Living and working conditions: France

Implementation

Legislative and regulatory texts guarantee minimum standards regarding learning content, working conditions and transparency.

A traineeship cannot be offered to:

• replace an employee in the event of absence, suspension of employment contract or dismissal;
• perform a regular task within a permanent job;
• cope with a temporary increase in work;
• carry out seasonal work.

 Traineeships outside the curriculum are not allowed; they must be part of a school or university curriculum. Traineeships must be part of a training programme that comprises a minimum of 200 hours of teaching for the pupils or students per academic year.

A traineeship may not exceed six months per academic year (maximum 924 hours if the traineeship is split into different periods), unless exemptions from this are granted.

Employers are required to comply with a cooling-off period between two separate traineeship periods: this period must be equivalent to one third of the previous traineeship period. For example, after a six-month traineeship, the employer must wait two months before hosting a new trainee in the same post (unless the traineeship is interrupted on the trainee’s initiative). 

An agreement must be signed between the trainee, the host organisation, the educational establishment, the traineeship tutor and the mentor at the host organisation. The traineeship agreement must mention a number of mandatory points, including the work entrusted to the trainee. 

The traineeship tutor is responsible for monitoring the trainee’s educational progress. The educational establishment defines the terms and conditions for monitoring this regularly.

Living and working conditions

Remuneration:

Employers who take on trainees for more than two months (the equivalent of 44 days at seven hours a day) during the same school or university year must pay them a minimum remuneration.

The minimum amount is set at 15% of the social security ceiling, i.e. EUR 4.35 per hour of actual attendance since 1 January 2024.

Remuneration is calculated on the basis of the number of hours the trainee is actually present.

If they are there less than 309 hours, remuneration is not compulsory.

Public bodies may not pay remuneration in excess of the statutory minimum amount.

In the private sector, certain agreements may stipulate a higher amount.

Even if trainees are not considered to be employees, they have the same obligations as other employees of the company in terms of internal rules and regulations, working hours, working time, health and safety rules, etc.

Holidays

For traineeships exceeding two months, the traineeship agreement must provide for the possibility of the trainee taking leave and being allowed to be absent. Holiday pay is optional for the employer.

Rights and benefits

Even if trainees are not considered to be employees, they can benefit from the social and cultural activities offered by the host organisation.

Where employees have access to a company restaurant or are given restaurant vouchers, trainees must also have access to these benefits.

The employer is required to reimburse part of the transport costs incurred by the trainee, as provided for in the legislation.

Social security

The terms and conditions of social security cover depend on whether the traineeship is remunerated and on the amount paid.

Traineeship certificate

At the end of the traineeship, the host organisation must provide the trainee with a traineeship certificate stating the total effective duration of the traineeship and the amount of remuneration paid.

Where to find opportunities / job vacancies

Legislative and regulatory texts:

• https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F16734
• www.legifrance.gouv.fr
• https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/search/all?tab_selection=all&searchField=ALL&query=stage&page=1&init=true

How to come to France for a traineeship:

• http://fr.april-international.com/global/conseils-informations/comment-venir-en-france-pour-effectuer-un-stage
• http://www.campusfrance.org/fr
• https://info.erasmusplus.fr

Where to find a traineeship and obtain information:

• http://www.cidj.com/offres-de-stage
• http://jobs-stages.letudiant.fr/stages-etudiants.html
• http://www.directetudiant.com

Funding and support

See the EURES portal for specific funding programmes: https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/finance-funding/getting-funding/eu-funding-programmes

Other funding opportunities or available support: https://www.euroguidance-france.org/les-differentes-formes-de-mobilite-en-europe/stages/financement-stage-aides-possibles

Living and working conditions

As an employee, apprentices have the same rights and obligations as any other employee of the company. Salaries depend on age and the experience specified in the apprenticeship contract. See below:

Where to find opportunities / job vacancies

• France Travail: https://www.francetravail.fr
• The French Ministry of Labour, Full Employment and Integration: www.alternance.emploi.gouv.fr
• France apprentissage: www.franceapprentissage.fr
• Directly on company websites

Funding and support

Apprentices benefit from a number of support schemes, in particular to help finance their start-up costs, the equipment they need for their work-based training, transport and accommodation. Applicants can seek funding and support through these financial support schemes and grants, which can be found on various websites: 

https://www.alternance-professionnelle.fr/aides-apprenti

https://stewdy.com/orientation/formation-en-alternance/aides-financieres-et-subventions-pour-les-apprentis

Note: disabled apprentices can obtain financial support from the AGEFIPH organisation.  www.agefiph.fr

You may be able to find accommodation through your contacts, but also:

