France’s scholarship system runs on a principle familiar from other non-Anglophone destinations: your language requirement tracks the language your program is taught in, not a single fixed global test. For 2027 applicants, this means an IELTS score is often simply not the relevant document — French-taught programs need DELF/DALF instead, and several English-taught programs accept a certificate proving your prior degree was delivered in English in place of a fresh test.

The Shift in French Admissions: Bypassing IELTS in 2027

France’s flagship Eiffel Excellence Scholarship requires proficiency in French or English depending on the program’s language of instruction, with the exact language certificate decided by the nominating institution rather than a single fixed rule. Institutions like HEC Paris go further, explicitly listing “evidence of English as the language of instruction of your current or most recent degree” as one accepted route to satisfy the English requirement — a genuine, published MOI-style waiver.

How to Use an MOI Certificate or Choose a French-Taught Program

If your prior degree was delivered wholly in English, request an official certificate from your previous institution’s registrar confirming this — schools including HEC Paris and École Polytechnique accept this as a direct alternative to IELTS or TOEFL. If your target program is French-taught instead, the relevant document is a DELF/DALF or TCF certificate, not IELTS — universities like Sorbonne require French proficiency at B2 to C1 level and don’t ask for an English test at all.

Before shortlisting scholarships, it’s worth understanding your study in France financial aid picture in full — a tuition scholarship alone won’t cover mandatory health insurance or the proof-of-funds documentation required for your student visa, both covered in Section 4.

2. Requirements to Waive IELTS for French Universities and Student Visas

University/Scholarship Admission vs. French Student Visa (VLS-TS) Requirements

The French long-stay student visa (VLS-TS) process assesses your Campus France or Études en France application, proof of financial means, and accommodation arrangements — it does not independently mandate an English test. The language-proficiency requirement is set entirely by your university and chosen program, so once that’s satisfied through IELTS, an MOI certificate, or a French-language certificate, there’s no separate test required specifically for the visa itself.

How to Get an Official MOI Certificate

Request this directly from your previous institution’s registrar, on official letterhead, confirming your degree was delivered wholly in English. HEC Paris’s own admissions guidance and Université Paris-Saclay’s application requirements both list this — often phrased as a transcript or certificate of enrollment — as valid supporting evidence for an English-proficiency waiver.

Alternative Accepted Tests and Certificates (TOEFL, Cambridge, DELF/DALF, TCF)

  • For English-taught programs: TOEFL, Cambridge English (FCE/CAE/CPE), or an MOI certificate are commonly accepted alongside IELTS
  • For French-taught programs: DELF, DALF, or TCF, typically at B2 level — IELTS is simply not the relevant test
  • Institution-specific policy: Some schools like École Polytechnique accept a certificate from a language teacher at your home institution if no standardized test result is available

Always confirm the exact accepted list on your specific program’s official page, since French institutions frequently set English-vs-French requirements at the individual program level.

3. List of France Scholarships Without IELTS

3.1 Eiffel Excellence Scholarship

Coverage: Monthly Stipend up to €1,700 (Master’s) or €2,100 (PhD), Housing Assistance, International Travel, Health Insurance | Degree Level: Master’s & PhD | English Requirement: Proficiency in French or English depending on the program’s language of instruction; the exact language certificate required is decided by the nominating French institution.
🔗 Official site: campusfrance.org/en/france-excellence-eiffel-scholarship-program

Established by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Eiffel Excellence Scholarship funds around 400 master’s and 70 doctoral scholarships annually across priority fields like science, engineering, economics, law, and humanities. Because students cannot apply directly — only French higher education institutions can nominate candidates — your chosen university effectively decides which language documentation satisfies the requirement for your specific program, meaning an MOI-style certificate is genuinely viable wherever your nominating institution accepts it.

3.2 French Government Scholarships (BGF)

Coverage: Monthly Stipend (varies by embassy/country agreement), Tuition Support, French Social Security Enrollment | Degree Level: Master’s & PhD | English Requirement: Applicants are exempt from the standard DELF B2 requirement if they hold a French bachelor’s or master’s degree taught in English; English-taught programs require a separate English certification instead.
🔗 Official site: campusfrance.org

Run through the Cooperation and Cultural Action Departments (SCAC) of French embassies worldwide, BGF operates country by country rather than as a single centralized competition, meaning eligibility, funded fields, and exact benefits vary depending on the cooperation agreement between France and your home country. What makes BGF genuinely accessible for IELTS-free applicants is its own explicit policy: candidates aren’t required to provide a French DELF B2 diploma if they already hold a French-awarded degree taught in English, functioning as a documented MOI exemption specific to this scholarship.

