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. For a Moroccan family funding studies from Morocco or from Europe, the five systems differ. This guide points to the official source for each and describes what counts as proof. The threshold that applies is the one in force when the file is submitted.
Costs & fees
| France, resources to prove | €877.50 a month, or €10,530 over twelve months | Monthly resource level required for a "student" residence permit (service-public.gouv.fr, sheet F2231). Proof may be a bank statement showing a sufficient balance, a scholarship or regular transfers from a third party. |
| Belgium, resources to prove | See dofi.ibz.be | The amount of means of subsistence is set by the Immigration Office for each academic year. |
| Belgium, sponsorship through a guarantor (annex 32) | See dofi.ibz.be | The income level required of the sponsor is set by the Immigration Office. |
| Belgium, D visa fee and contribution | See diplomatie.belgium.be and dofi.ibz.be | Amounts set by the Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs (D visa) and by the Immigration Office (contribution). |
| Germany, blocked account (Sperrkonto) | €11,904 for one year, €992 withdrawable per month | Amount stated by the German Embassy in Rabat (page of 25 June 2026). The full sum is deposited before departure then released month by month after arrival. |
| Spain, resources to prove | See inclusion.gob.es | The amount of financial means required is set by the Spanish authorities. |
| Canada, cost-of-living funds | See canada.ca | The amount of funds required is set by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. 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.
⚠️ Warning: 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.
Bank history
A statement shows the sum on a given date, not the ability to last twelve months. Consulates may examine the history of the account used as proof. The documents required should be checked with the consulate of the target country.
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 income level required of the sponsor is set by the Immigration Office (dofi.ibz.be).
Check whether a scholarship opens an exemption
A scholarship does two things. It counts as a resource, and in some countries it waives fees. Fee exemption cases should be checked with the authority of the target country.
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.
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
Resource thresholds may be revised from one year to the next. The threshold that applies is the one published by the official authority of the target country when the file is submitted.
The Quebec case
A student aiming for Quebec does not fall under the federal threshold. 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. Fee exemption cases should be checked with the authority of the target country.
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.
❌ 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 amounts may be revised.
- ✕Confusing the appointment booking date with the filing date. The fee and threshold that apply are those in force on the day of filing.
- ✕Depositing a single lump sum a few days before the appointment. Consulates may request evidence on the origin of the funds.
- ✕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. Thresholds may be revised, and renewal is assessed on the scale in force at that time.
🔗 Official links and resources
Service-public.fr, "student" residence permit
Conditions of the student residence permit in France, including the monthly resource level required.
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 and formal sponsorship obligation (annex 32), to be consulted on the site.
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
Official page on the study permit.
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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