• BY LOOKING AT ADVERTISEMENTS
• In daily newspapers, there is often a separate section for property ads. The French property press company ‘De particulier à particulier’ publishes adverts directly from individuals, without intermediaries
• Website: www.pap.fr
• On the internet, many specialist websites contain advertisements (rentals, house-shares, sales) arranged by geographical location and type of accommodation (house, flat). You can narrow down your search by: surface area, number of rooms, budget. These websites also give you advice about renting and buying:  www.avendrealouer.fr, https://www.leboncoin.fr/
• BY USING THE SERVICES OF AN ESTATE AGENCY
• BY CONTACTING YOUR EMPLOYER
• BY APPLYING FOR SOCIAL HOUSING

Estate agencies act as intermediaries between the tenant/purchaser and the owner. They organise visits and draw up rental/sale contracts. They are paid through commission (for rental: the amount generally corresponds to one month’s rent). Contact details for many estate agents can be found on the website: www.fnaim.fr

All private companies with more than 10 employees must pay a contribution, known as ‘1% logement’ [1% accommodation], to approved building organisations. In return, they enjoy preferential access to a stock of rental accommodation with preferential rental conditions.

If you meet the required criteria, you can apply to the local HLM (low-rent housing) organisation at the prefecture or town hall.

For more information on the procedures and costs, see ‘4.  Living conditions 4.5 Accommodation’ on this website.

Links:

WHERE CAN I OBTAIN INFORMATION?

To enrol your child in a school, go to your town hall. You can also consult the website www.education.gouv.fr.

PROCEDURE

For example, to enrol your child in primary school (from 6 years of age):

1. You need to go to your town hall, taking the following documents with you:

   • your family record book, your identity card or a copy of your birth certificate;
   • proof of address;
   • evidence (health record book) that your child has had the compulsory vaccinations for his/her age (against diphtheria, tetanus and polio).

   The town hall will give you a certificate of enrolment indicating the school that your child will attend.

2. You then need to go to the school. Your child’s enrolment will be recorded by the school’s headteacher upon presentation of the same documents listed above, in addition to the certificate of enrolment issued to you by the town hall.

In principle, your child must be enrolled no later than June prior to the start of the next school year. If your child does not change schools, their enrolment does not need to be renewed each year. 

See website: www.service-public.fr

Links:

The implementation of the principle of free movement of people, is one of the cornerstones of our European construction, has meant the introduction a series of practical rules to ensure that citizens can travel freely and easily to any Member State of the European Union. Travelling across the EU with one’s car has become a lot less problematic. The European Commission has set a series of common regulations governing the mutual recognition of driving licences, the validity of car insurance, and the possibility of registering your car in a host country.

Your driving licence in the EU

The EU has introduced a harmonised licence model and further minimum requirements for obtaining a licence. This should help to keep unsafe drivers off Europe's roads - wherever they take their driving test.

Since 19 January 2013, all driving licences issued by EU countries have the same look and feel. The licences are printed on a piece of plastic that has the size and shape of a credit card.

Harmonised administrative validity periods for the driving licence document have been introduced which are between 10 and 15 years for motorcycles and passenger cars. This enables the authorities to regularly update the driving licence document with new security features that will make it harder to forge or tamper ­- so unqualified or banned drivers will find it harder to fool the authorities, in their own country or elsewhere in the EU.

The new European driving licence is also protecting vulnerable road users by introducing progressive access for motorbikes and other powered two-wheelers. The "progressive access" system means that riders will need experience with a less powerful bike before they go on to bigger machines. Mopeds will also constitute a separate category called AM.

You must apply for a licence in the country where you usually or regularly live. As a general rule, it is the country where you live for at least 185 days each calendar year because of personal or work-related ties.

If you have personal/work-related ties in 2 or more EU countries, your place of usual residence is the place where you have personal ties, as long as you go back regularly. You don't need to meet this last condition if you are living in an EU country to carry out a task for a fixed period of time.

If you move to another EU country to go to college or university, your place of usual residence doesn't change. However, you can apply for a driving licence in your host country if you can prove you have been studying there for at least 6 months.

Registering your car in the host country

If you move permanently to another EU country and take your car with you, you should register your car and pay car-related taxes in your new country.

There are no common EU rules on vehicle registration and related taxes. Some countries have tax-exemption rules for vehicle registration when moving with the car from one country to another permanently.

To benefit from a tax exemption, you must check the applicable deadlines and conditions in the country you wish to move to.

Check the exact rules and deadlines with the national authorities: https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/registration/registration-abroad/index_en.htm 

Car Insurance

EU citizens can insure their car in any EU country, as long as the chosen insurance company is licensed by the host national authority to issue the relevant insurance policies. A company based in another Member State is entitled sell a policy for compulsory civil liability only if certain conditions are met. Insurance will be valid throughout the Union, no matter where the accident takes place.

