Guides
Practical guides for working between France and Asia: trade agreements, importing and exporting, avoiding scams. Every guide cites its official sources and shows when it was last updated.
In Thailand, some cafés welcome dogs with their owners and serve them treats made for them: bone-shaped biscuits, drinks and ice creams with no sugar and no cow's milk.
Over there
The owner drinks a coffee, the dog has its biscuit: people come as a family, take photos, and come back. Some cafés also sell their treats to take away.
In France
There are a great many dog owners, and they look for natural products. A few dog bakeries exist, but the idea is still not widespread.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A pet shop, a dog groomer or a café in France can find manufacturers of treats or packaging in Asia.
- An Asian manufacturer can find distributors in France.
To check before you start
- Making or selling pet food is regulated: the workshop must be registered and follow hygiene rules specific to animal feed. Ask the DDPP (French local food safety and consumer protection office).
- Some foods are dangerous for dogs (chocolate, grapes, xylitol, onion…): recipes must be safe for the animal.
- Importing products that contain meat, fish or milk is very strictly controlled (veterinary checks at the border): ask the service des douanes (French customs) for advice before any order.
- Welcoming animals in a place where food is served means following hygiene rules: check with the DDPP.
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
In Vietnam, "xe giường nằm" buses replace seats with berths: you travel lying down, often at night, for an excursion or a long journey. You wake up at your destination, rested, without paying for a hotel for the night.
Over there
Two or three rows of berths on two levels, a blanket, a socket for your phone. Excursion agencies and bus companies use it as a selling point: you save a night and gain a day of sightseeing.
In France
Night buses exist, but you stay seated. Travelling lying down on a bus is almost unknown, while many travellers are looking for cheaper and less tiring journeys.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A travel agency in France can offer its customers sleeper bus excursions in Vietnam, with a partner company on the spot.
- A Vietnamese company can find French agencies that send it travellers.
- In France, a carrier could study the idea, while respecting European rules.
To check before you start
- Carrying passengers is a regulated activity: registration in the register of carriers, with the DREAL (regional transport authority) of your region.
- A vehicle must be approved in Europe (safety standards, seat belts): a sleeper bus built for Asia cannot simply be imported and put on the road.
- Selling trips or excursions requires registration as a travel operator with Atout France (French tourism agency that registers travel sellers).
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
In Vietnam or Thailand, you see phones fixed to the handlebars of scooters and protected from the rain and sun: a small umbrella above, a visor, a waterproof cover. These small accessories are sold everywhere, for a few euros.
Over there
The phone is used as a GPS and as a work tool (deliveries, motorbike taxis). In the rain of the wet season, everyone protects it with a simple, cheap accessory, sold in markets and by the roadside.
In France
Delivery riders and couriers on bikes or scooters ride with their phone on the handlebars, in all weathers. Protections exist online, but few are found in local shops, and many people do not know they exist.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A business in France (bike or scooter shop, market trader) can find a manufacturer in China or Vietnam.
- An Asian manufacturer can find resellers in France, for example near the places where delivery riders gather.
To check before you start
- Every product sold in Europe must be safe and correctly labelled (European product safety rules): ask the DGCCRF (French consumer protection authority).
- Importing means paying customs duties: ask the service des douanes (French customs) for the exact customs code of the product.
- Motorbike helmet: never drill, glue or modify it. A helmet must be approved, and a badly fixed accessory can cancel this approval.
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
In many cities in Asia, you still come across shoe shiners near stations, cafés and offices. In France, this trade has almost disappeared.
Over there
A little equipment (brushes, polishes, cloths, a stool), a busy spot, and a quick service while the customer waits or drinks a coffee. Some also go from office to office.
In France
A few shoe shiners remain in the big stations or in some business districts, and some cobblers offer shoe care. There is demand from people who wear leather shoes every day.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A regular service in companies (one visit a week), in a hair salon or in a hotel.
- Suppliers of brushes, polishes or equipment in Asia, for anyone who wants to start.
To check before you start
- Setting up on a pavement or a square requires permission from the town hall (use of public space).
- You must be registered: find out on the guichet unique des entreprises (French one-stop shop for business formalities) (formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr).
