Five countries, five ways of counting. No consulate issues a study visa without proof that the stay is funded, but each sets its own threshold, its own calculation method and its own accepted form of proof. Germany requires a blocked account. France asks for a level of resources across the stay. Belgium combines a monthly amount with the option of a sponsor. Canada looks at funds available at the time of application, excluding tuition. Spain indexes on a national indicator frozen since 2023. For a Moroccan family funding studies from Morocco or from Europe, the gap between these five systems runs into thousands of euros. This guide puts the five scales side by side, with the official source for each, and describes what actually counts as proof. Timing matters as much as the amount. France raised its threshold by 43% on 1 August 2026, and Belgium increased its visa fees on 1 July. A file prepared on last year's figures starts at a disadvantage.
Costs & fees
| France, resources to prove | €877.50 a month, or €10,530 over twelve months | 47% of the gross monthly SMIC. Decree no. 2026-526 of 22 June 2026, applying to applications filed from 1 August 2026. Indexed, so it follows each SMIC revaluation. No blocked account required. |
| Belgium, resources to prove | €1,062 net a month, or €12,744 in a blocked account | Amount set by the Immigration Office for the 2026-2027 academic year. Depositing twelve times the monthly amount in a blocked account is one of the accepted proofs. |
| Belgium, sponsorship through a guarantor (annex 32) | €3,235.88 net a month on the sponsor's side | 120% of the social integration income (€2,173.88) plus €1,062 per person supported. 2026-2027 academic year. |
| Belgium, D visa fee and contribution | €250 visa fee, plus €152 to €251 contribution | D visa at €250 for any application filed since 1 July 2026. Immigration Office contribution since 1 January 2026: €251 for a public higher education institution, €242 for a private one. Scholarship holders and minors exempt. |
| Germany, blocked account (Sperrkonto) | €11,904 for one year, €992 withdrawable per month | Amount aligned with the maximum BAföG rate. The full sum is deposited before departure then released month by month after arrival. |
| Spain, resources to prove | €600 a month, €7,200 over twelve months | 100% of the IPREM. The indicator has been rolled over since 2023 in the absence of an adopted budget law, which explains a threshold markedly lower than its neighbours. |
| Canada, cost-of-living funds | CAD 22,895 for a single applicant, outside Quebec | Around 75% of Statistics Canada's low-income cut-off. In force since 1 September 2025, up from CAD 20,635. This amount comes on top of first-year tuition and travel costs. Quebec applies its own scale. |
Timeline
Check the target country's threshold, at source and as of the filing date
Each country publishes its scale on an official site, and those scales move. The applicable threshold is the one in force when the file is submitted, not when the appointment was booked. France went from 615 to 877.50 euros a month on 1 August 2026, Belgium raised its D visa fee on 1 July, Canada revised its threshold on 1 September 2025.
💡 Tip: Note the publication date of the scale you consulted and compare it with the planned filing date. A few weeks' gap can change the amount.
⚠️ Warning: Private agency sites and forums often repeat outdated figures. The official links are listed further down in this guide.
Identify the form of proof accepted in that country
There are three broad families. The blocked account, where a year's worth is deposited then released month by month, used by Germany and accepted in Belgium. The level of resources across the stay, without freezing funds, used by France. Funds available at the time of application, used by Canada. Scholarships and third-party sponsorship sit alongside these three families in most countries.
💡 Tip: The form of proof affects family cash flow far more than the amount itself. A blocked account ties up the money, a resource level does not.
Build a bank history before filing
A statement showing the sum on the day of the appointment says nothing about the ability to last twelve months. Consulates look at history. Regular transfers over six months, an account funded gradually and income consistent with those payments carry more weight than a single last-minute deposit.
⚠️ Warning: A large payment made a few days before filing draws attention and can trigger a request for evidence on the origin of the funds.
Prepare the sponsor's file when an MRE parent is funding
This is the most common case for Moroccan families. A parent settled in France, Belgium, Canada or elsewhere supports the student. The documents usually requested are the sponsor's identity document, proof of income and evidence of regular transfers to the student. Belgium formalises this sponsorship through a specific document, annex 32, and requires the sponsor to prove their own income level.
💡 Tip: In Belgium, the sponsor must show 3,235.88 euros net a month for the 2026-2027 academic year, that is 120% of the social integration income plus the amount required for the student.
