Vietnam visa for France citizens

Do French passport holders need a visa for Vietnam?

Currently, French passport holders are exempted from a Vietnam visa for stays of 45 days or less. To be eligible to stay for up to 15 days, you are required to fulfill the following criteria. To stay in Vietnam for longer than 45 days, you must obtain a Vietnam visa. 

How to apply for a Vietnamese visa on a French passport

As a French national, you are eligible for a Vietnam e-visa, a visa on arrival, and a visa at Vietnam Embassy in France.

Visa at the Embassy

To obtain a Vietnam visa at the embassy in France, you can submit the required documents, including a completed application form, passport photos, and appropriate fee to the Vietnam embassy in Paris. Once the application is processed, you can receive the visa in person or via mail.

Apply for e-visa online

You can apply for a Vietnam e-visa, which allows for stays of up to 90 days for tourism, business, or transit purposes. The application can be completed online through the Vietnam Immigration Department's website: https://evisa.xuatnhapcanh.gov.vn/.

It takes around three to five working days for an e-visa to be processed and issued via email. You need to provide a scanned copy of your French passport, a passport-sized photo, and pay the visa fee online.

Apply for a visa on arrival

A Vietnam visa on arrival is available for those traveling by air at any of Vietnam’s international airports. You do not need to visit Vietnam Embassy in France to get this visa. Here are the required steps:

• Apply for a visa approval letter from a Vietnamese travel agency or visa processing company.
• Receive the approval letter via email, which must be presented upon arrival at the airport in Vietnam.
• Provide a completed entry and exit form, two passport-sized photos, and pay the visa stamping fee at the airport.

How much is the visa fee for French passports?

Fee comparison

Travel tips for French citizens visiting Vietnam

How to get there

There are several airlines that offer direct and connecting flights between France and Vietnam. Some of the major airlines include Air France, Vietnam Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Turkish Airlines.

The most popular route for flights between France and Vietnam is from Paris to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi with a flight time of approximately 12-13 hours. Other cities in France from which you can fly to Vietnam include Lyon, Marseille, and Nice, but these flights may have one or more stops and longer travel times.

Paris - Ho Chi Minh City

Lyon - Ho Chi Minh City

Weather information

Vietnam and France have different weather patterns due to differences in terms of locations and topography. Here are some typical features to keep in mind:

• Climate: Vietnam has a tropical climate with high humidity and temperature year-round while France has a temperate climate with distinct seasons.
• Weather: Vietnam's weather is divided into the rainy and dry seasons while France experiences four distinct seasons.
• Temperature: The average temperature in Vietnam ranges from 25 to 30°C (77 to 86°F) with high levels of rainfall, particularly during the rainy season from May to October. By contrast, the average temperature in France ranges from 0 to 20°C (32 to 68°F) in winter and from 15 to 25°C (59 to 77°F) in summer.