Long-term studies (VLS-TS Étudiant)
Long-stay student visa (VLS-TS Étudiant) for full-degree higher-education studies, exchange programmes, or preparatory courses at an accredited French institution. Valid 4–12 months on entry, must be validated as a residence permit via the ANEF portal within 3 months of arrival in France. For Vietnamese applicants, the Études en France (EEF) procedure via Campus France Vietnam is mandatory BEFORE the visa application.
Schooled minor (VLS « mineur scolarisé »)
Long-stay visa « mineur scolarisé » for foreign minors entering France for more than 3 months to attend a primary or secondary school (public or private), or — for 16-18 year olds only — a language or sport training centre. Per france-visas.gouv.fr/mineur-scolarise: **this visa is ONLY for minors whose parents do NOT reside in France**. Minors joining parents already in France use family-immigration paths, not this subtype. Stays of up to 90 days use a Schengen short-stay visa « études » instead. For Vietnamese applicants: typical profiles are middle-school or high-school students attending a French international/private school, students at a Lycée français abroad transferring to France, language-immersion students aged 16-18, and minors hosted by a French family or boarding school. Distinct from long-term-studies (which is for adult students enrolled in higher education via Campus France / EEF).
Salaried employment (Salarié / Travailleur temporaire — VLS-TS)
Long-stay employer-sponsored work visa for Vietnamese skilled workers hired by a French company. Two main variants: VLS-TS 'Salarié' for indefinite contracts (CDI), valid 3-12 months; 'Travailleur temporaire' for fixed-term contracts (CDD), aligned to contract length up to 12 months. Both validate via the ANEF portal within 3 months of arrival. A pre-condition on the employer side is mandatory: the French company must obtain a work permit from the French authorities BEFORE the applicant applies for the visa. For Vietnamese applicants, this is the standard path for engineers, IT/data professionals, technicians, and managers being hired by French firms.
Talent Passport (Passeport Talent / Carte talent)
Multi-year residence pathway for highly skilled, qualifying foreign nationals — for stays of 1 year or more. Issued either as a long-stay visa (VLS or VLS-TS Talent) before arrival or as a carte de séjour pluriannuelle « Talent » at the préfecture, valid up to 4 years and renewable. Per the canonical fiche service-public.gouv.fr F16922, the Talent regime bundles eight distinct sub-tracks under one umbrella, each with its own eligibility test and salary or qualification thresholds: Salarié qualifié (qualified employee, €39,582 gross annual reference), Carte bleue européenne (EU Blue Card, €59,373 gross annual = 1.5× reference), Professions médicales et de la pharmacie, Chercheur (researcher, €2,200 gross monthly minimum under a convention de séjour de recherche), Porteur de projet (innovative-project / business creator), Mandataire social (corporate appointee), Profession artistique et culturelle, and Personne de renommée nationale ou internationale. Strongly preferred for Vietnamese applicants with a master's-level qualification, a French employment offer at the qualified-employee threshold, or a researcher convention with a French institution.
Extended tourism / Visiteur (VLS-TS « visiteur »)
Long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS « visiteur ») for foreign nationals who wish to live in France for between 3 and 12 months without engaging in any professional activity, supported by their own financial resources. Per service-public.gouv.fr F302 and france-visas.gouv.fr/sejour-touristique-de-plus-de-3-mois: typical profiles include retirees with pension income wishing to extend a visit beyond Schengen 90-day limits, financially independent individuals on a long sabbatical, and family members of French residents who do not qualify for a family-reunification path but want an extended stay. The applicant formally commits to not exercising any professional activity during the stay. Renewable as a carte de séjour temporaire « visiteur » at the préfecture. For Vietnamese applicants: this is the only long-stay path for non-working stays beyond 90 days — distinct from short-stay tourism (Schengen Type C, ≤90 days), distinct from family-immigration paths (which require a sponsor relationship), and distinct from talent-passport / salaried-activity / non-salaried-activity (which authorise work).
Jeune au pair (Young au pair — VLS-TS)
Long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS « jeune au pair ») for non-European young people aged 18-30 placed with a French host family to improve their French language skills, in exchange for light household work and childcare. Per service-public.gouv.fr F15813 and france-visas.gouv.fr/jeune-au-pair: the placement is regulated by a written convention between the au pair and the host family (Cerfa 15973-01) covering hours, activities, pocket money, accommodation, meals, insurance, and arrangements for the au pair's French classes. The host family must be of a different nationality from the au pair and not related. Initial visa duration 1 year, extendable once to a maximum total of 2 years. Distinct from the 'stagiaire aide familial étranger' track (which is only open to European nationals — Vietnamese applicants use only the jeune au pair path) and from 'salarié au pair' (a separate salaried sub-track with different profile and rules).
