International Student Visa & Admission Policy Changes 2026: What Shifted in Europe and Asia

France raises student visa financial threshold by 43%

On 1 August 2026, France increased the minimum monthly financial requirement for student residence permits from €615 to €877.50 per month. This is the first indexation in 24 years, and it is now tied to the national minimum wage (SMIC) — students must prove access to funds equivalent to 47% of the gross SMIC.

What it means in practice: for a one-year visa, you need to demonstrate approximately €10,530 for living expenses (plus separately documented or paid tuition). The decree applies to all applications filed from 1 August 2026 onward; if you submitted before 31 July inclusive, the old €615 threshold applied. Crucially, the amount is now reviewed at least annually in line with SMIC revisions, so expect another adjustment in 2027 without a new decree being required.

Acceptable proof remains the same: a bank account in the student's or sponsor's name, a blocked account, or a guarantee letter. Consulates require the funds to be lawfully traceable and preferably personal; if a relative is the sponsor, you need proof of kinship and the sponsor's income documents. Always confirm the current figure with the French consulate in your home country before applying — the SMIC may change, and the minimum will shift with it.

France makes differentiated tuition compulsory for non-EU students

On 21 April 2026, France's Minister of Higher Education announced that from September 2026, all French public universities must charge differentiated tuition to international students from outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland. Previously, universities could waive the higher rate and charge the nominal fees of €178 for bachelor's and €254 for master's degrees; the majority chose to do so. That waiver is now eliminated.

The new rates for the 2026/27 academic year are approximately €2,902 per year for a bachelor's programme and €3,950 for a master's, according to Campus France's official site (figures for 2027/28 may differ). Doctoral (PhD) programmes remain €398 per year for all students, including those from outside the EU. Fee exemptions are now capped at 10% of new non-EU students, prioritised for scholarship holders and students in priority disciplines (health, AI, quantum science, biotechnology, environment, energy, space, food, IT, communications). Important note: the change was announced mid-cycle for the September 2026 intake, so if you applied before 21 April, check with your university which rate applies to your enrolment.

The change affects only new students: if you are already studying in France, your old rate (or exemption) continues for the duration of your programme. Before applying, contact your target university's international office and request the exact tuition fee for your programme and intake year — some institutions may offer partial scholarships or internal waivers within the permitted 10% cap.

Spain: multi-year student permits, 30-hour work weeks, and faster post-study pathways

In May 2025, Spain's Royal Decree 1155/2024 came into force, fundamentally reshaping the rules for international students. Two core reforms took effect on 20 May 2025 and remain live in 2026.

First: student residence permits are now issued for the entire duration of your course. A three-year bachelor's gets a three-year permit; a two-year master's gets two years. Annual confirmation of compliance (attendance, academic progress) is still required, but you no longer file a full renewal application every year. This removes a significant administrative burden and cost: no more annual filing fees, document resubmission, or waiting periods.

Second: the work limit for international students rose from 20 to 30 hours per week during term time, and the geographic restriction (which previously limited where in Spain you could work) has been removed. Most importantly, employers no longer need to initiate a separate immigration process to obtain a work permit for you — students can work directly on their student visa as employees or self-employed, as long as the student visa was issued after the reform came into force. This removes a friction point that previously discouraged many employers from hiring international students.

Third: the threshold for switching from a student visa to a work permit after graduation has dropped from three years of student residence to simply completing your programme. Previously, if your master's lasted one or one-and-a-half years, you could not transition to a work permit because you hadn't accumulated three years of student status. Now, any graduate can apply within six months of finishing for a short-term residence permit to seek employment or start a business; once you secure a job offer, the employer applies for your work permit. This is particularly relevant for master's students who want to stay in Spain post-graduation.

New from May 2025: a medical certificate is now mandatory for all student visa applicants, regardless of stay duration. The certificate must confirm you have no illness requiring quarantine under International Health Regulations. Factor this into your document timeline.

South Korea launches pilot for technical-major students

On 5 February 2026, South Korea's Ministry of Justice launched a trial programme easing visa rules and work limits for international students enrolled in 16 designated government-approved technical majors. The trial runs through the end of 2027 and applies only to students in specific programmes at specific institutions named on the Ministry's published list.

Key changes under the pilot: (1) Students in the designated programmes can work up to 35 hours per week during the semester (the previous cap was 30 hours for those with TOPIK level 4, and 25 for others); on weekends and during vacations there are no restrictions. (2) If the student has achieved TOPIK level 3 or higher, they are exempt from the requirement to submit proof of a bank balance when applying for the D-2 visa. Typically, students must show approximately 16–20 million won (the exact amount depends on the university and consulate — confirm with your institution's international office and the Korean consulate in your home country before applying); with TOPIK 3+, that step is skipped for pilot-programme students.

(3) For graduates of the pilot programmes, a new E-7-M (K-CORE) visa provides a direct pathway to residency. E-7-M eligibility requires securing a job in your field of study, an annual salary of at least 26 million won, and a language or integration qualification of KIIP level 4 or TOPIK level 5. E-7-M holders can apply for an F-2 (resident) visa after five years of work, or three years if working in a designated population-decline region.

Important: the programme is time-limited and subject to review. If your major and institution are not on the Ministry of Justice's published list of 16 programmes, standard requirements for financial proof, work hours, and post-graduation visa remain in force. The list of participating programmes is available on the HiKorea website and in the Ministry's February 2026 announcement.

