Visahjelp

Talent passport — Qualified employee (Salarié qualifié, VLS-TS Talent)

This Talent Passport category is for foreign nationals who obtained a master's-level degree in France — or a grande école diploma recognised at that level — and then receive a French employment offer of at least €39,582 gross per year on a contract of three months or more. The typical profile is a Vietnamese student who completed a French master's and is hired by a French employer straight after graduating. No work permit or labour-market test is required. After arrival the visa converts to a multi-year residence card valid up to four years. Note: a foreign master's degree — including a Vietnamese one — does not satisfy the diploma condition here; applicants without a French-obtained degree should look at the innovative-company employee, intra-group transfer, or EU Blue Card categories instead.

From the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs

“Decisions by the Embassy of France in Hanoi or Consulate-General in HCMC. Post-arrival: VLS-TS Talent validation on the ANEF portal within 3 months of arrival. The visa converts to a **carte de séjour pluriannuelle « Talent »** valid up to **4 years** at the préfecture (or matching contract duration if shorter). Préfecture fees per F16922: **€350 (€50 droit de timbre + €300 taxe)** at carte issuance, paid by timbres fiscaux. Carte talent-famille (F35792) for accompanying spouse and dependent minor children with equivalent validity — file concurrently. EES does NOT apply (long-stay VLS-TS — recorded in VIS + French national residence-permit databases).”
— French Ministry of Foreign Affairs · French consulates

What you need

  • Per F16922 (2 cumulative conditions for parcours salarié qualifié) + Welcome to France (Vérifié 11 May 2026, set as of 31 August 2025): (1) **Master's-level diploma obtained IN FRANCE** (DEA, DESS, diplôme d'ingénieur, Sciences Po, expertise comptable, doctorate in medicine/dentistry/pharmacy/veterinary, etc.) OR **a niveau-1 diploma labelled by the Conférence des grandes écoles (CGE)**. A foreign-obtained diploma — including Vietnamese master's degrees — does NOT satisfy this condition by ENIC-NARIC equivalence. (2) **Employment contract** (CDI or CDD) of **at least 3 months** + **gross annual salary ≥ EUR 39,582**. Common documentation: Cerfa 15614-02 (passeport talent form), passport, biometric photos, civil-status documents, accommodation evidence, health insurance bridging until Sécurité sociale enrolment, signed employment contract, French employer's offer letter, French-obtained diploma + transcripts (originals + certified copies). Application filed at TLS Contact Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.

Checklist

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  • Long-stay visa application form — Cerfa 15614-02 (passeport talent), online + signed *
  • Two recent identical biometric photos (35mm × 45mm, ICAO standard) *
  • Original passport (validity covering the Talent card 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 + sworn translation into French or English *
  • Signed employment contract — CDI or CDD ≥ 3 months at qualifying salary *
  • Master's-level diploma OBTAINED IN FRANCE (or CGE-labelled niveau-1 diploma) *
  • Detailed CV — supplementary to the diploma evidence *
  • Accommodation evidence — lease, hotel/Airbnb (first weeks), employer-arranged housing, or attestation *
  • Health insurance covering arrival until enrolment in Sécurité sociale via the employer *
  • Birth certificate (with notarised translation) *
  • Marriage certificate (if accompanied by spouse — see also carte talent-famille F35792)
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Fees

  • Visa fee — EUR 99 (standard long-stay) *
  • Préfecture card-issuance fee — EUR 350 (EUR 50 droit de timbre + EUR 300 taxe), paid by timbres fiscaux at carte delivery *
  • TLS Contact service fee — EUR 25 per applicant *
  • TLS Contact appointment confirmation *

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