3.3 Sorbonne University

Coverage: Full or partial tuition fee waivers through Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions and other institutional funding routes | Degree Level: Bachelor’s, Master’s & PhD | English Requirement: No English test required at all — Sorbonne’s programs require French proficiency (B2 to C1 depending on faculty), verified through DELF, TCF, or TEF instead.
🔗 Official site: sorbonne-universite.fr/en/education/study-sorbonne-university/degree-seeking-students/academic-and-language-requirements

One of France’s most historic and prestigious universities, Sorbonne currently does not offer bachelor’s programs in English, and its own admissions guidance confirms that non-francophone applicants need a certificate proving French proficiency rather than an English test score. This makes Sorbonne a genuinely clean example on this list: IELTS simply isn’t part of the picture here, since the entire admission and scholarship process runs on French-language proficiency instead, ranging from B2 for most faculties up to C1 for Medicine.

3.4 HEC Paris

Coverage: Up to €15,000 (Future Leaders of Africa program); need-based aid assessed after admission for MBA candidates | Degree Level: Master’s, MBA & Executive Programs | English Requirement: English proficiency required, but explicitly satisfied by “evidence of English as the language of instruction” of your current or most recent degree — no separate test needed in that case.
🔗 Official site: hec.edu/en/mba-executive-mba/mba/admissions/fees-funding/scholarships

One of Europe’s top-ranked business schools, HEC Paris runs its own institutional scholarships alongside serving as an Eiffel Excellence nominating institution, with dedicated regional awards like the Future Leaders of Africa program open to applicants from South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda. HEC Paris’s own admissions documentation is unusually explicit about this waiver: “Evidence of English as the language of instruction of your current/most recent degree” is listed as an accepted document alongside — not merely instead of — a standardized test score, making it a genuinely published MOI route rather than an inferred exception.

3.5 INSEAD

Coverage: Over 150 types of scholarships (need-based, merit-based, and spot scholarships); average award around €21,100 | Degree Level: MBA, Master in Management & Executive MBA | English Requirement: English fluency required as part of INSEAD’s 3-Language Policy, verified through multiple accepted English certifications rather than IELTS exclusively.
🔗 Official site: insead.edu/master-programmes/master-business-administration/admissions

Ranked among the world’s top business schools, INSEAD’s distinctive 3-Language Requirement Policy asks candidates to be fluent in English, hold at least B1-level knowledge in a second language, and A2-level in a third by graduation — a structure that treats English competency as a baseline capability rather than a single test score to clear. Because roughly a third of INSEAD’s MBA students receive some form of scholarship, and spot scholarships require no separate application at all, applicants who satisfy the English requirement through any accepted certification remain fully eligible for the same funding pool as IELTS test-takers.

3.6 Sciences Po

Coverage: Émile Boutmy Scholarship (merit-based, up to full tuition); Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program (need-based, for sub-Saharan African students) | Degree Level: Undergraduate, Master’s & Summer School | English Requirement: English proficiency is required only for certain graduate programs; for other programs, proficiency is assessed directly through the admissions interview.
🔗 Official site: sciencespo.fr/en/admissions-and-financial-aid/scholarships-financial-aid

France’s leading institution for political science and international relations, Sciences Po funds international students through the merit-based Émile Boutmy Scholarship and partnership programs like the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program for students facing financial barriers to higher education. Sciences Po’s own published FAQ confirms directly: English proficiency scores are demanded only for specific graduate programs, while other applicants have their language ability assessed through the admissions interview itself — meaning a strong interview performance can substitute for a standardized test score entirely on many programs.

3.7 École Polytechnique

Coverage: International Scholarship Programme (partial to full tuition); Excellence International Awards (€4,000/year for Bachelor’s students) | Degree Level: Bachelor’s, Master’s & PhD | English Requirement: IELTS, TOEFL, or Cambridge tests accepted; alternatively, a certificate from a language teacher confirming your prior bachelor’s or master’s was taught in English is accepted where no standardized test is available.
🔗 Official site: polytechnique.edu/en

One of France’s most prestigious engineering Grandes Écoles, École Polytechnique’s Bachelor of Science program is taught entirely in English, drawing a student body that is roughly 80% international across nearly 40 nationalities. Beyond its standard accepted test list, the university’s own application requirements state that students who completed a prior bachelor’s or master’s program taught in English or French can provide a certificate from that institution or a language teacher in place of a standardized test result, giving genuine MOI-route applicants a documented alternative.

3.8 Université Paris-Saclay

Coverage: International Master’s Scholarship — €10,000/year, renewable for a second year | Degree Level: Master’s (M1 & M2) | English Requirement: A certificate of proficiency in the teaching language of your selected program is only required if it differs from your native language or your previous institution’s teaching language — otherwise no separate test is needed.
🔗 Official site: universite-paris-saclay.fr/en/admission/bourses-et-aides-financieres/international-masters-scholarships-program

Paris-Saclay’s International Master’s Scholarship targets outstanding international students newly arriving in France, particularly those aiming to continue toward a PhD, awarding €10,000 per year across master’s programs delivered by member institutions including CentraleSupélec, AgroParisTech, and ENS Paris-Saclay. Because the university’s own application requirements state that a language certificate is needed only when the program’s teaching language differs from your native language or your prior institution’s teaching language, applicants whose previous English-medium education matches their target program’s language avoid a separate test requirement entirely.