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
In some cities in Vietnam, such as Hội An, sewing workshops take your measurements in the morning and let you try on a suit or a dress a few days later.
Over there
The customer chooses a fabric and a design (often from a photo), their measurements are taken, then one or two fittings are enough. Prices are low and delays are very short, because the workshops work as a team and are used to it.
In France
Real made-to-measure exists, but it is often expensive and takes several weeks. Many people do not even think of it.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A dressmaker or an alterations shop in France can work with a partner workshop in Vietnam: measurements taken here, made over there, finishing done here.
- A Vietnamese workshop can find business customers in France (shops, restaurant uniforms, wedding outfits).
To check before you start
- Sewing and alterations are craft trades: ask the Chambre de métiers et de l'artisanat (French chamber of trades and crafts) in your département.
- Bringing in clothes from abroad means importing: customs duties and labelling (fabric composition) apply.
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
In Vietnam, in many cafés, bars and small restaurants, you are served a glass of iced tea ("trà đá") as soon as you order a drink or food. It is often free, or almost: it is the equivalent of our glass of water.
Over there
A large pot of light green tea, ice cubes, and every customer gets a glass when they sit down. The gesture costs little and is part of the welcome: you feel expected.
In France
With a meal, the jug of water is free. A homemade iced tea, served in addition and free of charge, would be a rare touch that gets people talking about a place and makes them want to come back.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A café or a restaurant in France can find a green tea grower in Vietnam (for example from the Thái Nguyên region, known for its tea).
- A Vietnamese grower can find business customers in France: cafés, Asian restaurants, grocery shops.
To check before you start
- The iced tea comes in addition to water: with a meal, the jug of water must still be provided.
- Ice cubes must be made with drinking water and stored according to restaurant hygiene rules: ask the DDPP (French local food safety and consumer protection office).
- Importing tea means going through customs and respecting European limits on pesticide residues: ask the service des douanes (French customs) for advice before the first order.
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
In Ho Chi Minh City as in Hanoi, cafés put small tables and low stools out on the pavement. People drink an iced coffee with condensed milk in the morning, a fresh juice in the evening, and watch the city go by.
Over there
Little space, low costs: a few folding tables, some stools, a cool box, and the café is open. Vietnamese coffee, filtered drop by drop through a small metal filter (the "phin"), is strong and often served iced.
In France
Terraces are everywhere, but the feel of little stools at street level and Vietnamese iced coffee are still little known, outside a few neighbourhoods of big cities.
The idea for the Passerelle
- A café or a restaurant in France can find in Vietnam a coffee grower (Vietnam is one of the very biggest coffee producers in the world), "phin" filters or furniture.
- A Vietnamese roaster or grower can find cafés, grocery shops and restaurants as customers in France.
To check before you start
- Setting up a terrace on the pavement requires permission from the town hall, often for a fee.
- You must always leave enough room for pedestrians, pushchairs and wheelchairs.
- Serving drinks and food follows hygiene rules (DDPP, the French local food safety and consumer protection office), and selling alcohol requires a licence.
- Importing coffee means going through customs: ask the service des douanes (French customs) for advice.
For information only (page of 27/10/2026): this information does not engage the responsibility of Passerelle France-Asie. Rules change and depend on your situation: before you start, check with the official body mentioned.
People often think that trade between France and Asia means containers of goods. But a trade can travel too: a way of working, a skill, a service.
Every trade is welcome
The Passerelle welcomes any company registered in its own country, whatever its trade: a massage parlour, a repairer, a tailor, a firm that audits company accounts, a registered shoe shiner… When you register, simply choose the sector "Services" or "Other activities" if yours is not in the list.
Why this section?
Some trades are everywhere in the streets of Asia and almost invisible in France. Others, very French, are unknown over there. Each one can be a business idea, or a chance to find a partner who already knows how to do it.
We add trades seen on the spot here, little by little. Do you know one? Write to us through the Contact page.
The first examples
- The express made-to-measure tailor
- The shoe shiner
- The mobile repairer
- The seller of accessories that protect your phone on two-wheelers
- Free iced tea with your order (trà đá)
- The sleeper bus for excursions
- The tropical fruit smoothie bar
- The name bracelet, made before your eyes
- The keyless lock installer
- The barbecue in the middle of the table
- The fresh coconut served whole
- Pastries and drinks for dogs
- The pavement café (cà phê vỉa hè)
People rarely learn a language with just one tool. Someone who only reads understands texts but freezes when speaking; someone who only listens to podcasts understands but does not dare to write. Combining several channels — listening, reading, writing and speaking — leads to more solid and more balanced progress.