Poland tightens work rights for international students

From 1 July 2026, Poland restricted the right to work for non-EU international students. Previously, any holder of a student visa or residence card annotated "student" could work in Poland without a separate work permit. Now that exemption applies only to students enrolled at institutions on a "positive list" maintained by the Ministry of the Interior (MSWiA). In practice, the list includes all public universities and a narrower group of accredited private institutions.

What it means for students: if your university is on the list, you can continue working without an additional permit, simply by showing your employer the residence card with the "access to the labour market" annotation. If your institution is not on the list, you will need to obtain standard work authorisation through your employer (oswiadczenie, zezwolenie, or another type depending on your nationality). Hiring without proper authorisation exposes employers to fines up to 30,000 zloty and a temporary ban on employing foreigners.

The change targets "visa shopping" — the practice where institutions issue documents for student visas, but the student never actually attends classes and only works. According to MSWiA data, the number of student visa holders who never enrolled in coursework doubled between 2022 and 2025. For genuine students at legitimate institutions, the rule is simply an extra compliance check at hiring. Confirm with your university's international office whether it appears on the MSWiA list; the list is periodically updated and published on the Ministry's website.

Germany's Opportunity Card: a one-year job-search visa

On 1 June 2024, Germany introduced a new visa type called the Chancenkarte (Opportunity Card). It's not a student visa, but it directly concerns graduates planning study or employment in Germany. The Opportunity Card replaces the previous jobseeker visa and is issued for up to 12 months (instead of the previous six).

The Opportunity Card allows foreign skilled workers to come to Germany to seek qualified employment, undergo a recognition procedure for their diploma, find a vocational training placement, or set up a business. While holding the card, you can work up to 20 hours per week in any job (secondary employment) and do trial weeks with employers (up to two weeks per employer). Once you find permanent employment, you can switch visa status directly in Germany without leaving.

There are two routes to obtaining the Opportunity Card. (1) Direct route: if your foreign qualification (higher education or professional qualification) is fully recognised in Germany as equivalent to a German qualification, you are considered a skilled worker and receive the card without additional conditions, provided you can prove financial means (approximately €1,027 net per month as of 2024; the amount is indexed annually — check the current figure at Make-it-in-Germany when you apply). (2) Points route: if your qualification is not recognised or only partially recognised, you must score at least 6 points under a points system. Basic requirements for the points route: a foreign qualification recognised by the government of the country where it was obtained (at least two years of training for professional qualifications), plus German language skills at level A1 or English at B2. Points are awarded for language level (German B2 gives 3 points, B1 gives 2, A2 gives 1; English C1 gives an additional 1 point), for recognition of the qualification in Germany (4 points for full, 3 for partial), for professional experience, age under 35, previous stays in Germany, and the potential of your spouse.

The card is of interest both to graduates of foreign universities seeking work in Germany and to those planning to study in Germany who want to explore the labour market first. There is an interactive self-check calculator on the Make-it-in-Germany website (Self-Check: Opportunity Card) that will show whether you score the required 6 points. Processing time is approximately two weeks. Applications are filed through the German diplomatic mission in your home country; online applications are accepted via the digital.diplo.de portal.

Japan and other countries: additional updates for 2026

Japan tightened financial scrutiny for student visas from April 2026: you now need not just a bank balance certificate, but a full transaction history for 3–6 months proving the source of funds. An account with a large lump-sum deposit shortly before application, with no explanation, will trigger refusal. The typical sum for a one-year programme is approximately ¥2.0–2.5 million; check your institution's current requirement. Also, from October 2026, language school applicants must demonstrate basic Japanese at level A1 (JLPT N5 or equivalent) before filing for a Certificate of Eligibility.

South Korea in February 2026 barred 20 universities (16 degree programmes and 4 language programmes) from issuing student visas for one year due to failures in oversight of international students. If you have applied to a Korean university, check whether it appears on the restricted list published by the Ministry of Education on 12 February 2026; if it does, contact the university and the consulate directly.

Malaysia extended the Graduate Pass scheme (allowing graduates to remain in the country for up to 12 months after completing their degree to seek employment) for Indian and Chinese nationals until 31 December 2026. Hungary raised the work limit for students from 24 to 30 hours per week during term time and allowed students to work up to 90 full days per year during breaks and exams.

How to prepare for the changes: practical steps

The core principle: any visa or admissions requirement depends on the target university, programme, and intake year. What you've read above is the general framework as of the time of publication (September 2026), but individual universities have the right to set additional conditions or grant exemptions.

• Go to the official website of your target university, navigate to the international or admissions section, and locate the requirements page for your programme and intake year. If the information is outdated or missing, write to the university's international office directly.
• Financial requirements (account balance, monthly threshold, tuition cost) change annually. Never budget based on last year's figures or numbers found in a blog — only on the official source from the university or consulate.
• Some new requirements (medical certificate in Spain, TOPIK for Korea's pilot, source-of-funds documentation in Japan) take effect from a specific intake date. If your application is filed before that date, the old rule may still apply; if after, the new rule applies. Confirm with the consulate which rules apply to your specific application.
• When filing with a consulate, keep screenshots or PDF copies of official requirements from the consulate and university websites (with visible publication dates) on hand. If a dispute or ambiguity arises, this is your proof that you followed official instructions.
• UNIPROFI tracks visa-rule changes in real time and adapts application strategies to the current requirements of each country. The Guided Admission to China package includes assistance with collecting, translating, and apostilling all required documents, preparation for university interviews, and full case management from application to enrolment. For European and Asian destinations, we offer individual consultations where an expert will walk through the requirements specific to your university, check your document completeness, and show you how to avoid the common errors that lead to refusals. Contact us to discuss your case — we'll help you get it right the first time.