A season of judo or karate in France is paid in three parts: the federation licence, the club fee and the equipment. The first two are usually billed together at registration; the third is bought separately. Here are the figures for the 2026-2027 season and the aid schemes that lower the bill.
The federation licence: 46 euros in judo, 39 in karate
In France, every member of an affiliated club must hold an annual licence from the national federation. It works like a membership card: it includes third-party liability insurance and gives access to official competitions and grading exams.
In judo, the France Judo licence costs 46 euros for 2026-2027, insurance included (43.80 euros for the federation and 2.20 euros of personal accident cover, according to the clubs that break the amount down). It covers the sporting season, from 1 September to 31 August. The federation does not publish a public price list on its website: the amount is the one clubs display.
In karate, the official 2026-2027 licence application form of the Fédération française de karaté sets the price at 39 euros, that is 38.40 euros for the licence and 0.60 euros for personal accident cover, which can be declined. The licence is valid in every affiliated club: if you switch clubs during the season, you do not pay it twice.
The club fee: from 100 to 500 euros
This is the most variable item. Each club sets its price according to the rent of the hall, the number of hours of classes, whether its instructors are volunteers or employees, and the subsidies it receives from the town. The figures below include the licence.
In judo, a village club such as Pont-du-Casse (south-west France) charges 175 euros for 2026-2027. Judo Orvault, near Nantes, ranges from 176 euros (ages 4 and 5) to 236 euros (adults). At La Mulatière, in the Lyon area, the season costs from 179 euros (45 minutes a week for the youngest) to 283 euros (five hours a week from cadets to seniors). At Toulouse Balma Arts Martiaux, expect 310 to 402 euros. In Marseille, Athletic Garlaban Marseille Judo charges 280 euros for children and 300 for adults. In Paris, the city's activity listings showed an average price of 230 to 360 euros per club for 2025-2026.
In karate, the scale is the same: 117 euros for a child and 147 for an adult in Mulsanne (Sarthe), 201 and 222 euros in Saint-Nazaire, 297 and 342 euros in Colombes, just outside Paris, 360 euros in Croissy-sur-Seine for residents and 380 for others. In Paris itself, prices run from 200 euros (minors) and 240 euros (adults) at Shobukai to 315 euros for one weekly class at MAKS and up to 505 euros at Horizon Karaté Club, licence not included.
Three brackets to keep in mind: 120 to 200 euros in rural areas and small towns, 200 to 350 euros in a large city, 300 to 500 euros in Paris and its inner suburbs. Hours matter as much as location: 283 euros for five hours of judo a week is cheaper per hour than 230 euros for a single hour.
The kimono and protective gear
A judogi is thick to withstand gripping; a karategi is light for striking. Hardly any club requires a specific brand to start.
For a child, a first 190 g/m² judogi costs 12 to 13 euros at Decathlon in October 2026, the same as an entry-level karategi; an adjustable Adidas model is about 25 euros. Buy one size up, as children grow during the season. For an adult, a 350 g/m² training judogi sells for 35 euros, and a 500 to 550 g/m² cotton model that lasts several seasons costs 60 to 95 euros from specialist brands. In karate, an adult kimono costs 25 to 55 euros, and a WKF-approved competition model about 80 euros. The white belt is sometimes supplied; otherwise it costs 6 euros.
Karate adds protective gear as soon as the child practises kumite (sparring): mitts (20 euros), shin and instep guards (40 euros) and a mouthguard (4 to 10 euros), about 65 to 70 euros more. Many clubs lend equipment in the first year: ask before buying. Judo needs no protective gear; a pair of zooris (sandals, 12 euros) to walk to the mat is the only recommended accessory.
Extra costs: passport, medical certificate, courses
The sports passport is only needed for competitions and grading exams. In judo, clubs charge 8 to 14 euros for it, and it remains valid for eight years. In karate, departmental committees sell it for 25 euros, with the same validity. A child who does not compete can do without it.
Minors no longer need a medical certificate since the decree of 7 May 2021: parents fill in a health questionnaire and confirm that every answer is negative. In karate, the federation has also dropped it for adults, under conditions, through a circular dated 12 September 2022. In judo, adults must provide a certificate at their first registration, at 18, then every five years from the age of 30; in the other years the questionnaire is enough. A GP consultation costs 30 euros in France and is, in principle, not reimbursed by the health service when its only purpose is the certificate.
Holiday courses, travel to competitions and black belt exams, which are run by the federation, come on top depending on how far each person goes.