Taxation

Value Added Tax or VAT on motor vehicles is ordinarily paid in the country where the car is purchased, although under certain conditions, VAT is paid in the country of destination.
More information on the rules which apply when a vehicle is acquired in one EU Member State and is intended to be registered in another EU Member State is available on this link https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/vehicles/registration/taxes-abroad/index_en.htm.

NATIONALS FROM THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA AND SWITZERLAND

If you are a citizen of one of the Member States of the European economic area or of Switzerland, you may freely travel around and stay in France for a period of three months. You may be accompanied by close family members. You have the right to freely move and stay in France up to three months, regardless of the reason for your stay: tourism, placement, short-term employment, etc. This right may be limited.

However, you can apply for a residence permit [carte de séjour] for the first five years of residence if you are working (whether employed or self-employed) in France. To obtain a residence permit, you must apply to the prefecture where your home is located.

Pending the processing of your application, and if your file is complete, you will receive a receipt.

THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS

They must obtain information from their consulate or from the French consulate in the country where they live.

Third country nationals with long-term resident status in another Member State are not entitled to access the French labour market. After three months, if they can prove that they have sufficient resources and health insurance, they can obtain a ‘visitor’s’ residence permit, which does not allow them to work but is a first step towards changing their status (towards obtaining an employee status, if need be).

Websites to visit: www.service-public.fr ; www.ofii.fr

Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs:  http://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr

The importance of transparency and mutual recognition of diplomas as a crucial complement to the free movement of workers

The possibility of obtaining recognition of one’s qualifications and competences can play a vital role in the decision to take up work in another EU country. It is therefore necessary to develop a European system that will guarantee the mutual acceptance of professional competences in different Member States. Only such a system will ensure that a lack of recognition of professional qualifications will not become an obstacle to workers’ mobility within the EU.

Main principles for the recognition of professional qualifications in the EU

As a basic principle, any EU citizen should be able to freely practice their profession in any Member State. Unfortunately the practical implementation of this principle is often hindered by national requirements for access to certain professions in the host country.

For the purpose of overcoming these differences, the EU has set up a system for the recognition of professional qualifications. Within the terms of this system, a distinction is made between regulated professions (professions for which certain qualifications are legally required) and professions that are not legally regulated in the host Member State.

Steps towards a transparency of qualifications in Europe

The European Union has taken important steps towards the objective of achieving transparency of qualifications in Europe:

• An increased co-operation in vocational education and training, with the intention to combine all instruments for transparency of certificates and diplomas, in one single, user-friendly tool. This includes, for example, the European CV or Europass Trainings.
• The development of concrete actions in the field of recognition and quality in vocational education and training.

Going beyond the differences in education and training systems throughout the EU

Education and training systems in the EU Member States still show substantial differences. The last enlargements of the EU, with different educational traditions, have further increased this diversity. This calls for a need to set up common rules to guarantee recognition of competences.

In order to overcome this diversity of national qualification standards, educational methods and training structures, the European Commission has put forward a series of instruments, aimed at ensuring better transparency and recognition of qualifications both for academic and professional purposes.

1. The European Qualifications Framework

The European Qualifications Framework is a key priority for the European Commission in the process of recognition of professional competences. The main objective of the framework is to create links between the different national qualification systems and guarantee a smooth transfer and recognition of diplomas.

2. The National Academic Recognition Information Centres (NARICs)

A network of National Academic Recognition Information Centres was established in 1984 at the initiative of the European Commission. The NARICs provide advice on the academic recognition of periods of study abroad. Located in all EU Member States as well as in the countries of the European Economic Area, NARICs play a vital role the process of recognition of qualifications in the EU.

3. The European Credit Transfer System (ECTS)

The European Credit Transfer System aims at facilitating the recognition of periods of study abroad. Introduced in 1989, it functions by describing an education programme and attaching credits to its components. It is a key complement to the highly acclaimed student mobility programme Erasmus.

4. Europass

Europass is an instrument for ensuring the transparency of professional skills. It is composed of five standardised documents

• a CV (Curriculum Vitae),
• a cover letter editor,
• certificate supplements,
• diploma supplements, and
• a Europass-Mobility document.

The Europass system makes skills and qualifications clearly and easily understood in the different parts of Europe. In every country of the European Union and the European Economic Area, national Europass centres have been established as the primary contact points for people seeking for information about the Europass system.

To find out about your employment rights in France, you should refer to the Labour Code. 

THE MINIMUM LEGAL AGE for working is 16. However, in some cases strictly laid down by law, the employment of young people under 16 is allowed:

• in family-run businesses,
• during school holidays: minors who are no younger than 14 years old (13 years old in farm businesses) can be employed to carry out light work,
• in the case of apprenticeships or dual learning,
• in entertainment businesses and modelling.