3.9 Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees (EMJMD)

Coverage: €1,400/month stipend, tuition, travel allowance (up to €33,600 total per student) | Degree Level: Master’s (studied across 2+ European countries, frequently including French partner universities) | English Requirement: Standard consortium policy applies; applicants from English-medium academic backgrounds are frequently exempt from a formal test.
🔗 Official site: eacea.ec.europa.eu/scholarships/erasmus-mundus-catalogue_en

Erasmus Mundus funds joint Master’s degrees delivered by consortia spanning multiple European countries, with French institutions — including Paris-Saclay, Sorbonne, and several Grandes Écoles — participating in a substantial share of the catalogue’s 200+ programmes. Several EMJMD consortia explicitly list exemptions for “nationals of English-speaking countries or graduates from universities where the medium of instruction is exclusively English,” giving genuine MOI-route applicants a documented path in — though because each consortium sets its own exact policy, always confirm the specific program page in the official catalogue before assuming your exemption applies.

4. Step-by-Step Application Strategy for 2027

How to Request an MOI Certificate From Your University Registrar

  1. Email your previous institution’s registrar at least 8 weeks before your earliest deadline
  2. Request an official certificate on headed paper confirming your degree was delivered wholly in English
  3. For Eiffel or BGF specifically, confirm with your nominating institution or local embassy SCAC which language route they’ll accept, since policy is decided at that level rather than centrally
  4. If targeting a French-taught program instead, begin DELF/DALF preparation early, since IELTS won’t be the relevant document there

Application Timelines: Eiffel & BGF vs. University-Specific Deadlines

Eiffel applications open around October 1 each year, with the deadline for institutions to submit files to Campus France typically falling in early January and results published from late March. BGF timelines vary by country since each embassy’s SCAC runs its own call — contact your local French embassy’s cultural department well in advance to get country-specific dates. University-level scholarships (HEC Paris, École Polytechnique, Paris-Saclay) are generally tied to each program’s own admissions cycle, with several — like INSEAD’s spot scholarships — requiring no separate application at all.

Beyond the scholarship itself, budget for costs that none of these programs typically cover in full: mandatory French health insurance (Sécurité Sociale Étudiante), the proof-of-funds documentation required for your VLS-TS visa, and a low-fee international transfer service such as Wise for moving remaining funds without heavy bank markups. Understanding your full study in France financial aid picture — not just the scholarship’s headline value — is what actually determines whether the offer is liveable.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Will French authorities grant a VLS-TS student visa without IELTS?
Yes, in the vast majority of cases. The French student visa process assesses your Campus France or Études en France application, proof of financial means, and accommodation arrangements — not an independent English test score. The language-proficiency requirement is set entirely by your university and chosen program, so once that’s satisfied through IELTS, an MOI certificate, or a French-language certificate, there is no separate test required specifically for the visa itself.

Is an MOI certificate cheaper and faster than IELTS for 2027?
Yes, in almost every case where it’s accepted. An MOI certificate is typically issued free of charge by your previous institution’s registrar within a couple of weeks, compared to the cost and scheduling required for IELTS. The trade-off is that MOI acceptance in France is decided institution by institution and program by program — HEC Paris and École Polytechnique publish explicit acceptance criteria, while others simply defer to standard test requirements, so confirm your specific target program’s exact policy before assuming either route clears you.

6. Conclusion & Checklist

  • [ ] Decide whether you’re pursuing an English-taught program (MOI or test-based) or a French-taught program (DELF/DALF/TCF, no English test at all)
  • [ ] Request your MOI certificate early, on official letterhead, confirming your prior degree was delivered wholly in English
  • [ ] For Eiffel or BGF, confirm with your nominating institution or embassy SCAC which language documentation they’ll accept before assuming a specific route applies
  • [ ] Apply to Eiffel and BGF well ahead of their October–January windows, since university-level scholarships often follow separate, later timelines
  • [ ] Budget for French health insurance and VLS-TS visa proof-of-funds requirements separately from your scholarship stipend
  • [ ] Re-verify every scholarship’s current deadline and language policy directly on the official link before applying

7. Disclaimer

“Without IELTS” does not mean without any proof of language proficiency. Every scholarship on this list still requires some form of documented qualification — whether that’s an MOI certificate, IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge English, or a French-language certificate such as DELF, DALF, or TCF for French-taught programs. Which requirement applies depends entirely on your chosen program’s teaching language and the specific institution’s own admission criteria — France’s student visa process does not add a separate national English test requirement on top of this, but it does require its own financial and health insurance documentation. Always confirm the exact accepted route directly on the university’s or Campus France’s official page before applying, as policies change between admissions cycles and vary by nominating institution.

Scholarships Without IELTS