Few countries do food, fashion, and fabulous architecture better than France. Croissants, cheese, Coco Chanel, the Champs-Elysees – need we say more? And that’s not even mentioning the stunning scenery! Home to 66 million people, France is a beautiful, fascinating country. You’ll love the delicious food, pretty landscapes, gorgeous buildings, and great shopping.
I love doing everything with my host family and friends. It was awesome being able to visit all kinds of places while learning about the history of France.
Eleanor, Hamilton
You can choose to study in France for as little as six weeks or as long as one academic year. Our short placements are highly flexible – you can choose the length of the programme and the time of departure (please email exchange@nziiu.co.nz for more information).
Our annual six-week exchange programme begins in late November/early December. You will enjoy approximately ten days of school vacation time over Christmas and New Year – providing a special experience with your French host family over this time. If enough students participate in the six-week exchange, it will conclude with a three-day tour of Paris. Gap year students are welcome to apply for all placements but must be no older than 18 years on departure.
Placements may be anywhere in France, but are most often in small towns around the north-west and southern regions of the country. Students will most likely be placed in lowly-populated suburbs and rural areas, although they may be placed in cities. On the map below you can see where some of our past students have been placed. All of our host families are carefully vetted. We conduct home interviews, inspections, and police checks to ensure our students are placed in a secure and supportive environment.
Students must be:
If you are going on exchange for more than 90 days, you will need to apply for a visa de long sejour (for those aged 18 years or older) or a Minuer Scholarise (for those aged under 18). As part of the visa application process, you must visit the French Embassy in Wellington. Please factor the travel costs to visit the embassy into your budget.
Students are required to study French for at least two years prior to departure. You need a good understanding of the language (written and oral). If you do not meet this requirement, a two-week language course is compulsory. Optional two-week or three-week language courses are also available upon request (please note these courses will incur extra cost).
We know that financing your exchange might be a bit of a challenge, but don’t let that hold you back from pursuing the experience of a lifetime! NZIIU offers a select number of scholarships each year to exceptional students who require some financial assistance, as well as fundraising kits.
Explore now »Meet our NZIIU Student Ambassadors at one of our information day events! These students who have recently been on exchange have done it all, and are here to share their knowledge, experiences, and stories from exchange.
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