Long-term studies (VLS-TS Étudiant)
France's long-stay student visa — for higher-education studies at an accredited French institution, with a mandatory Campus France (EEF) pre-screening step for Vietnamese applicants.
Schooled minor (VLS « mineur scolarisé »)
Long-stay visa for foreign minors enrolling in a French primary or secondary school — only where their parents do not already live in France.
Salaried employment (Salarié / Travailleur temporaire — VLS-TS)
Long-stay employer-sponsored work visa for skilled Vietnamese workers with a job offer from a French company — the employer must obtain a work permit before the visa application.
Talent Passport (Passeport Talent / Carte talent)
France's Talent Passport — a multi-year residence visa for highly skilled foreign nationals covering eight specialist categories from qualified employees to researchers, artists, and investors.
Extended tourism / Visiteur (VLS-TS « visiteur »)
Long-stay visa for financially independent people who want to live in France for 3 to 12 months without working — requires demonstrating a minimum annual income and a strict commitment to not take any employment.
Jeune au pair (Young au pair — VLS-TS)
Long-stay visa for young people aged 18–30 placed with a French host family to improve their French, in exchange for light household help — regulated by a formal written agreement and capped at 2 years total.
Young worker (Jeunes salariés / Jeunes professionnels) — NOT AVAILABLE to Vietnamese applicants
NOT available to Vietnamese applicants — this visa type is open only to nationals of countries that have a bilateral young-professional exchange agreement with France, and Vietnam is not on either list.
Talent passport — Qualified employee (Salarié qualifié, VLS-TS Talent)
Talent Passport for qualified employees — for those who earned a master's degree in France and have a French job offer paying at least €39,582 a year.
Talent passport — Employee of an innovative company (JEI / entreprise innovante)
Talent Passport for employees of innovative companies — for those hired by a French start-up or innovative firm (JEI status) in a role directly tied to its R&D work, at a salary of at least €39,582 a year.
Talent passport — Employee on assignment (Salarié en mission, intra-group mobility)
Talent Passport for intra-group transfers — for employees of a foreign company moving to a French entity within the same group, with at least three months' group seniority and a salary of at least €39,582 a year.
Talent passport — EU Blue Card (Carte bleue européenne)
France's EU Blue Card — the Talent Passport route for highly qualified workers who hold a degree and a high-salary job offer.
Talent passport — Researcher (Chercheur, convention d'accueil)
Talent Passport for researchers — for academics and scientists coming to France to conduct research or teach at university level under a hosting agreement with a French research institution.
Talent passport — Business creator (Porteur de projet, parcours création d'entreprise)
Talent Passport for business creators — for entrepreneurs launching a real business project in France with at least €30,000 in project financing and personal income at least at minimum-wage level.
Talent passport — Innovative economic project (Porteur de projet, parcours projet économique innovant)
Talent Passport for innovative project founders — for entrepreneurs whose project has been officially recognised as innovative by the French Ministry of Economy, with no diploma or €30,000 financing requirement.
Talent passport — Direct economic investment (Porteur de projet, parcours investissement économique direct)
Talent Passport for direct investors — for foreign nationals investing at least €300,000 in French assets with a commitment to create or preserve jobs.
Talent passport — Company director (Mandataire social, 3× SMIC)
Talent Passport for company directors — for foreign nationals appointed as the legal representative of a French company, with at least three months' group seniority and a salary of at least €65,629 a year.
Talent passport — Medical and pharmaceutical professions (Professions médicales et de la pharmacie)
Talent Passport for medical and pharmaceutical professionals — for doctors, dentists, midwives, and pharmacists who have received official authorisation to practise in France and meet the required salary threshold.
Talent passport — Artistic and cultural profession (Profession artistique et culturelle)
Talent Passport for artists and cultural professionals — for performers, visual artists, and literary or artistic authors whose main income comes from their creative work.
Talent passport — Renowned person (Personne de renommée nationale ou internationale)
Talent Passport for renowned persons — for internationally or nationally recognised figures in science, the arts, sport, or another qualifying field who wish to live and work in France.
Non-salaried activity — Commerce, industrie, artisanat
Long-stay visa for Vietnamese entrepreneurs who want to set up or take over a commercial, industrial, or craft business in France — for projects that don't meet the Talent Passport business-creator thresholds.
Non-salaried activity — Profession libérale
Long-stay visa for Vietnamese qualified professionals — such as accountants, lawyers, architects, or consultants — who want to practise independently in France without being employed.
Non-salaried activity — Médecin / dentiste / sage-femme / pharmacien en exercice privé
Long-stay visa for Vietnamese physicians, dentists, midwives, or pharmacists who want to open a private practice in France — requires completing a multi-year French authorisation-to-practise process before applying.
Stagiaire en entreprise (company internship — convention de stage, parcours Entreprise)
Long-stay visa for foreign nationals doing a structured company internship in France as part of their overseas academic curriculum or training programme — valid up to 6 months, no work permit needed.
Stagiaire en formation professionnelle continue (vocational training internship — parcours Formation continue)
Long-stay visa for Vietnamese professionals sent by their employer to undergo continuous vocational training at a recognised French training body — valid up to 12 months, no work permit needed.
Stagiaire associe en milieu hospitalier (foreign medical practitioner — structured clinical training at a French CHU)
Long-stay visa for Vietnamese doctors or medical professionals doing a structured clinical training period at a French public or non-profit hospital under an international cooperation agreement — capped at 6 months.
Volontaire CES — Corps Européen de Solidarité / European Voluntary Service
Long-stay visa for young Vietnamese people (typically 18–30) selected by an accredited French organisation for a European Solidarity Corps volunteering mission — the main direct-entry volunteer route from Vietnam.
Service civique — Résidence-conversion track (NOT a Vietnam-entry route)
Service civique participation for people already legally resident in France for at least 1 year — this is NOT a direct entry route from Vietnam.
Volontariat associatif — Résidence-conversion track (NOT a Vietnam-entry route)
Volontariat associatif participation for people already legally resident in France for at least 1 year — this is NOT a direct entry route from Vietnam.