The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship is the French government's flagship award for international Master's and PhD students. It is funded by the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and run by Campus France. The single most important thing to understand about it is this: you do not apply for it yourself. A French university picks you, then nominates you. Everything about how you prepare follows from that one rule.
For a Pakistani student with a strong academic record and a clear idea of what they want to study, Eiffel is one of the better fully funded options in Europe. It suits people who are comfortable writing to professors, who can explain their research interests in a sentence or two, and who start early. It does not suit someone who wants to fill in a form in December and wait. You can read the full scholarship details on our scholarship page, and this guide walks through how the process actually works in practice.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Funding | Fully funded |
| Study level | Master's and PhD |
| Monthly stipend | EUR 1,181 (Master's), EUR 1,400 (PhD), per recent cycles |
| Deadline | January 8 (annual), submitted by universities, not students |
| Typically opens | November |
| Country | France |
| Provider | French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (Campus France) |
| Official site | Campus France Eiffel page |
The university nominates you, so the university is your real application
Most scholarships have an application portal for students. Eiffel does not. French higher education institutions submit applications on behalf of the students they want to recruit. That means your actual audience is a French department or a professor, not the Eiffel committee directly.
In practice, this changes your job. You need to get admitted, or at least seriously considered, by a French institution, and then persuade that institution that you are worth one of its Eiffel nominations. The motivation letter you write is for the French university, not for Eiffel. The recommendation letters go to the university. The university then puts your file forward.
Students often lose a cycle because they find the Eiffel page in late December, look for an "apply" button, and realise the university deadline has already passed internally. Universities need time to choose their candidates before the January 8 submission date. If you are reading this in October or November, you are on time. If you are reading it in January, plan for the next cycle.
What EUR 1,181 or EUR 1,400 a month actually covers
The monthly stipend is EUR 1,181 for Master's students and EUR 1,400 for PhD students. These are amounts from recent cycles, so verify the current figures with Campus France before you budget around them. Students outside Paris also get a domestic travel allowance of EUR 50 per month.
Average student living costs in French cities range from EUR 800-1,100 a month. Put next to the stipend and housing assistance, that means most Eiffel holders can live without needing money from home. Paris is the exception to watch. The stipend is comfortable in most of France, but the most expensive Paris neighbourhoods will stretch it.
The full package includes:
- A monthly stipend for the full duration of the Master's or PhD
- One international round-trip airfare
- A domestic travel allowance within France
- Housing assistance
- Comprehensive health insurance
- Cultural activity grants
- Full tuition fee exemption at French public universities
Note the wording on tuition: the exemption is listed for French public universities. If you are aiming at a grande école or another institution that is not a public university, ask the institution directly how tuition is handled for Eiffel holders before you commit.
Age limits and the other eligibility rules
Eiffel is open to non-French citizens, which includes Pakistani students. The age limits are firm and catch people out:
- Master's candidates must be under 25 at the time of enrollment.
- PhD candidates must be under 30 at the time of enrollment.
"At the time of enrollment" matters. Work out your age on the date you would actually start the program in September, not your age when you first email a professor. If you will be 25 by the Master's start date, Eiffel at that level is not for you, and you should look at other French funding instead.
The remaining requirements are a strong academic record from your Bachelor's or Master's degree, a relevant academic background in the program's field, English or French proficiency depending on the program, and, above all, a nomination from a French higher education institution.
Fields that are covered
The scholarship covers science and technology, biology and health, ecological transition, mathematics and digital sciences, engineering, law and political science, economics and management, and social and human sciences. STEM and health sciences consistently receive the highest number of nominations. That cuts both ways. These are areas where France has strong research infrastructure, especially aerospace, nuclear engineering, materials science, ecology and biomedical research, but they are also where you will face the most competition for a department's attention.
The paperwork the French university will want
Because the university assembles and submits your file, it is the university's list you are working to. Expect to prepare:
- Academic transcripts and degree certificates
- A CV
- A motivation letter addressed to the French university
- Recommendation letters from academic supervisors
- Language proof: IELTS or TOEFL for English-medium programs, TCF or DELF for French-medium programs
- A research proposal if you are applying for a PhD
Pakistani applicants should get transcripts and degrees in order early, since attestation can take weeks. Our IBCC and MOFA attestation guide covers that process, and the international scholarship documents checklist is useful for getting everything else ready in one pass.