Young worker (Jeunes salariés / Jeunes professionnels) — NOT AVAILABLE to Vietnamese applicants
**This visa is NOT available to Vietnamese applicants.** The Jeunes professionnels (Young professionals) long-stay VLS-TS, regulated by bilateral young-professional exchange agreements between France and partner countries, is open only to nationals of states that have signed such an agreement. The adjacent Programme Vacances-Travail (Working Holiday Programme) is similarly bilateral. **Neither list includes Vietnam as of 2026-05-13** — verified against the Ministry of Interior bilateral-mobility page, France-Visas Jeunes salariés and Jeunes voyageurs portals, and France Diplomatie's France-Vietnam bilateral dossier. The exact country lists drift (new agreements signed periodically, others suspended — e.g. Russia's PVT was suspended in 2022); per the project's numeric-claims discipline, the atlas does not enumerate the lists inline — re-verify on the live authoritative pages before each consultation. This atlas entry is informational — to clarify the closure and redirect Vietnamese applicants to alternative work-track paths.
Talent passport — Qualified employee (Salarié qualifié, VLS-TS Talent)
Long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS Talent) under the **parcours salarié qualifié** of the «talent-salarié qualifié» card per service-public.gouv.fr F16922. For Vietnamese applicants who **obtained a master's-level diploma in France** (or a CGE-labelled niveau-1 diploma) and have a French employment offer at or above €39,582 with a ≥3-month contract. Typical profile: Vietnamese students who completed a French master's (often after étudiant VLS-TS) and are recruited by a French employer. The visa converts post-arrival into a carte de séjour pluriannuelle « Talent » valid up to 4 years. **Defining feature of the Talent regime**: NO work permit (autorisation de travail) and NO labour-market opposition test. **For Vietnamese applicants WITHOUT a French-obtained master's**: this parcours does NOT apply — route instead to (a) **parcours salarié d'une entreprise innovante** (JEI-recruited employee, no diploma test, same €39,582 floor) if employer is JEI-labelled; (b) **parcours salarié en mission** (intra-group transfer with 3-month group seniority); (c) **EU Blue Card** if salary ≥€59,373 + 3-year higher-ed diploma or 5-year senior experience; (d) standard VLS-TS Salarié (with employer's autorisation de travail).
Talent passport — Employee of an innovative company (JEI / entreprise innovante)
Long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS Talent) under the **parcours salarié d'une entreprise innovante** of the «talent-salarié qualifié» card per service-public.gouv.fr F16922. The applicant is recruited by a **Jeune Entreprise Innovante (JEI)** or by an enterprise recognised as innovative by the Ministry of Economy, AND their role is **directly linked to the firm's R&D project**, AND their salary is at or above €39,582 gross annual. **The defining advantage of this parcours**: NO diploma requirement — unlike parcours salarié qualifié (which requires a French-obtained master's), this parcours is open to Vietnamese applicants without a French master's, provided the employer is JEI-labelled and the role is R&D-linked. The visa converts post-arrival into a carte de séjour pluriannuelle « Talent » valid up to 4 years. Common Vietnamese profile: experienced engineers, R&D specialists, data scientists, or technical leads recruited from Vietnam by a French startup or innovative SME with JEI status.
Talent passport — Employee on assignment (Salarié en mission, intra-group mobility)
Long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS Talent) under the **parcours salarié en mission** of the « talent-salarié qualifié » card per service-public.gouv.fr F16922. For employees of a foreign company moving to France under an intra-group mobility (between establishments of the same company OR between companies of the same group) with ≥3 months seniority in the group, a French-entity employment contract, and salary ≥€39,582. **No diploma requirement** — unlike parcours salarié qualifié. Typical Vietnamese profile: an experienced employee at a multinational's Vietnam office (e.g., Schneider, Capgemini, Atos, Renault) transferring to the French parent or sister company. The visa converts post-arrival into a carte de séjour pluriannuelle « Talent » valid up to 4 years.
