VISAHJELP

Ascendant of French national — Ascendant(e) de Français (parent of an adult French citizen)

Long-stay visa (VLS valid 3 months, not VLS-TS) for an elderly Vietnamese parent or grandparent of an adult French citizen, where the French citizen takes them financially in charge (à charge). The primary legal anchors are CESEDA L.423-11, and the famille-de-français umbrella at france-visas.gouv.fr. The defining condition is genuine, pre-existing financial dependency — not dependency created for the purpose of the visa application. After arrival on the 3-month VLS, the holder applies at the préfecture for the 10-year carte de résident « ascendant de Français à charge » (CR 1502).

LAST VERIFIED · 2026-05-14 SOURCE: France-Visas · Independent · not affiliated

From the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs

“Decisions by the Embassy of France in Hanoi or Consulate-General in HCMC. VLS valid 3 months. After arrival: 10-year carte de résident « ascendant de Français à charge » (CR 1502) at the préfecture. The préfecture re-evaluates dependency evidence afresh. EES does NOT apply.”
— French Ministry of Foreign Affairs · French consulates

What you need

  • Conditions: (a) filiation — the applicant is the parent or grandparent of a French national, financially dependent on that French national AND their spouse jointly (L.423-11 verbatim: 'parent à charge d'un français et de son conjoint' — meaning the French citizen AND their spouse provide support jointly); (b) real and pre-existing financial dependency on the French descendant, documented by regular financial transfers established before the applicant's entry into France, of duration sufficient to demonstrate pre-existing dependency — consulates/préfectures look for a substantial track record without a fixed numeric threshold; (c) the French descendant must have sufficient resources to support the ascendant in addition to their own household; (d) accommodation in France must be arranged; (e) international medical insurance covering the period until CPAM enrolment is effective post-arrival is explicitly required for this sub-track. Cerfa 14571-05 via france-visas interactive assistant. Vietnamese civil documents legalised via Vietnamese MoFA → French embassy/consulate.

Checklist

12
  • Long-stay visa application form (Cerfa 14571-05) — completed via france-visas assistant, printed, signed *
  • Two recent identical biometric photos (35mm × 45mm, ICAO standard) *
  • Original passport (validity covering the planned stay + 3 months; 2+ blank pages) *
  • Filiation evidence — birth certificates tracing the parent-child relationship to the French national *
  • French descendant identity document — current French passport or carte nationale d'identité *
  • Accommodation evidence in France — detailed hosting arrangement (French descendant's lease + attestation) *
  • International health insurance covering France for the first 3 months (explicitly required for this sub-track) *
02

Dependency

  • Financial dependency evidence — at least 12 months of regular remittances from the French descendant to the Vietnamese ascendant *
  • French descendant's financial resources evidence — payslips or income documentation sufficient to support their household plus the ascendant *
03

Fees

  • Visa fee — verify current amount on france-visas (historically exempt or reduced) *
  • TLS Contact service fee — EUR 25 per applicant *
  • TLS Contact appointment confirmation (Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City) *

Sign in and unlock to see the full tips for each item.