From the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs
“Decisions by the Embassy of France in Hanoi or the Consulate-General in HCMC. **Post-arrival: applicant files the carte de séjour at the relevant préfecture within 2 months of arrival. Brief applicants explicitly before departure. Post-arrival: carte de séjour at préfecture + guichet unique registration + completion of ordinal registration if not yet done. After the initial 1-year temporary card, renewal is possible; after A2 French (waived if >65) AND civic exam, eligible for 4-year carte de séjour pluriannuelle (F35799). Préfecture card-issuance fee: €350 (€50 droit de timbre + €300 taxe) at carte delivery, paid by timbres fiscaux (F33071). EES does NOT apply. Route to fr-talent-medical-professions if the practitioner is hired by a French health institution as a salaried employee under the Talent Passport regime instead.”
What you need
- Per F35795, Code de la santé publique, and CESEDA L.421-5: (1) the private medical practice must be the applicant's main activity; (2) it must be economically viable and provide sufficient means of existence (approximately SMIC full-time annual — verify on Légifrance before filing); (3) it must correspond to the applicant's qualifications — Vietnamese medical diplomas must be recognised via PAE/CNG/ARS; (4) it must be registered at the guichet unique des formalités d'entreprise; (5) authorisation to practise (autorisation d'exercer) must be obtained from CNG/ARS through the PAE procedure; (6) ordinal registration (Ordre des médecins, Ordre des chirurgiens-dentistes, Ordre des sages-femmes, or Ordre des pharmaciens) must be completed. Application form: Cerfa 14571-05. long-stay visa — carte de séjour at préfecture within 2 months of arrival.
Checklist
18- 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 visa pages; issued ≤ 10 years ago) *
- Passport copies — bio-data page + all pages with visas, stamps, or residence permits *
- Vietnamese documents — notarised + sworn translation into French or English *
- Autorisation d'exercer (PAE) — from CNG or ARS: evidence of application or decision *
- Ordinal registration — Ordre des médecins / Ordre des chirurgiens-dentistes / Ordre des sages-femmes / Ordre des pharmaciens *
- Medical diplomas — original Vietnamese medical degree + any postgraduate specialisation certificates, with notarised translation *
- Private practice project — description of intended practice (type, location, structure: cabinet libéral, maison de santé, etc.) + financing *
- Financial-resources evidence — at or above SMIC full-time equivalent *
- Intent or evidence to register at the guichet unique des formalités d'entreprise *
- Accommodation evidence — signed lease, hotel/Airbnb booking (first weeks), or attestation d'hébergement *
- Health insurance — from arrival until enrolment in the French health system *
- Birth certificate (with notarised translation) *
- Visa fee — €99 (standard long-stay), paid at TLS Contact appointment *
- TLS Contact service fee — €25 per applicant *
- Préfecture card-issuance fee — €350 (€50 droit de timbre + €300 taxe) at carte delivery, paid by timbres fiscaux *
- TLS Contact appointment — booked in advance, biometric collection *
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