Visahjelp

Business travel (≤ 90 days)

This Schengen short-stay visa covers business travel to France for up to 90 days within any 180-day rolling period. Permitted activities include meetings, negotiations, conferences, trade fairs, signing contracts, short corporate training, and internships of up to 90 days. Regular employment and any work arrangement beyond these purposes is not allowed — if you intend to work in France, you need a long-stay visa instead. The key piece of evidence is an invitation letter from your French or EU host company, on company letterhead, with full details of the trip and who is covering costs.

From the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs

“Decisions are made by the consular officer at the Embassy of France in Hanoi or the Consulate-General in Ho Chi Minh City — TLS Contact only collects, it does not decide. Schengen Visa Code legal maximum is 15 calendar days (Article 23); in practice TLS Contact / France-Visas typical processing time for Vietnamese applicants is around 3 weeks. Can extend to 45 days in specific cases. The visa fee (€90 short-stay) is not refunded if the visa is refused.”
— French Ministry of Foreign Affairs · French consulates

What you need

  • You must show: business purpose of travel (invitation letter from the French/EU host + meeting agenda or conference programme), sufficient funds for the trip, EUR 30,000 medical travel insurance valid in all Schengen states, employer authorisation for the trip (if employed), and Vietnam-side ties (employment, family, property) sufficient to evidence return. Application is filed online at france-visas.gouv.fr; documents are lodged at TLS Contact Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City by appointment.

Checklist

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  • Schengen visa application form (Cerfa 14076-05) — completed online and signed *
  • Two recent identical biometric photos (35mm × 45mm, ICAO standard) *
  • Original passport (valid 3+ months after planned Schengen exit; 2+ blank visa pages; issued ≤ 10 years ago) *
  • Passport copies — bio-data page + all pages with previous Schengen visas or visa-relevant stamps *
  • Vietnamese documents — notarised translation into English or French *
  • Travel medical insurance — minimum EUR 30,000 coverage, valid in all Schengen states, covering the entire intended stay *
02

Business purpose evidence

  • Request letter, summons, or invitation from your correspondent in France *
  • Trade fair / conference admission card (alternative to invitation letter)
  • Inviting company's commitment to cover all costs (alternative to invitation letter)
03

Flight and accommodation

  • Meeting agenda / conference programme / business itinerary *
  • Flight evidence — search-engine printout showing availability for the planned dates (NOT a paid reservation) *
  • Accommodation evidence — paid hotel reservation covering the full stay, OR a private-stay attestation (attestation d'accueil) *
04

Vietnam-side financial ties

  • Recent bank statements — 3 months, showing balance and transaction history *
  • Property or tax evidence — house/apartment title, property tax, or recent personal income tax return (where applicable)
05

If applicant is employed

  • Employer letter — authorising the business trip, confirming employment, salary, position, and expected return *
  • Payslips — last 3 months *
06

If applicant is self-employed or business owner

  • Business registration certificate (Giấy chứng nhận đăng ký kinh doanh) *
  • Recent business tax return / corporate tax filing *
07

If applicant is retired

  • Pension or retirement income evidence — pension book or recent statements *
08

Vietnam-side family ties

  • Vietnamese household / residence registration (Xác nhận cư trú / VNeID Level 2 / Căn cước chip) *
  • Marriage certificate — if travelling without spouse or visiting spouse
09

Fees

  • Visa fee — EUR 90 (standard short-stay; reductions/exemptions per Article 16) *
  • TLS Contact service fee — EUR 25 per application (paid to the vendor at appointment) *
  • TLS Contact appointment confirmation *

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