The French Embassy in Hanoi is at 57 Tran Hung Dao, Cua Nam Ward (switchboard +84 24 3944 5700). It is open Monday to Friday 08:30–12:00 and 13:30–17:30. Services for French nationals are by appointment only, 09:00–12:00 and 14:00–17:30. The embassy takes passport and ID card applications and handles civil status matters for French citizens in northern Vietnam. It also issues certificates and certifies copies and signatures. Info Travel helps French nationals with Vietnamese visas, residence cards, legalisation and certified translations – WhatsApp +84327828822.
Contact details of the French Embassy in Hanoi
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Address | 57 Tran Hung Dao, Cua Nam, Hanoi |
| Phone | Switchboard +84 24 3944 5700; France Consulaire (local rate) +84 24 3275 4302 |
| Not published – use the website contact form | |
| Website | vn.diplomatie.gouv.fr |
| Opening hours | Mon–Fri 08:30–12:00, 13:30–17:30. French nationals’ services (by appointment) 09:00–12:00, 14:00–17:30. France Consulaire 07:00–14:00 Paris time |
| Consular district | Northern Vietnam (the south is covered by the Consulate General in HCMC – check the website for the province list) |
Consular services for French citizens
The embassy’s French nationals’ service (“Administration des Français”) covers Hanoi and the northern provinces. Published services include:
- Passports and national ID cards. You pre-apply online via ANTS and apply in person with fingerprints. Passports are produced in France.
- Civil status (état civil): births, marriages and deaths.
- Registration on the register of French nationals abroad, elections and nationality.
- Certificates: certificat de coutume, residence certificates (free for registered nationals), life certificates for pensioners and inheritance certificates.
- Certified true copies (a paid service), certification of signatures on private documents, and certain notarial acts.
- Emergency assistance: lost documents, accidents and arrests.
What to know before you go
- The French nationals’ service sees visitors by appointment only, booked on consulat.gouv.fr (“Ambassade de France à Hanoi”). Each person needs their own appointment, including children.
- Routine questions go to France Consulaire, which answers 07:00–14:00 Paris time (afternoon and evening in Vietnam).
- Passport collection needs no appointment: Tuesday and Thursday 14:30–16:00, Friday 14:30–15:30. Bring your receipt and your old passport.
- Bring original ID and expect security checks at the gate.
- The embassy closes on Vietnamese and French public holidays, such as 14 July.
- The embassy switchboard does not discuss visas. French visa applications go through the appointed service provider (TLScontact), whose appointments can be scarce, so book early.
- Emails to the embassy can take more than two weeks to get a reply. For urgent matters, call France Consulaire or book an appointment rather than waiting for an email.
- Visa applicants may be asked for documents beyond the initial checklist, so apply well before your travel date.
Common situations that bring foreigners to the embassy
Lost passport: get a loss report from the ward police where it happened, inform the embassy and apply for a replacement document. You will then need a new Vietnamese visa or an exit permit, because the old visa was in the lost passport. See exit procedures for foreigners.
Passport nearing expiry: French passports take about six to eight weeks, so apply early. Once you have the new passport, transfer your visa or temporary residence card to it. You may need a visa extension while you wait.
Marrying a Vietnamese citizen: you will usually need a certificat de coutume, a French birth certificate and proof of marital status.
Work permits and residence cards: criminal records and French degrees must be apostilled or legalised and given a notarised Vietnamese translation.
Voting and residence proof: registering as a French national abroad lets you get residence certificates and vote in Hanoi.
Help with a French passport in Vietnam
The French Embassy in Hanoi accepts passport applications by appointment, and you must attend for fingerprinting. Passports are made in France and take six to eight weeks on average. They must be collected within three months.
Info Travel helps within the limits the embassy sets. We guide you through the ANTS pre-application and booking, check your documents, arrange photos and translate any Vietnamese documents you need. Afterwards we transfer your visa or TRC and handle exit or entry formalities. You still submit the application, give biometrics and, as an adult, collect the passport yourself.
Consular legalisation, certification and certified translation
Since 11 September 2026, the Apostille Convention has applied between Vietnam and France (France is a party and did not object to Vietnam’s accession). The apostille is therefore the main route for public documents between the two countries, with consular legalisation only as a fallback. Civil status records are also exempt under the bilateral agreement.
French documents for use in Vietnam: the French government site says civil status records (birth, marriage, death, recognition) are exempt from legalisation under the Franco-Vietnamese judicial assistance agreement of 24 February 1999. Other documents, such as degrees and criminal records, need an apostille or legalisation. Since 2025 French regional notary councils have handled this, and the Apostille Convention has been in force for Vietnam since 11 September 2026. The document is then translated into Vietnamese and notarised. See apostille vs consular legalisation.
Vietnamese documents for use in France: public documents are certified or apostilled by the Consular Department in Hanoi or a Department of Foreign Affairs. Where legalisation is still required, they then go to the French consular post. Private documents need signature certification first. Add a French translation.
Info Travel handles the chain: notarised translation between Vietnamese and French, the foreign affairs stamp, and consular legalisation submission and collection. Ask for a quote on WhatsApp.
French Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City
French nationals in the south use the Consulate General at 27 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai. Read Consulate General of France in Ho Chi Minh City.
Frequently asked questions
Does the French Embassy have an email address?
No general email is published. Use the contact form or call France Consulaire.
How much is a French passport in Hanoi?
According to the official site, EUR 96 for adults, EUR 52 for minors aged 15 and over, and EUR 27 for children under 15. You pay by electronic stamp or at the counter.
Does my French birth certificate need legalising for marriage in Vietnam?
Civil status records are exempt under the 1999 agreement, but you still need a notarised Vietnamese translation.
Can I book for someone else?
Each person needs their own appointment and must attend. Info Travel can guide the booking and prepare the paperwork.
See the full list of foreign embassies in Vietnam.
Info Travel – visa solutions for foreigners in Vietnam
📞 WhatsApp/Zalo: +84327828822 – Hotline: +84903782118
📍 Tini Building, 152–154 Vo Van Kiet, Ben Thanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City
