spend 3 months with each other’s families and attend school. It amounts to twice the experience and at a fraction of the usual cost of a 3 month exchange program. Click here to find out more.

Programs available

You can choose a 2 or 3 month program departing in November, or a 5 or 10 month program departing in either January or August each year.

Click here to find out more about our 2WayExchange program.

Placements

You will stay with a volunteer French host family. Host families come in all different shapes, sizes and backgrounds, and could live just about anywhere in France.

All host families undergo a Criminal Background Check, are interviewed in their home and reference checked before they are approved to host.

Schools

You will be enrolled in a local school - College or Lycee - depending on your age. The school year starts in early September and goes through to the beginning of July.

Students have a fixed subject curriculum until year 10 and, from year 11, have 3 streams of study to choose from. There isn't any school uniform in France, even in private schools and students wear casual clothes to school.

Age and Eligibility

You must be between the ages of 15 and 18 and be enrolled at school when applying. Gap year students are eligible and need to depart no more than 3 months after completing their final year. Ideally, students will have studied French for 2 years before departure but there is flexibility with this requirement so please talk to us.

Visas

Aussies and Kiwis will travel on a tourist visa for short programs lasting 2 to 3 months.

Students on a long program will need to lodge their application in person and attend a face to face interview at the Consulate in Sydney or Wellington (with a parent if under 18).

Application deadlines

Application deadlines for the longer programs are typically 4-5 months prior to departure and early August for the short programs departing in November. But don’t leave it to the last minute to apply. Check our website for details or give us a call. You may like to take advantage of our scholarships or early bird discounts and secure your spot even earlier! For details on the deadline for our 2WayExchange Experience, please click here.