My Review of Action Visas

As a French citizen, we are incredibly lucky to hold an exceptional passport that grants entry to many countries without needing to apply for a visa in advance.

In over 5 years of constant travel, we’ve only had to apply for visas a handful of times (India , and Myanmar for instance). Each time, we handled the online procedures ourselves.

As the spouse of a Vietnamese citizen, I’m eligible to apply for a 5-year visa exemption. To get it, you must visit the Vietnamese embassy in Paris in person. Since we’re pressed for time and Anh knows how tricky these procedures can be, we weren’t thrilled about doing it ourselves.

So it was the perfect opportunity to enlist the services of Action Visas.

Action Visas is a highly reputable agency that has been handling visa applications on your behalf since 1993. We’ve known about Action Visas for a while but had never used their services, so this was a chance to give them a try. Friends in Thailand used them for their COE application and were very satisfied with the service.

P/s: this article is not NOT sponsored

Why Use Action Visas?

Several scenarios might prompt you to turn to Action Visas:

• If you don’t live in Paris (where the embassies are) and there’s no consulate in your city, Action Visas saves you from having to travel for visa procedures.
• If you’d rather not deal with the hassle (like us): visas for certain countries (Russia or China, for example) or specific visas (like business ones) can be quite complicated to obtain. It’s a huge peace of mind to hand that task over to a specialized agency.
• If you’re short on time: Action Visas offers expedited procedures and can even deliver your passport directly to the airport if deadlines are extremely tight.

How does it work?

You can drop by the agency in person (no appointment needed) at their office in the 13th arrondissement of Paris.

But the easiest way is to go through their website, where you can start your application and see the list of required documents.

Once the application is pre-filled, you can send it (along with your passport) to the Action Visas address. In that case, it’s best to use secure shipping services like DHL, UPS, or Chronopost, or drop it off in person (no appointment needed).

Action Visas offers various options that can make life easier:

• If you lack ID photos, you can email them a photo, and they’ll adjust it to the required format and print it.
• They can fill out the embassy forms on your behalf.
• They offer insurance options in case of visa delays, as well as repatriation coverage for your trip.

Action Visas will then review your application and visit the embassy for you. They’ll pick up your passport and visa once it’s ready, and either mail your passport to your home or have you collect it in person.

The Paris 13th Agency

I visited their office in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. I was surprised by how large the agency was—bigger than I expected, with about forty employees handling our visa processes.

Upon arrival, you take a ticket and wait in the waiting room. There’s a photocopier available (30 cents per copy) and a photo booth (5 euros), which is quite handy: my photos for the Thai visa weren’t the standard size, and it was nice not to have to rush out to retake them.

When it’s your turn, an Action Visas staff member ensures your application is complete.

If you haven’t paid online, you can pay on-site by check, card, or cash.

And that’s it—your part is done! All that’s left is to wait for the visa to be ready.

The tracking is efficient; I received an email as soon as my application was submitted (especially useful if you send it by mail) and a second one 45 minutes later confirming that my application was verified and would be presented to the embassy on the next business day.

How much does it cost?

You pay consular fees, which are the same as if you’d done it yourself, plus Action Visas’ service fees.

Prices vary depending on the country and the options you select.

In my case (5-year Vietnamese visa exemption, no options, with on-site drop-off and pickup), I paid €130: €70 in consular fees and €60 in Action Visas fees.

My opinion

Everything went smoothly. Although I initially received an estimated processing time of 30 days (the visa I applied for was specific, and the Vietnamese embassy had just reopened applications after two years of COVID), I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email after just 8 days letting me know my visa was ready. I picked up my passport from the agency that same day.

I can only recommend Action Visas’ services!