TYPES OF CONTRACTS

There are two main types of contracts: permanent contracts and fixed-term contracts (the latter must be used in the cases and under the conditions laid down by law).

EXAMPLES OF WHEN FIXED-TERM CONTRACTS ARE USED:

• To replace an absent employee.
• To cover business fluctuations.
• Seasonal work (in agriculture, tourism, etc.).

In principle, these contracts have a maximum term of 18 months. In addition to their remuneration, employees receive a bonus for lack of job security of 10%. 

OTHER TYPES OF CONTRACTS

• Temporary employment contract. The temporary assignment is carried out for a period provided for in the contract which cannot exceed the maximum legal duration. That maximum legal duration varies depending on the nature of the assignment. This type of contract is governed by the same rules as the fixed-term contract and is characterised by the relationship between:
  • the temporary employment agency,
  • the employee on assignment, and
  • the customer.
  • The ‘contrat d'extra’, or customary contract, is a particular type of fixed-term contract which allows an employer to hire an employee for a specific and temporary job (lasting from a few hours to several days). This contract can be used only to meet an occasional and immediate need for a particular position. It can only be used in strictly defined business sectors.
  • On-call employment contract. This type of contract is offered at a company in an industry that experiences genuine fluctuations throughout the year which it can not always foresee.
  • This is a learning contract aimed at young people, aged 16 to 25, who wish to obtain a professional qualification.
  • The ‘CDD senior’ contract is a fixed-term contract which aims to facilitate the return to employment of senior citizens and allow them to acquire additional rights for drawing their pension. The duration of such a contract is specifically regulated.
  • The ‘CDI Intérimaire’ contract guarantees temporary employees a minimum monthly remuneration during idle periods between two assignments.
  • There are specific employment contracts designed to promote the recruitment of certain categories of unemployed people.
• The ‘contrat unique d'insertion’ [single integration contract] (CUI) combines training and/or professional support for the beneficiary and financial assistance for the employer. The aim is to make it easier to hire people who have difficulty finding a job.
• The Contrat adultes-relais [community outreach contract] allows particular unemployed people to carry out local social and cultural mediation assignments as part of a back-to-work contract. Certain age and residency conditions must be met. The employer must be a public authority, an association or a private company responsible for managing a public service.

For more information, see ‘Working conditions 3.5 Special categories of workers’ and go to: www.service-public.fr

PERMANENT CONTRACTS (CDI)

Certain information must be brought to the employee’s attention in writing:

• identity of the parties,
• place of work,
• the title, grade, category or nature of the job carried out by the employee or a brief description thereof,
• start date of the contract,
• the duration or the terms and conditions for granting and determining this leave,
• notice periods,
• information on salary and the frequency of remuneration,
• working hours: daily or weekly,
• collective agreements which govern the working conditions.

OTHER CONTRACTS

The French Labour Code states that a written contract is required for fixed-term contracts, apprenticeship contracts, etc.

AMENDING EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS

A distinction must be made between ‘changes to working conditions’, which the employer can decide unilaterally (hours, dates of leave, etc.), and ‘amendments to the employment contract’, which require the employee’s agreement and which concern:

• remuneration methods or amounts,
• working hours,
• place of work,
• employee’s classification,
• any other information deemed essential by the parties.

One exception to this is where the employee has agreed to the amendment in advance, for example, a mobility clause or non-competition clause under certain conditions. The employer must notify the employee of the amendment. Failure by the employee to respond is taken as acceptance.

CONTRACT TERMINATION

A fixed-term contract can be renewed more than twice. The maximum number of times a fixed-term contract could possibly be renewed is fixed by a convention or agreement pronounced by the French Minister of Labour. In practice, this means that an agreement may very well provide for an employee’s work contract to be renewed three times, if not more.

It is only in case of failure to make this stipulation in the convention or agreement that the fixed-term contract is renewable twice for a fixed-term.

The purpose and effect of this fixed-term period cannot be to provide, on a permanent basis, a job that is linked to the company’s ordinary and ongoing operations.

Permanent contracts for work sites

This type of contract allows an employer to hire employees to carry out a project or specific work, of which the exact end date cannot be determined in advance.

Permanent contracts can be terminated by the employer or the employee.

See the section ‘Working conditions 3.10. End of employment’.

Websites to visit: www.travail-emploi.gouv.fr ; www.service-public.fr

YOUNG PEOPLE

Special measures have been taken to help young people enter the labour market. If you are a non EU national, younger than 18 years old and live in France, you can take up paid employment or start a work placement, under certain conditions. Before starting, you must have received a work permit or a residence permit which can be used as a work permit. The rules differ depending on your age.

