Homeschooling in France

Compulsory education begins at the start of the school year in the calendar year a child turns three and continues until age 16. Since the 2022 school year, parents have needed permission from the DASEN, the departmental education director, before starting home education. A declaration alone is no longer enough.

Article L131-5 of the Education Code sets four grounds on which authorisation can be granted. A preference for home education or an English-language curriculum is not a separate ground.

The rules cover children resident in France regardless of nationality. Being British, South African or another foreign national does not create an exemption. Read Article L131-5 and the government’s IEF guidance.

Families must be able to show their child’s progress towards the required learning outcomes. An international curriculum does not automatically demonstrate that every French requirement has been met. Keep examples of work, learning plans and assessment records.

For authorisation based on a situation specific to the child, the law expressly requires a commitment to teach mainly in French. An English-only programme cannot satisfy that commitment. Explain how French-language learning and the common foundation will be covered in your proposed programme.

These obligations also matter when a private distance-learning provider supports the family. See the official explanation of checks and the French-language requirement.

French qualifications

Students can enter the general or technological baccalauréat as individual candidates. Registration is through the rectorat for their place of residence, or the SIEC for Île-de-France. Each authority sets its own registration calendar and the required assessments. Check the current arrangements directly rather than assuming an online course registers your child.

International qualifications

For International GCSE or A Level study, confirm an approved exam centre that accepts private candidates for the exact awarding body, subject and syllabus. Check practical, oral and coursework requirements, fees and deadlines before choosing subjects. A centre’s approval does not mean it accepts every private candidate or every subject.

From age 16 to 18

The compulsory-instruction period ends at 16, but France has a separate obligation to remain in education, training or another recognised route until 18. The local mission locale monitors this duty. Ask it to confirm how your teenager’s proposed arrangement meets the requirement.

Sources: individual baccalauréat candidates, the 16 to 18 training obligation and Pearson’s centre finder.

The application route depends on nationality, residence, qualification and the type of programme. Parcoursup applies to many applicants; some non-European applicants with a foreign school-leaving qualification need a demande d’admission préalable (DAP) for first-year university study. Other procedures or direct applications may apply.

Before choosing A Level subjects or another school-leaving route, ask the intended institution to confirm its academic and language requirements and how to apply. Do not assume that an International GCSE alone meets school-leaving entry requirements, or that a foreign qualification is automatically equivalent to the French baccalauréat.

An ENIC-NARIC comparability statement, where relevant, helps describe a qualification’s level. It does not guarantee a place: the receiving institution makes the admission decision.

Start with Parcoursup’s official guidance for international applicants and the admissions office for your chosen course.