Alliance Française d’Accra runs TCF Canada only, on six dates a year, from GHS 3,360 to GHS 3,990 depending on your nationality. Alliance Française de Nairobi runs both TEF and TCF Canada for KES 55,700: you request a month and are given the next available session. The Institut français du Sénégal in Dakar sells both online on ifs.sn, with TCF Canada at 150,000 FCFA. Abidjan opens each session in a two-day window.
Key takeaways
- Accra: TCF Canada only, six dates a year, 18 places per day on its online platform.
- Nairobi: TEF and TCF Canada, KES 55,700, request a month and get the next session.
- Dakar: TEF and TCF Canada sold online on ifs.sn, changes up to 3 weeks before, no refunds.
- Abidjan: both exams, 150,000 FCFA, a two-day registration window about four weeks ahead.
- For Nigeria’s four centres, see the separate Nigeria guide.
On this page
Outside Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa’s English- and French-speaking hubs each have one centre for French tests for Canada. They run very differently: Accra publishes a fixed calendar, Nairobi assigns you a date, Dakar sells seats in an online shop and Abidjan opens a two-day window. IRCC treats a TEF Canada or TCF Canada result from any of them exactly like one taken in Canada.
- 4
- Centres: Accra, Nairobi, Dakar, Abidjan
- 3 of 4
- Run both TEF and TCF Canada (Accra is TCF only)
- 18
- Places per day on Accra’s TCF platform
Which exam does each centre run?
#| Centre | Exams | Fee (full exam) | How you book |
|---|---|---|---|
| AF Accra, Ghana | TCF Canada only | GHS 3,360 / 3,570 / 3,990 by category | Six dates a year; online platform or paper form |
| AF Nairobi, Kenya | TEF + TCF Canada | KES 55,700 | Online form, next available session assigned |
| IF Sénégal, Dakar | TEF + TCF Canada | TCF Canada 150,000 FCFA | Online shop on ifs.sn, or at the desk |
| IF Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan | TEF + TCF Canada | 150,000 FCFA | Two-day window at 08:00 GMT, about 4 weeks ahead |
How does each centre book?
#Alliance Française d’Accra (Liberation Link, Roman Ridge) is an approved centre for TCF Canada. It doesn’t run TEF Canada. It publishes six TCF dates a year (14 February, 18 April, 6 June, 29 August, 26 September and 28 November), and registration opens several weeks before each one.
- Online: for the computer-based TCF, create an account on tcf.afaccra.org, book a session and upload your documents. The platform states a limit of 18 places per day.
- On paper: fill in the TCF registration form and hand it in at the office with payment. The form link on the Alliance’s page was broken when we checked, so ask the office for a copy.
- Fees: GHS 3,360 for AFA / Campus France candidates, GHS 3,570 for Ghanaian nationals, GHS 3,990 for other nationalities.
- Ask first: the session list doesn’t say which dates include TCF Canada, so confirm with clientservice@afaccra.com or +233 (0) 50 128 7809 before you plan around 28 November.
Alliance Française de Nairobi (05 Utalii Lane) runs both exams for KES 55,700. You don’t pick an exact date at first: you give a preferred month and the next available session is assigned to you.
- 1Fill in the DFP/TEF/TCF form on afkenya.orgChoose TEF Canada or TCF Canada, enter your preferred month and year, and upload a scan of your passport.
- 2PayM-Pesa paybill 898660 (account: First name-Last name-exam, for example Daniel-Mugo-TEF), Visa card at the office, or bank transfer.
- 3Accept or change the proposed dateThe exam office proposes a date. You can accept it or pick another available one.
- 4Finish at least 7 working days aheadRegistration and full payment must be done at least seven working days before the exam.
Fees can’t be refunded or transferred and must be used within the same calendar year. You get one postponement per calendar year, asked at least seven working days before. If there are many candidates, the speaking test may be held on a different day from the written tests; if that happens, check with exams@afkenya.org that your attestation will still be accepted by IRCC.
The Institut français du Sénégal (89 rue Joseph Gomis, Plateau) sells TEF Canada and TCF Canada like products in an online shop on ifs.sn. Each sitting shows its places (12 per sitting on the December 2026 TCF dates).
- 1Open the calendarOn ifs.sn, go to Examens and open the TCF Canada or TEF Canada calendar.
- 2Add the complete exam to your cartTEF Canada is also sold as single tests with their own calendars. For Express Entry, book the complete exam.
- 3Pay through TouchPay or at the deskCard, Orange Money, Free Money, Wizall, E-Money or Yup online (Wave isn’t accepted), or cash or card at the desk. The institute covers the online payment charges.