The apprenticeship contract and the professionalisation contract enable people to follow alternating periods of training in a company and at a training centre in order to obtain a vocational qualification.

For further information, see: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F31704

PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

Companies with more than 20 employees must ensure that 6% of their staff are disabled workers, or must pay a corresponding contribution in proportion to their workforce to the AGEFIPH (national association funding the professional integration of disabled persons). The salary paid to workers recognised as disabled must correspond to their job position and their qualifications, under ordinary legal conditions. Their salary cannot be reduced in any way. For more information, click on the following link of the Departmental Offices for Disabled Persons (MDPH):  http://informations.handicap.fr/carte-francemdph.php

PREGNANT WOMEN

Pregnant women are protected by special measures, as a result of which discrimination in recruitment is prohibited by law and may lead to prosecution. Their working conditions are adapted: they may not work outdoors in temperatures below 0°C or after 22:00.

SENIOR CITIZENS

Senior citizens (from the age of 57) who have been registered as jobseekers for more than three months or who have accepted a personalised redeployment agreement may benefit from specific fixed-term contracts so that they can complete a sufficient number of years to be able to receive a full pension. Duration: 18 months, renewable once, up to a maximum of 36 months. Websites to visit: 

https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/le-contrat-duree-determinee-senior-cdd-senior

REGISTRATION FORMALITIES

If you wish to set up as self-employed in France, you must complete your registration procedures on the website of the Business Procedures Office: https://entreprendre.service-public.fr/vosdroits/R61572

TO HELP YOU:

• France Travail arranges meetings to help jobseekers set up companies. The APEC (Managerial Staff Employment Association) does the same for managers. Websites to visit: https://www.francetravail.fr/candidat/votre-recherche-demploi/#creation-entreprise - www.apec.fr
• The Réseau Entreprendre (Enterprise Network) brings together entrepreneurs to help with the setting up or taking over of companies. See website: www.reseau-entreprendre.org ;
• The Boutiques de Gestion (BG – Management Shops) brings together teams of general experts to welcome and guide you. You can take part in training sessions on how to set up a company. See website: www.bge.asso.fr ;
• Bpifrance Création supports entrepreneurs all over France, providing financial solutions, advice, training and networks. See website: www.bpifrance-creation.fr
• The ADIE (Association pour le Droit à l’Initiative Economique – Association for the Right to Economic Initiative) finances, through microlending, and assists entrepreneurs who do not have access to bank funding. See website: www.adie.org
• You can also talk to a Centre de Gestion Agréé (CGA – Approved Management Centre) or an accountant. 

SMIC (guaranteed minimum wage)

In France, the SMIC is the minimum wage that an employee can be paid. 

Only apprentices and young employees may be paid less than the SMIC. Collective agreements set minimum wages in line with employees’ qualifications, but these may never be less than the SMIC.

The gross amount of the SMIC in 2025 based on the legal working time, i.e. 35 hours per week or 151.67 hours per month, is EUR 1 823.03.

SMIC gross hourly rate: EUR 12.02 in 2026.

DEDUCTIONS

There are two types of levies on income:

• social security contributions;
• tax deductions at source (made by the employer and paid back to the tax authorities).

The difference between gross and net pay is around 23%. The amount of levied depends on the tax rate. It can be deducted as a lump sum or in instalments. For more information: www.impots.gouv.fr

PAYSLIPS

In principle, salaries are paid monthly, on the same date each month and generally by bank transfer. Every employee must be given a payslip.

This payslip must include specific information:

• employer (name, address, registration number, principal activity code (APE code), company registration number (Siret number), etc.);
• employee (name, job, position in the collective agreement classification);
• URSSAF (Social Security and Family Allowance Contribution Collection Office) (or agricultural social mutual fund, Mutualité sociale agricole) to which contributions are paid;
• supplementary pension funds;
• the applicable collective agreement;
• components making up gross pay (number of hours worked, number of hours paid at the standard rate and those paid at higher rates (for overtime or night work) indicating the rate(s) applied, bonuses subject to social security contributions (length of service bonus, performance bonus, lack of job security bonus and, where applicable, the differential supplement awarded due to reduced working hours for employees receiving the SMIC);
• the nature and amount of the flat rate for employees whose pay is calculated on the basis of a weekly or monthly flat rate in hours or an annual flat rate in hours or days;
• social security and tax deductions: CRDS (social security debt repayment tax), CSG (general social security contribution), employee contributions;
• any amounts not subject to deductions (reimbursement of business expenses);
• ‘net amount to be paid’ before tax.
• ‘Net amount to be paid’, which is the amount that is actually paid to employees;
• date of payment of this net amount;
• dates of any paid leave included in the pay period and amount of the corresponding allowance.

