Two different doors
Primary goes through the mairie. Secondary goes through the school of the sector or the DSDEN. Mixing the two is the most common delay we see.
Public, privé sous contrat and international
Enrol Your Child in a French School
Instruction is compulsory from age 3 to 16 for every child living in France, whatever their nationality or administrative status. Public school is free. The child must be in France when the registration is completed.
For maternelle and élémentaire you register at the town hall (mairie), which issues a certificat d’inscription naming the assigned school. For collège and lycée the académie / DSDEN assigns the school after a level assessment, usually organised with the CASNAV.
Eagles Ocean Blue prepares the mairie or académie file, arranges certified translations, books the CASNAV assessment and follows the UPE2A language unit your child is entitled to as a newly arrived pupil.
Schooling from age 3, free in the public sector
A place regardless of immigration status
Mairie certificate for primary, académie for secondary
Free CASNAV assessment for new arrivals
UPE2A bridging classes for French learners
International sections in selected public schools
The French system
School Cycles in France
The State organises schooling from 3 to 16. After that, lycée leads to the baccalauréat used for university admission.
Ages 3–6
École maternelle
Compulsory from age 3. You register at the mairie of your commune (in Paris, the mairie of the arrondissement), then at the school director’s office.
Ages 6–11
École élémentaire
CP to CM2. Same mairie then school-director path. A recent proof of address (under three months) is almost always required.
Ages 11–15
Collège
The académie assigns the collège de secteur. Newly arrived pupils sit a CASNAV level and language test before the class is confirmed.
Ages 15–18
Lycée
General, technological or vocational tracks leading to the baccalauréat. Assignment and documents vary by rectorat — ask before you travel.
What families ask
Mairie, CASNAV and Vaccinations
Be in France
The child must be present on French territory at the moment of registration. You cannot complete collège or lycée enrolment from abroad.
CASNAV / UPE2A
The assessment is free. It looks at prior schooling and French level, then proposes a mainstream class, an UPE2A unit, or a combination of both, usually for up to one year.
Mandatory vaccines
Children born since 2018 need 11 mandatory vaccinations. Missing doses are completed at a PMI or GP; the school asks for the health record at admission.
The process
How Enrolment Works in France
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Prove the address
Lease, utility bill or a sworn attestation of accommodation, generally less than three months old. This is what the mairie uses to name the school of the sector.
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Primary: register at the mairie
The mayor issues a certificat d’inscription. You then take it to the school director with identity papers and the vaccination record to finalise admission.
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Secondary: contact the sector school or DSDEN
For collège and lycée we deposit the file at the local establishment or the departmental education authority. Assignment follows in days to a few weeks.
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Ask for the CASNAV assessment
Say clearly that the child is allophone and newly arrived. The school or the CASNAV antenna organises the placement test — bring the original report cards.
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Place in UPE2A if needed
If the collège de secteur has no UPE2A, the CASNAV directs you to the nearest unit. The child splits the week between intensive French and the regular class.
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Confirm class and follow-up
Directors hold enrolment hours before September. We stay for the first-term review and any request to change sector or join an international section.
Official sources
France — pages to bookmark
- Service-Public — primary school for a pupil arriving from abroad Open official page
- Service-Public — collège or lycée for a pupil arriving from abroad Open official page
- Éduscol — schooling of newly arrived allophone pupils Open official page
- Business France — enrolling children in school Open official page
Where We Help
Schools in Portugal and Spain
Schools in Portugal
Portugal — Portal das Matrículas
Enrolment in public pre-school, basic and secondary education runs through the national Portal das Matrículas. Children arriving from a foreign system file the enrolment first, and the school group runs the equivalence of studies in parallel.
Schools in Spain
Spain — Padrón and Admission Points
Admission is organised by each autonomous community. Your municipal registration (padrón) sets your catchment zone and the points that decide the place. Families arriving mid-year are placed through the local schooling commission.
Ready to Enrol in France?
Tell us your commune, your child’s age and current class — we will map the mairie or académie path, the CASNAV step and the documents you still need.