Why several channels work better
A word you see in writing, then hear in a song, then say out loud, leaves several traces in your memory. Each new encounter strengthens the previous ones. This is also why spaced repetition works better when you read the word and say it.
The four skills, and what they bring
- Listening: getting your ear used to the rhythm and the pronunciation.
- Reading: building your vocabulary and seeing grammar in action.
- Writing: organising your thoughts and fixing structures in your mind.
- Speaking: making all of this usable in real life.
An example of a balanced week
Monday, a podcast for learners; Tuesday, a short newspaper article; Wednesday, five sentences written about your day; Thursday, the same story told out loud and recorded; Friday, an episode of a series with subtitles in the language you are learning. Every day, a few minutes with vocabulary cards. This routine is easy to keep up when you learn online, at your own pace.
Linking the channels together
The most effective approach is to work on the same content through several channels: listen to a song, read its lyrics, write down three expressions, then sing them or reuse them in a sentence. The content becomes familiar, and you dare to speak more.
Do not do everything at once
Multi-channel does not mean everything at the same time. A short, regular session is better than an over-ambitious programme dropped after ten days: motivation feeds on regular practice.
Frequently asked questions
What is multi-channel learning?
It means working on a language in several ways: listening, reading, writing and speaking, ideally using the same content.
Should I work on all four skills every day?
No. You can spread them over the week, with a few minutes of vocabulary every day.
Which skill should I work on first?
The one you need most: listening to understand, speaking to travel, writing for an exam.
Learning your partner's language
On the Passerelle, these tips serve a clear purpose: to better understand a supplier, a customer or a colleague in Vietnam, China, Thailand or France. A few phrases in their language build trust; for everything else, keep your writing simple: see writing to a foreign partner.
General advice, written for the Parlons Langues project and republished here by its author.
Originally published on Parlons langue.
Some people remember things better by reading, others by listening, and others by speaking or writing. There is no single right method for learning a language: the best one is the one you follow with enjoyment and regularity.
Notice what works for you
For two weeks, write down what stays in your head: a word you read, a sentence you heard, an expression you used in a conversation? You will soon see which channel works best for you. But do not give up the others: learning through several channels is still the most solid approach.
If you like reading and writing
Keep a small vocabulary notebook, read easy texts, write a few sentences every day. But remember to read aloud too, so that you do not neglect speaking.
If you like listening
Podcasts, songs, audiobooks, radio: your ear is your best ally. Add the transcript when there is one, to link the sounds to the written words.
If you like speaking
Look for language exchanges, talk to yourself, describe your day out loud. Then write down the words you were missing. Our tips for speaking will be useful.
If you need structure
A step-by-step textbook, a written schedule and precise goals will suit you. Preparing for a language exam can also give you this framework.
Depending on your lifestyle
Short of time? Aim for short, frequent sessions. Difficulties with reading or concentrating? Focus on audio and small steps. What matters is to progress at your own pace, without comparing yourself to others.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a best method for learning a language?
No: the best method is the one that suits you and that you follow regularly.
How can I find out how I learn best?
For a few weeks, notice what you remember most easily: what you read, hear or say.
Should I stick to just one learning style?
No. Start from what works for you, but keep a little of each skill so that you make balanced progress.
Learning your partner's language
On the Passerelle, these tips serve a clear purpose: to better understand a supplier, a customer or a colleague in Vietnam, China, Thailand or France. A few phrases in their language build trust; for everything else, keep your writing simple: see writing to a foreign partner.
General advice, written for the Parlons Langues project and republished here by its author.
Originally published on Parlons langue.
Almost everyone starts a language with enthusiasm. The hard part is keeping going after three weeks, when the novelty has worn off and progress seems slow. Motivation is not a gift: you build it, with a few simple habits.
Know why you are learning
Write down your reason in one sentence: talking with your family, passing a language exam, travelling, finding a job. A concrete reason lasts longer than a vague "it would be nice". Read it again on days when you do not feel like it.