Getting from Pakistan to a French nomination
- Contact Campus France in your country. For Pakistani students that means Campus France Pakistan. They can point you to eligible French universities and explain how nominations work. Campus France offices worldwide are listed at campusfrance.org.
- Identify French universities and academic supervisors working in your field.
- Get in touch with a department or professor who is willing to nominate you.
- Prepare your transcripts, CV, motivation letter and recommendation letters for that university.
- The French university submits your application to Eiffel. You cannot submit it yourself.
- The French Ministry announces results, and successful candidates are contacted through their nominating university.
How to write to a French professor
This is where most nominations are won or lost. Start by finding professors whose research matches your interests. Read 2-3 of their recent papers. Then write a short, personal email of no more than three paragraphs: who you are and what your research background is, what specifically in their work connects to yours, and whether they would be willing to supervise or nominate you for Eiffel. Attach your CV and transcripts.
Do not send mass emails. A professor can tell within a line whether the same message went to a long list of people. Response rates improve noticeably when you show real familiarity with their work. Write in the French academic style: formal, structured, aware of the literature, and specific about what you would contribute.
The yearly calendar, working back from January 8
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| October - November | Research and outreach: contact Campus France Pakistan and French universities |
| January 8 | French universities submit nominations |
| January - March | The Eiffel committee reviews nominations |
| March - April | Results announced through the nominating university |
| May - July | Visa application, housing and enrollment |
| September | Arrival in France; programs typically begin |
The program typically opens around November, but your own clock should start earlier. October is not too soon to be writing to professors. Confirm the current cycle and deadline on the official Campus France portal each year.
After selection, you still need the French student visa (VLS-TS). The French Embassy in Islamabad handles this, and every student applying to French universities from Pakistan must complete the Campus France Pakistan steps before applying for a visa. The embassy's site is pk.ambafrance.org.
Where applicants go wrong, and what to do instead
Treating Eiffel as the only plan. Apply for other French funding at the same time, such as MOPGA and partner university scholarships. A university that likes you but cannot nominate you for Eiffel may still have another route.
Ignoring French because the program is in English. Many Master's and PhD programs in France are taught in English, so French is not always required. Even basic French makes daily life easier and makes a good impression on the faculty deciding whether to nominate you.
Choosing a field on prestige alone. Engineering, materials science, ecology, digital sciences, energy transition and biomedical research are France's strongest areas. If your background fits one of them, lean into it. If it does not, do not force it. A convincing fit in law or economics beats a weak case in engineering.
Missing the age cut-off by months. Check your age against the September start date before you spend weeks on outreach.
For a wider view of your options, see all France scholarships. The France Alumni Network is also worth joining to talk to Pakistani graduates of French universities.
Frequently asked questions
Can I apply directly to the Eiffel scholarship?
No. Eiffel does not accept direct applications from students. A French higher education institution must nominate you and submit your file. Campus France Pakistan can explain how to secure a nomination.
Are Pakistani students eligible?
Yes. The scholarship is open to non-French citizens, provided you meet the age limits (under 25 for Master's, under 30 for PhD at enrollment) and secure a nomination from a French institution.
Do I need to speak French?
Not necessarily. Many French universities teach Master's and PhD programs in English, in which case IELTS or TOEFL is the usual language proof. French-medium programs ask for TCF or DELF. Learning some French is still strongly recommended.
Is the stipend enough to live on?
For most cities, yes. At EUR 1,181 for Master's and EUR 1,400 for PhD, with housing assistance on top, it covers typical student costs of EUR 800-1,100 a month. Verify the current amounts with Campus France, and budget carefully if you will live in an expensive part of Paris.
When should I start?
In October or November. The university submission deadline is January 8, and professors need time to process nomination requests before then.
Before you write your first email, check the current cycle on the official Campus France Eiffel page and keep the France Eiffel Excellence Scholarship page handy for the key details.