The payslip must also state that the employee should keep the payslip indefinitely. This may be worded as follows: pour vous aider à faire valoir vos droits, conservez ce bulletin de paie sans limitation de durée (please keep this payslip indefinitely as evidence of your rights). The employer must also keep these payslips, for five years after they have been issued.

Payslips should not refer to instances where employees can exercise the right to strike or to perform staff representation activities: 

• hours not paid due to strike action are marked as ‘unpaid absence’;
• The time spent on trade union activities is included in the standard working hours.

See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/questions-reponses-le-versement-du-salaire

BACKGROUND
In France, the legal working week is 35 hours in all companies. The working day may not exceed 10 hours.

Furthermore, employees may not work for more than four-and-a-half (4½) hours without a break.

The maximum working day may be extended to 12 hours under a collective agreement.

In principle, employees may not work more than 48 hours per week, or 44 hours per week on average over 12 consecutive weeks (up to a maximum of 46 hours, under certain conditions).

Employees must be permitted to take breaks, lasting a minimum of 20 minutes, at least every six hours.

As part of the collective negotiation, the amended Article L 3121-19 of the French Labour Code indicates that the maximum daily amount of time actually worked can be extended:

• In case of increased activity or for reasons linked to the company's organisation;
• Provided that this extension does not extend the time worked to more than 12 hours. 

See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/la-duree-legale-du-travail

YOUNG PEOPLE

The maximum working day for under 18-year-olds and apprentices is eight hours (seven hours per day for under 16-year-olds working during school holidays).

For under 18-year-olds and apprentices, the absolute maximum working week is 35 hours.

Employers must grant employees who are obliged to attend work-related courses during the working day the necessary freedom with regard to this obligation.

The time spent training in an educational institution is considered to be time spent actually working.

See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/le-temps-de-travail-des-jeunes-de-moins-de-18-ans

REST PERIOD

All employees must be allowed a daily rest period of 11 consecutive hours (nine hours in certain cases depending on collective agreements).
The weekly rest period is often taken on Sundays. It is forbidden to make an employee work more than six days per week. The weekly rest period must be at least 35 consecutive hours. 

Websites to visit: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/le-repos-quotidien-principe-et-derogations - https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/le-repos-hebdomadaire-principe-et-derogations 

OVERTIME

The overtime worked by the employee is paid under the following conditions:

• when the overtime has been completed as requested by the employer;
• or when the overtime is directly carried out by the employee, without any objection on behalf of the employer (implicit agreement).
• 25% for the first eight hours of overtime worked within the same week (from the 36th to the 43rd hour),
• 50% for anything above eight hours.

The payment of overtime is subject to an increased rate, fixed by a company or institution convention or collective agreement (or, failing that, a branch convention or agreement). Each rate is fixed at a minimum of 10%.

It should be noted that many exceptions exist, especially under collective agreements.

In the absence of an agreement or convention, the increased rates are fixed at:

However, the payment of overtime can be, fully or partially, replaced by an equivalent compensatory rest period. 

Some managerial staff classed as ‘non-office-based’ work more than 35 hours a week but receive additional days of leave.

See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/les-heures-supplementaires-definition-et-limites

NIGHT WORK

Night work performed between 21:00 and 06:00 may not, in principle, exceed eight hours per day and 40 hours per week (44 hours if authorised by decree or collective agreement). Night work is compensated by weekly rest periods or extra pay.

Employed pregnant women who work at night must be given daytime work during their pregnancy and during their legal postnatal leave if they so request.

ANNUAL PAID LEAVE

All employees are entitled to paid leave once they have worked at least one month during the reference period (which runs from 1 June of the previous year to 31 May of the ongoing year). 

Employees are then entitled to two and a half (2.5) working days of leave per month worked, i.e. five weeks of paid leave per year worked.

Dates of paid leave are decided by mutual agreement between the employer and the employee, or, failing that, by the employer. Employees must always have the possibility to take leave during the period from 1 May to 31 October. When planning leave, employees must respect the rules in force at the company. In practice, employees inform the employer of the dates on which they wish to take their holidays. 