- 4Keep your confirmationThe receipt is also in your account under “Comptabilité”.
The complete TCF Canada costs 150,000 FCFA. You can change your session up to 3 weeks before the exam, but fees are not refundable. If you miss the exam, tell the institute within 8 days; your documents go to the exam body for a decision.
The Institut français de Côte d’Ivoire (Cocody – Saint-Jean) runs both exams for 150,000 FCFA. Each session opens for registration in a two-day window at 08:00 GMT, about four weeks before the exam: for example, 28–29 September 2026 for the 26–30 October session.
You pre-register online, then pay by cash deposit at an SGCI branch within 48 hours (24 hours from the waiting list) and send proof of payment. Places are limited, and the window closes early once they are gone. The step-by-step version is on the Abidjan centre page.
How do the rules compare?
#| Centre | Change your date | Refund | Results |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accra | Ask the office | Ask the office | Ask the office |
| Nairobi | Once per calendar year, 7+ working days before | No; use the fee within the same year | Score report within 3 weeks |
| Dakar | Up to 3 weeks before | No | Check with the centre |
| Abidjan | Only with an accepted reason, 48+ hours before | No for unjustified absence | TCF about 15 working days, TEF 4–6 weeks |
Whatever the centre, you must leave a gap between two attempts at the same test: Abidjan applies 30 days. See retake rules and reschedule and refund rules for the wider picture. The retake cost calculator shows what a second attempt would add.
- Myth
Accra runs TEF Canada too.
FactAccra offers TCF Canada only. For TEF Canada, look at Nairobi, Dakar, Abidjan or Nigeria.
- Myth
In Nairobi I book a fixed date online.
FactYou give a preferred month and the next available session is assigned. Then you accept or change the proposed date.
- Myth
I can pay with Wave in Dakar.
FactWave isn’t accepted for online payment. Use card, Orange Money, Free Money, Wizall, E-Money, Yup, or pay at the desk.
- Myth
Abidjan’s window is open for weeks.
FactIt lasts two days and can close sooner once the places are taken.
Should you cross a border for a seat?
#Often it makes sense. Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria are all ECOWAS members, so citizens of those countries can usually travel between them without a visa. A TEF candidate in Accra, for example, has to travel anyway, and Lagos, Abidjan and Dakar all run TEF Canada. From Kenya there is no nearby alternative we track, so Nairobi’s next available session is usually the practical choice.
Book the seat first, then travel and a place to stay, and plan to arrive the day before. More countries are in taking TEF or TCF Canada abroad, including Morocco and Cameroon.
Abidjan is another West African option. Read how to book TCF or TEF Canada in Abidjan.
Before you pay
#Check yourself
1 of 3.Which centre runs TCF Canada but not TEF Canada?
2 of 3.How late can you change your session in Dakar?
3 of 3.In Nairobi, how is your exam date chosen?
Questions people ask
Not at AF Accra, which offers TCF Canada only. For TEF Canada, the nearest centres are in Nigeria, Abidjan and Dakar.
GHS 3,360 for AFA / Campus France candidates, GHS 3,570 for Ghanaian nationals and GHS 3,990 for other nationalities.
KES 55,700 at AF Nairobi, the same as TCF Canada. Fees can’t be refunded and must be used within the same calendar year.
150,000 FCFA for the complete exam at the Institut français du Sénégal. The institute pays the online payment charges.
No. You can change your session up to 3 weeks before the exam. If you miss it, tell the institute within 8 days and it sends your documents to the exam body for a decision.
AF Nairobi’s rules say you get a score report within three weeks of the exam. Certificates are handed out once they arrive from France.
Terms in this guide
- Institut français
- Alliance Française
- TCF Tout Public
- Registration window
- Waitlist
- Attestation
- E-TEF / E-TCF
- TCF Québec
Each one is defined in plain English in the TEF & TCF Canada glossary.
Sources
- Alliance Française d’Accra: TCF (dates, fees, contact)
- Alliance Française d’Accra: TCF online registration platform
- Alliance Française de Nairobi: DFP/TEF/TCF
- Alliance Française de Nairobi: registration form and rules
- Institut français du Sénégal: Exams
- Institut français du Sénégal: TCF Canada complete
- Institut français du Sénégal: General terms of sale
- Institut français de Côte d’Ivoire: Emigrate to Canada
- IRCC: Language testing for Express Entry
Rules and fees change. Always confirm with IRCC and your test centre before you pay.
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