Set yourself small goals
"Speaking fluently" is too far away to motivate you. Choose short, measurable goals instead: learn twenty words this week, watch an episode without subtitles this month, order in a restaurant on your next trip. Each goal you reach is a small victory that makes you want to carry on.
Create a daily ritual
Link the language to a habit you already have: ten minutes of vocabulary cards with your coffee, a podcast on public transport, one sentence written before you go to sleep. Doing it regularly matters more than how long you spend. Spaced repetition fits very well into this kind of ritual.
See your progress
Keep a record: a notebook, a calendar where you tick off each day, recordings of your voice made a month apart. Seeing how far you have come is one of the best cures for discouragement.
Enjoy learning
Choose content you love: songs, series, recipes, sport, the news. Learning online is exactly what lets you progress at your own pace, with topics that suit you.
Accept the off days
A missed day does not wipe anything out. What matters is starting again the next day, without feeling guilty. Over a year, it is the small, repeated sessions that make the difference.
Frequently asked questions
How can I stay motivated to learn a language?
With a clear reason, small measurable goals, a short daily ritual and a visible record of your progress.
How long should I study each day?
Fifteen to thirty minutes, done regularly, is enough to make progress. Doing it regularly matters more than how long you spend.
What can I do when I no longer feel like it?
Read your reason for learning again, go back to something you enjoy (a song, a series) and aim for a very small goal that you can reach the same day.
Learning your partner's language
On the Passerelle, these tips serve a clear purpose: to better understand a supplier, a customer or a colleague in Vietnam, China, Thailand or France. A few phrases in their language build trust; for everything else, keep your writing simple: see writing to a foreign partner.
General advice, written for the Parlons Langues project and republished here by its author.
Originally published on Parlons langue.
A language exam such as IELTS, TOEFL or the DELF (a French language diploma) does not only measure your level: it also measures your ability to understand the test itself. Many candidates lose marks not because they lack vocabulary, but because they discover the format on the day itself. Here is a simple method in five steps.
1. Know the test before you study
Start by reading the official description of the exam on the website of the organisation that awards it: number of parts, length, types of questions, marking scheme. IELTS, for example, assesses four skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. For each part, write down what is expected: a summary, a letter, a reasoned opinion, a conversation.
2. Take a mock test right at the start
Take an official practice test in real exam conditions, with a timer. This first score is not a grade: it is a map. It shows you which skill costs you the most marks, and that is the one to work on first.
3. Practise a little every day
Thirty minutes a day is better than five hours on Sunday. Alternate: one day listening (podcasts, the news), one day reading (newspaper articles), one day writing. For vocabulary, spaced repetition is the most effective method: it makes you review each word just before you forget it.
4. Work on time management
Time is often the real enemy. Practise reading the questions before the text, leaving a difficult question to come back to later, and keeping a few minutes to check your work. In the writing test, count your words: a text that is too short can be penalised.
5. Speak out loud, even on your own
Many candidates are afraid of the speaking test. The only solution: speak. Record yourself answering simple questions (your town, your job, a memory), then listen back. Our tips on improving your speaking will help you gain confidence.
The day before the exam
Do not learn anything new. Read through your notes, check the time, the place and the documents you need, and get some sleep. Stress goes down when everything is planned. And remember: motivation is built on small victories, not on a single day.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to prepare for IELTS or TOEFL?
It depends on your starting level and the score you are aiming for. First take an official mock test: the gap between that score and the score required will tell you whether you need a few weeks or several months.
Can I prepare for a language exam on my own?
Yes, with official practice tests, a regular schedule and a little speaking practice. A teacher helps most with writing and speaking, where an outside view is valuable.
What is the most common mistake?
Discovering the format of the test on the day of the exam. Doing at least one full mock test in real conditions avoids this nasty surprise.
Learning your partner's language
On the Passerelle, these tips serve a clear purpose: to better understand a supplier, a customer or a colleague in Vietnam, China, Thailand or France. A few phrases in their language build trust; for everything else, keep your writing simple: see writing to a foreign partner.
General advice, written for the Parlons Langues project and republished here by its author.
Originally published on Parlons langue.