The IFAO is under the authority of the French Ministry for National Education, Advanced Instruction, and Research.

The Institute conducts archaeological excavations and also publishes a number of books and journals most notably Bulletin de l'Institut Français d'Archéologie Orientale or BIFAO which this French institution has published annually since 1901.

The IFAO was created on 28 December 1880 by a signed decree of the French Minister of Public Instruction and Fine Arts Jules Ferry, which created a permanent Mission in Cairo, intended as a counterpart in Egypt of the French School at Athens (Ecole française d'Athènes) and French School of Rome (Ecole française de Rome), under the name of French School of Cairo (École française du Caire).

[2] In 1929, a restoration of the building is undertaken, which includes the replacement of the art nouveau decoration on the façade with neo-classical.

[2] Since February 2011, the IFAO has been a part of the network, Écoles françaises à l’étranger (EFE), made of five higher education and research establishments.