See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/les-conges-payes

OTHER TYPES OF LEAVE

• Sick leave: In the event of an accident or a non-occupational disease, the employee is entitled to an absence from work. See website: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F37482)
• Maternity leave: 16 weeks for one child (6 weeks before and 10 weeks after birth). See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/le-conge-de-maternite
• Paternity and childcare leave of 25 calendar days or 32 calendar days in the event of multiple births. See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/le-conge-de-paternite-et-daccueil-de-lenfant
• Birth, marriage, entering into a civil partnership (PACS), death of a relative, etc. – at least one to seven days, depending on the circumstances. See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/les-conges-pour-evenements-familiaux-et-le-conge-de-deuil
• Childcare leave: following maternity or paternity leave, in order to look after the child, either employed parent may ask for this leave. Maximum duration: 3 years. See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/5-questions-reponses-sur-les-conges-familiaux
• Parental leave (to look after a child who is disabled, has suffered an accident or is seriously ill). See website: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1631
• The professional transition project replaces the former individual training leave (congé individuel de formation, CIF) scheme, which was abolished on 1 January 2019: it ensures funding continuity for retraining courses with corresponding days of leave. See website: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F14018
• Sabbatical leave (on personal grounds): between 6 and 11 months. See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/le-conge-sabbatique

Eligibility for some of these types of leave may be conditional upon the length of service in the company or the minimum contributions paid to the public social security scheme.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Public holidays are the legal holidays listed in Article L. 3133-1 of the Labour Code: 1 January, Easter Monday, 1 May, 8 May, Ascension Day, Whit Monday, 14 July, Assumption (15 August), All Saints Day, 11 November, 25 December.

There is no legal provision that extra days off must be taken between two public holidays or between a public holiday and a weekend. The employer may, however, grant a rest period of one or two days between a public holiday and a weekly rest day or a day preceding paid holidays. If granted, this rest period must be paid.
See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/les-jours-feries-et-les-ponts

WAYS TO TERMINATE A CONTRACT

Termination of the employment contract, i.e. termination before the scheduled date, may take different forms: resignation, contractual termination, dismissal.
The termination procedure varies depending on the situation. A number of documents must be provided to the employee, who may also be entitled to compensation in certain cases.

A fixed-term contract is entered into for a limited and specified period. The total duration, taking into account up to two potential renewals, must not exceed the maximum authorised limit. 

Resignation allows employees to terminate their permanent contract on their own initiative, provided that any applicable notice period is respected. Resignation may be verbal or in writing (preferably by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt). A written resignation letter allows employees to establish the beginning of the notice period. See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/la-demission 

Contractual termination allows the employer and the employee to mutually agree on the termination of the employment contract. 

See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/la-rupture-conventionnelle-du-contrat-de-travail-duree-indeterminee

Dismissal on personal grounds must be justified, and employers who wish to terminate an employee’s permanent contract must follow a specific procedure.

See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/la-procedure-en-cas-de-licenciement-pour-motif-personnel

Dismissal on economic grounds is the result of the termination or conversion of employment which has been refused by the employee, owing to economic difficulties, technological change, etc.

See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/la-definition-du-licenciement-pour-motif-economique

Collective contractual termination is the subject of a collective agreement which determines the maximum number and conditions for termination, and the amount of redundancy pay. 

See website: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F37509

Retirement

The legal retirement age depends on the employee’s year of birth. It has gradually increased from the age of 62 (for insured persons born before 1 September 1961) to 64 (for insured persons born from 1 January 1968 onwards). Employees may retire between 62 and 70 years of age. Above the age of 70, employers can force employees to claim their retirement rights. In order to obtain the highest possible pension, the generation born in 1957 must have paid contributions for a minimum of 167 quarters, and people born from 1973 onwards must have paid for 172 quarters. 

See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/la-mise-la-retraite-dun-salarie - https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/le-depart-volontaire-la-retraite

TRADE UNIONS

In France, there are many trade unions that represent employees. 

The following trade unions are recognised as representative at national and inter-professional level:

• the Confédération Française Démocratique du Travail (CFDT);
• the Confédération Générale du Travail (CGT);
• the Confédération Générale du Travail-Force Ouvrière (CGT-FO);
• the Confédération Française de l’Encadrement-Confédération Générale des Cadres (CFE-CGC);
• the Confédération Française des Travailleurs Chrétiens (CFTC).

See website: https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/coordonnees-des-organisations-syndicales-de-salaries

To participate in national, sector or branch negotiations, companies are also represented by different groups, the main ones being:

• the MEDEF (Mouvement des Entreprises de France);
• the CGPME (Confédération Générale des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises).

ROLE OF A TRADE UNION

Trade unions operate within occupational branches and companies to defend workers’ interests and rights:

• Trade unions make proposals in their economic sector.
• They inform, help and support workers.
• They represent workers in their dealings with employers and public authorities.
• They work in coordination with trade unions across Europe.

The Social and Economic Committee (CSE), established in all companies with more than 11 employees since 1 January 2020, replaces the elected staff representatives at companies. It merges the staff representative bodies (IRP), the staff representatives (DP, délégués du personnel), the company committee (CE, comité d’entreprise) and the health, safety and working conditions committee (CHSCT). 