Check whether a scholarship opens an exemption
A scholarship does two things. It counts as a resource, and in some countries it waives fees. In Belgium, scholarship holders are among the cases exempt from the Immigration Office contribution, which reaches 251 euros for a public higher education file.
💡 Tip: Proof of the grant must be attached to the file for the exemption to apply. It is not granted automatically.
File at the right point in the institution's calendar
Financial proof is only examined once admission is secured, and admission calendars differ from one country to the next. The Études en France procedure for France, provincial attestations for Canada, and enrolment at a recognised institution for Germany and Belgium all condition the visa filing.
⚠️ Warning: In Canada, a provincial or territorial attestation is required for most study permit applications, and Quebec applies its own acceptance certificate on top.
Plan for renewal, not just the first year
Indexed thresholds rise. A student admitted to France in 2026 on the basis of 877.50 euros a month will have to prove, at permit renewal, the threshold in force at that time. The same logic applies to the German blocked account, which is rebuilt each year, and to the Belgian amount, revised for each academic year.
💡 Tip: The budget to prove is not a fixed figure prepared once. It is an amount to check again at each permit deadline.
In depth
Blocked account or resource level, the difference that hits cash flow
A blocked account ties up the money. Germany's 11,904 euros leaves the family budget before departure and comes back only at 992 euros a month. A resource level, as France applies, ties up nothing: you must show the money will be available, not freeze it. For a family also funding rent, a flight and enrolment, the cash-flow gap between the two systems is considerable, even when the annual amounts are close.
What indexation changes
Three of the five countries have pegged their threshold to an index. France to the gross SMIC, Germany to the BAföG rate, Canada to Statistics Canada's low-income cut-off. Those three thresholds will therefore rise mechanically, without a new text each time. Spain is in the opposite position: its IPREM has been rolled over since 2023 in the absence of an adopted budget law, freezing a threshold of 600 euros a month well below its neighbours. Belgium revises its amount for each academic year.
The Quebec case
A student aiming for Quebec does not fall under the federal threshold of CAD 22,895. The province sets its own amounts and issues an acceptance certificate that comes on top of the federal study permit. The two procedures run in parallel and the Quebec scale must be checked separately.
Scholarships, a document with two effects
A scholarship counts as a resource and can, depending on the country, open a fee exemption. Belgium exempts scholarship holders from the Immigration Office contribution. Checking this before paying sometimes avoids spending 251 euros for nothing.
Where LesMRE stops
This guide puts the official scales side by side and says where to check them. It does not replace the assessment of a file by a consulate, which alone judges whether the documents are admissible. For tailored support on a specific file, the directory lists verified professionals in Morocco.
❌ Common mistakes to avoid
- ✕Preparing the file on last year's scale. The applicable threshold is the one in force on the filing date, and three of these five countries revise their amount automatically.
- ✕Confusing the appointment booking date with the filing date. In Belgium, a slot booked in May for July falls under the new 250 euro rate.
- ✕Depositing a single lump sum a few days before the appointment. The lack of history and of consistency with declared income is a classic trigger for extra document requests.
- ✕Believing France requires a blocked account. The French text refers to a level of resources across the stay, not to frozen funds as in Germany.
- ✕Forgetting that the Canadian amount comes on top of tuition and travel, and does not include them.
- ✕Applying the Canadian federal threshold to a Quebec project. Quebec sets its own amounts and issues its own acceptance certificate.
- ✕Not attaching proof of a scholarship when an exemption exists. In Belgium, the contribution exemption is not granted automatically.
- ✕Preparing only for the first year. Indexed thresholds rise, and renewal is assessed on the scale in force at that time.
🔗 Official links and resources
Légifrance, decree no. 2026-526 of 22 June 2026
Text setting the resource level required of foreign students in France at 47% of the gross SMIC, applicable from 1 August 2026.
France-Visas
Official portal for French visa applications, required documents and filing.
Campus France Morocco
Études en France procedure, application calendar and steps preceding the visa.
Immigration Office, Belgium
Means of subsistence required of students, contribution grid and formal sponsorship obligation (annex 32).
Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs, Belgium
Long-stay visa over 90 days, fees and application filing.
Auswärtiges Amt, Germany
Opening and operation of the blocked account required for the national study visa.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Study permit, proof of funds, provincial attestation and accepted documents.
Ministry of Inclusion, Social Security and Migration, Spain
Stay for study purposes, financial means required and file contents.
❓ Frequently asked questions
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