Talent passport — EU Blue Card (Carte bleue européenne)
Long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS Talent) under the **Carte bleue européenne** sub-track of the Talent Passport regime per F16922. Implements EU Directive 2021/1883 (Blue Card recast) in France. For highly qualified foreign workers with: a 3-year higher-education diploma OR 5 years of comparable senior professional experience (reduced to 3 years for ministry-listed professions); a contract ≥6 months; and a gross annual salary ≥€59,373 (1.5× the reference). The Blue Card carries **EU-wide mobility rights** — after 12 months in France the holder can move to another Blue Card member state under simplified conditions (reduced to 6 months for further moves). The Blue Card's validity tracks contract duration: ≥2-year contract → carte valid for the contract duration up to 4 years; <2-year contract → contract duration + 3 months, capped at 2 years.
Talent passport — Researcher (Chercheur, convention d'accueil)
Long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS Talent) under the **Chercheur** sub-track of the Talent Passport regime per F16922. For researchers coming to France to conduct research OR teach at university level under a **convention d'accueil** (Cerfa 16079-03) signed with a French public or private accredited research/teaching organisation. The convention specifies the applicant is a researcher, the purpose, and the duration of the stay. **A €2,200/month minimum gross applies for researchers who signed a convention de séjour de recherche.** A master's-equivalent diploma is required. For Vietnamese applicants: typical profile is PhD candidates (visiting), postdocs, visiting research engineers/scientists hosted by CNRS, INSERM, INRIA, a French university, or an accredited private research body. Special variant — Chercheur programme de mobilité — for researchers already based in another EU country coming to do part of their research in France for >3 months (no long-stay visa required in that case).
Talent passport — Business creator (Porteur de projet, parcours création d'entreprise)
Long-stay visa (VLS-TS Talent) for foreign founders launching a real and serious business creation project in France, under the **parcours création d'entreprise** of the « talent-porteur de projet » card per F16922. Four cumulative conditions: master's-equivalent diploma OR 5 years comparable experience, real and serious creation project, sufficient personal resources (≥SMIC = €21,876.40 annual), project financing ≥€30,000. Carte pluriannuelle « Talent » up to 4 years. For Vietnamese applicants: typical profile is an experienced entrepreneur or technical founder bringing capital + project to France.
Talent passport — Innovative economic project (Porteur de projet, parcours projet économique innovant)
Long-stay visa (VLS-TS Talent) for foreign founders with an **innovative economic project recognised by the French Ministry of Economy**, under the parcours **projet économique innovant** of the « talent-porteur de projet » card per F16922. Two cumulative conditions: ministry-recognised innovative project + personal resources ≥ SMIC (€21,876.40 annual). No €30,000 project-financing threshold (unlike parcours création), no diploma test. The defining gateway is the **ministry-of-economy innovation recognition** — typically obtained via Business France's French Tech Visa programme or equivalent state-recognised innovation labels.
Talent passport — Direct economic investment (Porteur de projet, parcours investissement économique direct)
Long-stay visa (VLS-TS Talent) for foreign investors making a direct economic investment in France of **≥€300,000** in tangible or intangible assets, with an employment-creation commitment, under the parcours **investissement économique direct** of the « talent-porteur de projet » card per F16922. Three cumulative conditions: investment personally or via a society directing or owning ≥30% capital; creation/safeguarding of employment (or commitment to); investment ≥€300,000 in tangible/intangible assets in France. Typical profile: Vietnamese HNW investors funding a French business.
Talent passport — Company director (Mandataire social, 3× SMIC)
Long-stay visa (VLS-TS Talent) for foreign nationals appointed as legal representatives (gérant, président, directeur général, mandataire social) of a French-established company, under the **Mandataire social** sub-track per F16922. Three cumulative conditions: legal-representative function in a French entity, 3-month seniority in the group as employee or mandataire social, salary ≥3× SMIC = €65,629.20. Typical profile: senior Vietnamese executive appointed to direct a French subsidiary of a multinational group, OR an entrepreneur appointed as the legal representative of their own French entity.
Talent passport — Medical and pharmaceutical professions (Professions médicales et de la pharmacie)
Long-stay visa (VLS-TS Talent) for foreign medical and pharmaceutical professionals (doctors, dentists, midwives, pharmacists) coming to France under the **Professions médicales et de la pharmacie** sub-track per F16922. Two cumulative conditions: authorization to practice issued under the Code de la santé publique (allocation decision, temporary practice attestation, or permanent practice authorization), and gross annual salary ≥€41,386.48 (2nd échelon of the praticiens-associés émoluments grid). For Vietnamese applicants: typical profile is qualified medical/pharmaceutical professionals admitted under a hospital-cooperation framework or the EVC (Épreuves de Vérification des Connaissances) pathway.
