diff --git a/contrib/forms/__init__.py b/contrib/forms/__init__.py
index 33162b6f..98b622e0 100644
--- a/contrib/forms/__init__.py
+++ b/contrib/forms/__init__.py
@@ -236,11 +236,21 @@ class Media:
 )
 
 
+class AdmissionFileBoundField(forms.BoundField):
+    @property
+    def bound_css_class(self):
+        if self.value() in self.field.empty_values:
+            return 'empty-file-upload'
+
+
 class AdmissionFileUploadField(FileUploadField):
     def __init__(self, **kwargs):
         kwargs.setdefault('mimetypes', DEFAULT_MIME_TYPES)
         super().__init__(**kwargs)
 
+    def get_bound_field(self, form, field_name):
+        return AdmissionFileBoundField(form=form, field=self, name=field_name)
+
 
 def get_example_text(example: str):
     return _("e.g.: %(example)s") % {'example': example}
diff --git a/static/admission/admission.css b/static/admission/admission.css
index bd3dc5e1..e15afe71 100644
--- a/static/admission/admission.css
+++ b/static/admission/admission.css
@@ -393,4 +393,8 @@ body, html {
 
 .mt-1 {
   margin-top: 1em;
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+.required_field.empty-file-upload label, .required_field .empty-file-upload:first-child label {
+  color: #a94442;
+}