Taking TEF or TCF Canada outside Canada and India

Yes, you can take TEF Canada or TCF Canada outside Canada and India, and IRCC treats the result exactly the same. You book directly with a local Alliance Française or Institut français. The test is the same everywhere, but the dates, fee, format (paper or computer) and the way seats are released depend on the centre.

Below is what we know about each region, from the centres French Exam Alert watches in 22 countries. Use it to pick a main centre and a backup.

Yes. IRCC cares about the exam, not the country. What matters is that you book TEF Canada or TCF Canada specifically. TEF Québec, TCF Québec and TCF Tout Public don’t count for Express Entry. Citizenship has a wider list. New to these exams? See what the TEF Canada test is and what the TCF Canada test is.

Your result is valid for 2 years from the test date. It must still be valid when you create your Express Entry profile and when you submit your PR application. The result validity checker will tell you your exact expiry.

Nigeria has four centres. Alliance Française de Lagos sells its sessions online. It runs computer-based E-TEF Canada and E-TCF Canada, and there is no postponement or refund once you register.

• Lagos: TEF Canada & TCF Canada, live seat count, sold through its online portal.
• Abuja: TEF Canada, no dates published online; register at the reception desk.
• Ibadan: TEF Canada, no dates or fees published; contact the centre for the next session. See AF Ibadan.
• Port Harcourt: TEF Canada & TCF Canada. provisional 2026 calendar ending in July; TEF Canada was listed at ₦750,000.

If Lagos has nothing on sale, ask Ibadan, Abuja and Port Harcourt directly for their next dates. Compare all four on the Nigeria page, or see every TEF Canada date in Nigeria.

In Ghana, Alliance Française d’Accra publishes six TCF dates a year, and registration opens several weeks before each one through its online portal (18 places per day). In Morocco, Casablanca and Rabat both sell TEF and TCF Canada online with seat counts.

For Côte d'Ivoire, see TEF and TCF Canada in Abidjan: how the two-day inscription window works and when it opens.

Yes. Both UAE centres run TCF Canada and TEF Canada, so you can take whichever has a seat first. See the TCF Canada dates in the UAE.

Many Dubai residents do not think of driving to Abu Dhabi. It’s worth it if Dubai is full. See AF Dubai and AF Abu Dhabi.

In Lebanon or Egypt? See TCF Canada in Beirut and Cairo for the yearly calendars and registration deadlines.

• Philippines: Manila runs TEF Canada on Fridays, roughly every two weeks, with only 5 places per session, booked online (Add to cart). The fee is PHP 14,935 for November 2026 sessions and PHP 16,000 for December.
• Pakistan: none of the three centres posts dates on its own site. Karachi’s e-TEF Canada dates are on the CCI Paris registration calendar, custom e-TEF dates need at least a week’s notice, and TCF Canada is booked by emailing the front desk at least 5 days ahead. Islamabad runs e-TEF on a date you choose (register at least 2 weeks ahead); Lahore says dates and fees vary by session. See the Pakistan page and TEF Canada dates in Pakistan.
• Bangladesh: Dhaka runs both exams and posts each session with its own registration dates.
• Nepal: Kathmandu runs both exams on demand, booked by email (they aren’t in its online exam shop).
• Sri Lanka: Colombo runs TEF Canada; registration opens about a month before each session.
• Lebanon: Beirut offers TCF Canada (no TEF), on computer, from a yearly calendar with a deadline per date; a date can fill before its deadline.

In London, the Institut français du Royaume-Uni runs a paper-based TCF Canada at 14 Cromwell Place (South Kensington), booked online with deadlines about 4–6 weeks ahead. L’Alliance New York runs TEF Canada in Manhattan and TCF Canada in Manhattan and Montclair, NJ; sold-out dates take a waiting list. Alliance française de Paris sells TEF Canada sessions on its website when dates are available. São Paulo runs TEF Canada and TCF Canada (R$1,550 and R$1,335 for the October 2026 sessions), and Mexico City offers TEF (including TEF Canada) but not TCF.

For Latin America, see TEF Canada in São Paulo and Mexico City. In France, see TEF Canada in Paris and other French centres.

There’s no single world price. Each centre sets its own fee in local currency (our fee guide covers India and Canada in detail). The numbers we could verify for 2026:

₦750,000

TEF Canada at AF Port Harcourt

~₹26,000

Full test in India, incl. GST

CA$390–436

Typical range in Canada

For every other country, check the fee on your centre’s own site before you pay. Fees are usually non-refundable once you register, and at AF Lagos there is no postponement either. So book the date you can really make.

1. 1Confirm the centre runs your examUse the official finders: France Éducation international for TCF Canada, Le français des affaires for TEF Canada. Then check the centre page on French Exam Alert, or use the test centre finder.
2. 2Pick a backup centreAnother city in your country, or a short flight away. One backup doubles your chances. The earliest seat finder shows the soonest sessions we track.
3. 3Learn its release methodWindow, live seats, waitlist or surprise drop. Each needs a different plan. See every session sold out?.
4. 4Check the time zoneIf you live in one country and test in another, convert the registration time with the registration time converter.
5. 5Have documents and payment readyPassport, photo and a payment method that works on that centre’s site. If you pay from abroad, make sure your card works on that site before the day. On exam day, bring the documents the centre asks for.

Still building your level before you book? See how long it takes to reach NCLC 7 and plan backwards from a seat date, using the best time to book.