Aid schemes that lower the bill
The Pass'Sport is a French state subsidy: 50 euros in 2026-2027 (70 euros the previous season). It is reserved for children aged 6 to 17 whose family's means-tested quotient from the CAF or MSA (the family benefits offices) does not exceed 699 euros, for young people with disabilities (6 to 19 with the AEEH allowance, 16 to 30 with the AAH allowance) and for grant-holding students under 28. The code arrives by email in mid-September and is handed to the club, which deducts the 50 euros at registration, between 1 September and 31 December 2026. An additional CAF payment for equipment is announced for the first quarter of 2027. Eligibility can be checked at pass.sports.gouv.fr.
Some CAF offices add their own aid: the Puy-de-Dôme office pays up to 80 euros per child towards a licence or club fee, for a family quotient of 800 euros or less, with applications due before 14 February 2027. Town halls often offer a voucher for local children or a residents' rate, and works councils frequently refund part of the licence. Many clubs accept ANCV holiday vouchers and sports coupons.
Clubs themselves offer discounts: 20 to 30 euros for each additional member of the same family at Toulouse Balma and Croissy, 20% for the second child at Colombes, 50 euros off for students and jobseekers at Toulouse Balma. Almost all accept payment in three instalments, and several cut their price for registrations in January or April. Before paying, ask for a trial class: most clubs offer one or two free of charge, and some hold open days in September.
A first-year budget, in short
For a child in judo in a mid-sized city: 180 to 300 euros for club fee and licence, 13 to 25 euros for the kimono, 6 euros for the belt and 8 to 14 euros for the passport if they compete. Total: 210 to 350 euros, down to 160 to 300 euros with the Pass'Sport. In Paris, 320 to 530 euros.
For a child in karate: 120 to 300 euros of club fee depending on the city, 13 to 25 euros for the kimono and 65 to 70 euros of protective gear if they spar. Total: 200 to 400 euros, 150 to 350 with the Pass'Sport, and 400 to 600 euros in the capital.
For an adult, add a more expensive kimono: 270 to 470 euros in judo and 240 to 500 euros in karate, depending on the city and the number of classes. These totals are estimates built from the prices quoted; your club remains the only reference for the exact amount.
Between the two disciplines, the gap is small. Karate has a cheaper licence (7 euros less) but requires protective gear; judo wears out kimonos faster and sometimes costs more in competition travel. Choose on the child and the club, not on price.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to pay the licence again if I change clubs mid-season?
No. Both the France Judo and FFKaraté licences are tied to the practitioner, not the club. A new club affiliated to the same federation takes over the current licence and only charges its own fee, sometimes prorated for the remaining months. Karaté Club de Croissy states it on its price list: a valid licence from another club exempts you from paying the 39 euros a second time.
Can the Pass'Sport be combined with club discounts?
Yes, as a rule. It is a state subsidy that the club deducts at registration and then claims back; it comes on top of the club's family or student rates. Toulouse Balma Arts Martiaux, for instance, says its own discounts cannot be combined with each other, except with the Pass'Sport. Aid from departmental CAF offices, such as the 80 euros in Puy-de-Dôme, can also be added.
Is there a refund if the child stops after a few weeks?
The federation licence is never refunded once registered. The club fee rarely is, unless the club's rules provide for it (moving house, long injury with a certificate). That is why clubs offer one or two trial classes before registration: use them, and only sign the child up if they want to come back.
Is judo more expensive than karate?
For comparable clubs, the difference fits within about twenty euros. The judo licence costs 46 euros against 39 for karate, but karate requires mitts, shin guards and a mouthguard from the first sparring sessions (65 to 70 euros), while judo is practised without protective gear. A judogi wears out faster than a karategi because it is gripped and pulled in every class. The club fee weighs far more than these differences.
Do I need a kimono before the first class?
No. For the trial class, a tracksuit or shorts and a T-shirt are enough, and the instructor can lend a jacket for gripping drills in judo. Wait until you are sure about registering, then buy an entry-level kimono (12 to 13 euros for a child), one size up. Some clubs run a second-hand kimono sale in September.
What aid is available for adults?
The Pass'Sport only covers adults who are grant-holding students under 28 or receive the AAH disability allowance (ages 16 to 30). For everyone else, the levers are reduced club rates for students and jobseekers (50 euros off at Toulouse Balma, for example), partial refunds from the employer's works council, ANCV holiday vouchers and payment in three instalments.
This guide was written with the help of artificial intelligence, then reviewed and approved by our editors.