Visahjelp

Non-salaried activity — Profession libérale

This long-stay visa is for Vietnamese nationals who want to practise a liberal profession independently in France — either a regulated profession (such as a lawyer, architect, or accountant, overseen by a professional order) or an unregulated one (such as a consultant, coach, or trainer). For regulated professions, the applicant's qualifications must be recognised by the relevant French professional order before the visa is filed — this is a lengthy process. For unregulated professions, recognition is not required upfront but evidence of intended activity (client letters, mission contracts) is still needed. After arriving in France, the applicant has 2 months to file for a carte de séjour at the préfecture.

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 + URSSAF. For réglementée professions: ordinal registration must be completed post-arrival before the applicant can legally practise. After the initial 1-year temporary card, the applicant can apply for renewal; 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.”
— French Ministry of Foreign Affairs · French consulates

What you need

  • Per F35795 and CESEDA L.421-5: (1) the liberal profession must be the applicant's main activity; (2) it must be economically viable and provide sufficient means of existence (€1,823.03 monthly (per F35795 verified 1 May 2026) — administratively fixed, not auto-indexed to current SMIC; re-verify on F35795 before each filing. (3) it must correspond to the applicant's qualifications or relevant experience; (4) it must be registered at the guichet unique des formalités d'entreprise (formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr); (5) for a réglementée profession: proof of enrolment or prior authorisation from the relevant French ordre professionnel (Ordre des avocats, Ordre des architectes, Ordre des experts-comptables, Ordre des ingénieurs, etc.) — the recognition process must be completed BEFORE filing the visa. Application form: Cerfa 14571-05. long-stay visa — carte de séjour at préfecture within 2 months of arrival.

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 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 *
  • Qualifications establishing the liberal profession — diplomas + CV; for réglementée professions: ordre professionnel enrolment or authorisation *
  • Evidence of intended activity — signed mission contracts, client letters of intent, or structure statutes *
  • Financial-resources evidence — €1,823.03/month minimum (F35795 verified 1 May 2026; administratively fixed) *
  • 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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