Talent passport — Artistic and cultural profession (Profession artistique et culturelle)
Long-stay visa (VLS-TS Talent) for foreign artists, performers, and authors of literary or artistic work coming to France under the **Profession artistique et culturelle** sub-track per F16922. The applicant must be an artiste-interprète OR auteur d'œuvre littéraire ou artistique, with resources ≥70% of SMIC (= €1,276.12 per F16922 verbatim (F16922's figure does not exactly reconcile with current SMIC × 70% — verify both F16922 and current SMIC before each filing)/month, ≥51% from the artistic activity), and — if salaried — ≥3 months cumulative contract over 12 months with firms whose main activity is creation/exploitation of works of the mind. Cerfa 15617-01 (talent profession artistique variant of the visa form).
Talent passport — Renowned person (Personne de renommée nationale ou internationale)
Long-stay visa (VLS-TS Talent) for foreign nationals with **established national or international renown** OR those who can make a significant and durable contribution to France's economic development, territorial planning, or international standing, under the **Personne de renommée nationale ou internationale** sub-track per F16922. The activity must be in a scientific, literary, artistic, intellectual, educational, or sporting domain, with resources ≥ SMIC (€21,876.40 annual). Authorizes both salaried and non-salaried activity in the relevant domain.
Non-salaried activity — Commerce, industrie, artisanat
Long-stay visa with mention 'carte de séjour à solliciter dans les 2 mois suivant l'arrivée' for a foreign national coming to France to create or take over a commercial, industrial, or artisan business. Governs SARL, SAS, EURL, EI, and micro-entreprise structures in the commerce, manufacturing, and artisan sectors. Based on service-public.gouv.fr F35795 and CESEDA L.421-5. This is the path for Vietnamese entrepreneurs founding a trading company, a manufacturing unit, or a traditional-craft workshop in France — where the project does NOT reach the Talent Passport business-creator thresholds (€300K investment or BPI/Business France/CCI project recognition). Distinct from non-salaried-profession-liberale (liberal professions) and non-salaried-medecin-prive (private medical practice). Distinct from talent-business-creator-creation and talent-business-creator-investment, which require specific recognition or investment levels.
Non-salaried activity — Profession libérale
Long-stay visa with mention 'carte de séjour à solliciter dans les 2 mois suivant l'arrivée' for a foreign national coming to France to exercise an independent liberal profession — réglementée (regulated: avocat, architecte, expert-comptable, ingénieur conseil, etc.) or non réglementée (non-regulated: consultant, coach, trainer, etc.). Based on service-public.gouv.fr F35795 and CESEDA L.421-5. Typical Vietnamese applicant: a qualified professional — accountant, consultant, engineer, lawyer, or architect — who intends to exercise the profession independently in France, not as a salaried employee. For réglementée professions: qualification recognition by the relevant ordre professionnel and ordinal registration are required before the visa can be granted; these are long-lead processes. Distinct from non-salaried-commerce-industrie-artisanat (business/manufacturing/crafts) and from non-salaried-medecin-prive (private medical practice, which has its own CNG/ARS authorisation pathway). Also distinct from talent-passport tracks, which require recognition or investment thresholds not applicable here.
Non-salaried activity — Médecin / dentiste / sage-femme / pharmacien en exercice privé
Long-stay visa with mention 'carte de séjour à solliciter dans les 2 mois suivant l'arrivée' for a Vietnamese medical practitioner — physician (médecin), dentist (chirurgien-dentiste), midwife (sage-femme), or pharmacist (pharmacien) — setting up PRIVATE practice in France. Based on service-public.gouv.fr F35795, Code de la santé publique (autorisation d'exercer), and CESEDA L.421-5. This is distinct from talent-medical-professions (fr-talent-medical-professions), which covers medical practitioners employed by a French health institution as salaried workers under the Talent Passport regime. Non-salaried-medecin-prive is the path for the practitioner opening their own clinic or joining a private group practice (cabinet libéral, maison de santé libérale, etc.). Critical long-lead item: authorisation to practice in France (via Procédures d'Autorisation d'Exercice — PAE — administered by CNG (Centre National de Gestion) or ARS (Agence Régionale de Santé), depending on profession) plus ordinal registration (Ordre des médecins, Ordre des chirurgiens-dentistes, Ordre des sages-femmes, Ordre des pharmaciens) — these processes must begin long before the visa application.
