Visahjelp

Spouse of French national — Conjoint(e) de Français(e)

This long-stay visa (VLS-TS, vie privée et familiale) is for Vietnamese nationals married to a French citizen. Before you can apply, the marriage must be transcribed into the French civil registry by the Service Central d'État Civil in Nantes — without that step the marriage does not exist in French law and the visa cannot be issued. The French spouse initiates the transcription. On arrival you validate the visa online within three months. After one year you apply at the prefecture for a two-year residence card, and after three years total you can apply for a ten-year resident card.

From the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs

“Decisions by the Embassy of France in Hanoi or Consulate-General in HCMC. VLS-TS « vie privée et familiale » issued when all four F1764 conditions are met. Post-arrival: ANEF validation within 3 months of arrival. Year 1 → 2-year carte pluriannuelle at préfecture (F2209). Year 3 → 10-year carte de résident at préfecture (F2208). EES does NOT apply.”
— French Ministry of Foreign Affairs · French consulates

What you need

  • Per F1764, four cumulative conditions: (a) communauté de vie with the French spouse maintained since the marriage and intended to continue in France; (b) the French spouse has retained French nationality; (c) marriage celebrated abroad has been transcribed to the French état civil via the SCEC Nantes BEFORE the visa is filed; (d) non-polygamy. Cerfa 14571-05 via france-visas interactive assistant. Vietnamese civil documents must follow the Vietnam → France legalisation chain: notarisation → Vietnamese MoFA authentication → French embassy/consulate authentication (not apostille — Vietnam has not acceded to the Hague Apostille Convention).

Checklist

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  • 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; issued ≤ 10 years ago) *
  • Passport copies — bio-data page + all visa/stamp pages *
  • French acte de mariage transcrit — issued by Service Central d'État Civil de Nantes (SCEC) *
  • Vietnamese marriage registration certificate (giấy đăng ký kết hôn) — original + notarised + sworn translation + legalised *
  • Communauté de vie evidence — genuine shared life with the French spouse *
  • French spouse identity document — current French passport or carte nationale d'identité *
  • Vietnamese applicant birth certificate (giấy khai sinh) — notarised + sworn translation + legalised *
  • Accommodation evidence in France — French spouse's residence (lease, utility bill, or taxe d'habitation) *
  • International health insurance covering France for the initial stay *
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Fees

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

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