Visahjelp

Family of EU/EEA/Swiss citizen (Directive 2004/38)

This pathway is for foreign nationals — including Vietnamese — who are the spouse, dependent child, or dependent parent of an EU, EEA, or Swiss citizen living in France (the sponsor must not be French). You enter France on a standard Schengen short-stay visa, not a long-stay visa. Within three months of arrival you apply at your local prefecture for a residence card; it is free under EU free movement rules, provided you file within that three-month window — a late application triggers a €300 fee. The card is valid for as long as the EU sponsor's right to stay in France, up to five years; after five years of uninterrupted residence you can apply for a permanent card.

From the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs

“The visa stage is a Schengen short-stay (Type C) — facilitated processing per Article 5 of Directive 2004/38/EC. Decisions by the Embassy of France in Hanoi or Consulate-General in HCMC. After arrival, the carte de séjour application is filed at the préfecture of residence within 3 months. **Carte fee: free** per Directive 2004/38 — distinct from the €350 carte fee schedule for other long-stay subtypes. The carte has the same validity as the EU sponsor's right to stay, up to 5 years. After 5 years of uninterrupted residence: permanent residence card per Directive 2004/38. Note: for the French overseas departments/territories (Guadeloupe, Guyane, Réunion, Martinique, Mayotte, New Caledonia, etc.), the procedure differs — applicants should contact the consulate. EES applies at Schengen entry/exit (short-stay regime).”
— French Ministry of Foreign Affairs · French consulates

What you need

  • Per F2653 / F19315 / france-visas/famille-de-citoyen-europeen: (1) the EU/EEA/Swiss sponsor must have a right to stay in France (worker, inactive, student, or retiree per F2651/F16003/F22116/F35615); (2) proof of family relationship (marriage certificate, birth certificate, PACS attestation, or proof of dependency); (3) the Vietnamese family member needs a **Schengen short-stay visa** to enter France (verify via the france-visas visa wizard; Vietnam is visa-required); (4) after arrival, application for carte de séjour at the préfecture within 3 months: passport/ID, proof of address, e-photo, sponsor's right-to-stay evidence, family-link evidence, and for PACS/partner cases, 1-year communauté de vie evidence (bank statements, fiscal documents, insurance, joint loans). The carte application is filed online on ANEF (R59398). The carte is **free**.

Checklist

14
  • Schengen short-stay visa application form (Cerfa 14076-05 / family-of-EU variant) *
  • Two recent identical biometric photos (35mm × 45mm, ICAO standard) *
  • Original passport (validity covering planned stay + 3 months) *
  • Vietnamese documents — notarised + sworn translation + legalisation *
  • Accommodation evidence in France *
  • Schengen travel health insurance — minimum EUR 30,000 coverage *
02

EU sponsor side

  • Evidence the EU/EEA/Swiss sponsor has a right to stay in France *
  • EU/EEA/Swiss sponsor identity proof (passport or national ID card) *
03

Family relationship

  • Family relationship evidence — marriage certificate, birth certificate, PACS, or dependency proof *
04

Post-arrival (France-side, at préfecture / ANEF)

  • Carte de séjour « membre de famille d'un citoyen UE/EEE/Suisse » application on ANEF (post-arrival, within 3 months) *
05

Fees

  • Schengen short-stay visa fee — facilitated processing for family members of EU citizens per Directive 2004/38 *
  • Carte de séjour « membre de famille d'un citoyen UE » fee — FREE per Directive 2004/38 *
  • TLS Contact service fee — EUR 25 per applicant *
  • TLS Contact appointment confirmation *

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