Stagiaire en entreprise (company internship — convention de stage, parcours Entreprise)
Long-stay visa (VLS-T — visa de long séjour temporaire) for a foreign national coming to France to do a structured internship at a French company as part of their foreign academic curriculum, professional training programme, or international cooperation arrangement. Governed by service-public.gouv.fr F17312 (parcours Entreprise sub-track). The qualifying instrument is a tripartite convention de stage signed by the intern, the Vietnamese sending institution, and the French host company. The convention must be validated by French authorities via administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr before the applicant files the visa. Maximum initial duration: 6 months (F17312). This is a VLS-T — it does NOT require ANEF validation on arrival. Distinct from Formation continue (12-month professional training) and Hôpital (medical qualification recognition). No work permit required.
Stagiaire en formation professionnelle continue (vocational training internship — parcours Formation continue)
Long-stay visa (VLS-T — visa de long sejour temporaire) for a Vietnamese professional sent by their employer to undergo continuous vocational training at a recognised French training body (formation professionnelle continue), where the training includes a practical internship placement. Governed by service-public.gouv.fr F17312 (parcours Formation continue sub-track). The qualifying instrument is a tripartite convention de stage between the intern (the employee), the Vietnamese employer abroad, and the French training body (or a French firm with commercial relations with the foreign employer per F17312). The convention must be validated by French authorities before the visa is filed. Maximum initial duration: 12 months (F17312). VLS-T — does NOT require ANEF validation on arrival. No work permit required.
Stagiaire associe en milieu hospitalier (foreign medical practitioner — structured clinical training at a French CHU)
Long-stay visa (VLS-T — visa de long sejour temporaire) for a Vietnamese doctor or medical professional undertaking a structured clinical training period (stagiaire associe) at a French public hospital or non-profit hospital (CHU or equivalent) under an international hospital cooperation convention. Governed by service-public.gouv.fr F17312 (parcours Hopital sub-track). The qualifying instrument is a tripartite convention de stage between the intern, the French host hospital, and the organisation party to the hospital cooperation convention (plus, if different, the body paying the gratification). Convention must be validated by French authorities before the visa is filed. Maximum duration: 6 months (F17312 — hard cap, no extension within this sub-track). VLS-T — does NOT require ANEF validation on arrival. This sub-track is NOT the route to private medical practice (see fr-non-salaried-medecin-prive) and NOT the route to salaried hospital practice with autorisation d'exercer (see fr-talent-medical-professions).
Volontaire CES — Corps Européen de Solidarité / European Voluntary Service
Long-stay visa pathway for a Vietnamese national selected by a CES-accredited French host organisation to carry out a European Solidarity Corps (Corps Européen de Solidarité — CES) volunteering mission in France. CES is the realistic Vietnam-entry volunteering route: unlike service civique (F13278) and volontariat associatif (F13273), which require ≥1 year prior France residence, CES eligibility is determined by the EU programme accreditation of the host — no prior French residence required. Typical Vietnamese profile: young adult aged 18–30 selected by an accredited French host organisation for a 2–12 month volunteering mission. Visa type: VLS-T for missions ≤12 months; VLS-TS for longer missions. No salary — the CES programme pays a monthly pocket-money allowance and covers accommodation, meals, and travel. Post-arrival, the applicant files for an APS (Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour) « volontaire » at the préfecture within 1 month of arrival per F17335.
Service civique — Résidence-conversion track (NOT a Vietnam-entry route)
ELIGIBILITY GATE: Service civique requires ≥1 year of prior legal residence in France with a qualifying titre de séjour. This is NOT a direct-entry pathway from Vietnam. Vietnamese nationals cannot enter France on a service civique visa. This sub-track is used by individuals who are already residing in France under another status (e.g., étudiant, stagiaire) and wish to convert to service civique participation. Per F13278: the qualifying residence document is a carte de séjour temporaire bearing the mention « stagiaire / service civique ». Service civique age band: up to 25 years (until 26th birthday) for standard missions, extendable to 30 for certain specialised missions. Consultants advising Vietnamese clients seeking a volunteering entry route should redirect to volunteer-evs (CES).
Volontariat associatif — Résidence-conversion track (NOT a Vietnam-entry route)
ELIGIBILITY GATE: Volontariat associatif requires ≥1 year of prior legal residence in France with a qualifying titre de séjour. This is NOT a direct-entry pathway from Vietnam. Vietnamese nationals cannot enter France on a volontariat associatif visa. This sub-track is used by individuals already residing in France under another status (e.g., étudiant, salarié) who wish to convert to association volunteering. Per F13273: the resulting residence document is a carte de séjour temporaire « visiteur » mention. Age band: ≥25 years (distinct from service civique which is ≤25). Consultants advising Vietnamese clients seeking a volunteering entry route from Vietnam should redirect to volunteer-evs (CES).