VISAHJELP

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.

LAST VERIFIED · 2026-05-12 SOURCE: France-Visas · Independent · not affiliated

From the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs

“Decisions by the Embassy of France in Hanoi or Consulate-General in HCMC, with consular review building on the granted work permit. The work permit grant is the decisive prior step; once granted, the visa application generally moves to a routine consular review. Without an in-demand-profession ('métier en tension') match (Arrêté du 21 mai 2025), the employer faces an opposition-test on the labour market — they must justify why a French or EU candidate isn't available. With an in-demand-profession match, the opposition test is waived. Post-arrival: VLS-TS validation on ANEF within 3 months + OFII tax payment. After 1 year, apply for a carte de séjour pluriannuelle 'salarié' at the préfecture.”
— French Ministry of Foreign Affairs · French consulates

What you need

  • Multiple parallel requirements: (1) the French employer must hold a granted work permit (autorisation de travail) — applied via the administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr portal; (2) signed employment contract (CDI or CDD); (3) salary at or above SMIC (and at the applicable level for skilled-worker categories); (4) Vietnamese applicant's diplomas + experience relevant to the role; (5) Schengen-baseline documents (passport, photos, insurance until enrolled in Sécurité sociale, accommodation); (6) translated + notarised Vietnamese supporting documents. Filed at TLS Contact Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City after the employer's work permit is granted.

Checklist

17
  • Long-stay visa application form (Cerfa 14571-05) — completed online and signed *
  • Two recent identical biometric photos (35mm × 45mm, ICAO standard) *
  • Original passport (validity covering the VLS-TS period + 3 months; 2+ blank visa pages; issued ≤ 10 years ago) *
  • Passport copies — bio-data page + all pages with previous visas, stamps, or residence permits *
  • Vietnamese documents — notarised translation into English or French *
02

Work permit (employer-side)

  • Work permit (autorisation de travail) — granted to the French employer, not the applicant *
  • Signed employment contract (CDI for VLS-TS Salarié; CDD for Travailleur temporaire) *
  • Employer attestation — letter on company letterhead describing the role, start date, and salary *
03

Qualifications + experience

  • Diplomas, professional qualifications, certifications relevant to the role *
  • Detailed CV + work experience evidence *
04

Accommodation

  • Accommodation evidence — lease, hotel/Airbnb (first weeks), or employer-arranged housing *
05

Health insurance

  • Health insurance covering arrival until enrolment in Sécurité sociale via the employer *
06

Identity supplements

  • Birth certificate (with notarised translation) *
  • Marriage certificate (if married and family is moving with you)
07

Fees

  • Visa fee — EUR 99 (standard long-stay) *
  • TLS Contact service fee — EUR 25 per application *
  • TLS Contact appointment confirmation *

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