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT

When employees are in dispute with their employer, they can consult the staff representatives. Employees can also contact the labour inspectorate. They can refer the matter to the Conseil des Prud'hommes (French Labour Courts), which is in charge of settling individual conflicts between employers and employees regarding employment contracts governed by private law.

STRIKES

The right to strike in France is a right that is recognised and guaranteed by the Constitution for all employees to stop working (to go on strike) to show their disagreement or to demand improvements to their working conditions. It involves a concerted stoppage (at least two people must participate).

It results in the suspension, but not the termination, of the employment contract. The employer may also withhold the wages payable during the period of the strike.

Furthermore, in the civil service, management must be given specific notice of the strike five clear days (excluding public holidays and weekends) before the date of the strike. No notice is required in the private sector. There is no legal time-limit to a strike. Workers do not need to belong to a trade union to exercise their right to strike.

There are certain restrictions:

• Continuity of public service: the right to strike is not recognised for members of the police, the prison administration, the communication divisions of the Ministry of the Interior, the judiciary or the army. Other categories of staff must ensure that a minimum service is provided (transport, health).
• Respect for property rights: any damage and assaults committed during a strike will be regarded as an offence and may lead to criminal convictions.
• Respect for the freedom of non-strikers and the employer to continue work: strikers must not obstruct the work of non-strikers or prevent them from entering the workplace.

See website: www.travail-emploi.gouv.fr

THE POLITICAL SYSTEM

1. THE EXECUTIVE is headed by the President of the Republic, who is Head of State and is elected by direct universal suffrage for a five-year term of office, renewable once. He or she appoints the Prime Minister and, on the latter’s recommendation, the members of the Government. The Government determines and pursues the country’s policies and reports on these to Parliament.
2. THE LEGISLATURE is Parliament, which consists of:

• the National Assembly, with 577 members elected by direct universal suffrage for five years;
• the Senate, made up of 348 senators elected for six years by a specific group of electors (local elected representatives such as members of Parliament, mayors, municipal councillors, departmental councillors and regional councillors).

3. THE JUDICIARY is represented by all courts (judges and magistrates), which resolve disputes between individuals or between individuals and the State. It oversees the implementation of the laws adopted by Parliament.
4. THE CONSTITUTIONAL COUNCIL ensures that laws and regulations comply with the Constitution, rules on the regularity of national elections and may issue opinions.
5. POLITICAL PARTIES

The French political world consists of many parties, most of which have representatives in Parliament.

Websites to visit: www.france-politique.fr/partis-politiques.htm - https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_des_partis_politiques_sous_la_Cinqui%C3%A8me_R%C3%A9publique

TERRITORIAL ORGANISATION OF FRANCE

1. France is divided into 18 regions: 12 regions in metropolitan France along with Corsica and five overseas regions (Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Réunion and Mayotte). The Regional Prefect represents the authority of the State. Each region is administered by a Regional Council, elected by direct universal suffrage.
2. The regions are subdivided into 101 departments (96 departments in metropolitan France, and five overseas departments). The Departmental Prefect represents the authority of the State. Each department is administered by a Departmental Council, elected by direct universal suffrage.
3. France also has five overseas collectivities: French Polynesia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin and Wallis and Futuna. New Caledonia and the French Southern and Antarctic Lands are sui generis collectivities.
4. Each department is subdivided into arrondissements (districts), cantons and communes (towns and villages), each of which are administered by a mayor and a municipal council.

Link to the website: https://www.cartesfrance.fr/geographie/cartes-administratives/carte-13-nouvelles-regions.html#ixzz5CXfVUzM5

THE PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

In order to carry out any formalities, you need to find the appropriate administrative service. The French government provides a centralised information service: www.service-public.fr. This website describes the various administrative procedures and where to go to complete them.

Note that some procedures in relation to your country of origin can only be carried out at your consulate (passport, birth certificate, voting).

Policing is carried out by the national police in large towns (police stations) and by the gendarmerie (national police force) everywhere else in the territory.

If you are a victim of a crime, you can contact them by telephone (by dialling 17, or 112 from a mobile phone) or you can go to the police station to make a statement with regard to any legal proceedings or insurance cases.

In France, for an employee, the gross remuneration paid by the employer is subject to various social security contributions and taxes. The social security contributions deducted are for financing social security guarantees (illness, retirement, etc.), followed by taxes to reimburse the social debt (CSG and CRDS) and then income tax, which is deducted at the source and paid by the employer to the tax authorities.

In France, the main taxes are:

• Income tax: levied at source, the amount is calculated on the basis of the total income, the composition of the tax household and any tax credits for which you may be eligible. All income must be declared online each year on the Tax Office’s website (www.impots.gouv.fr )
• Local taxes: property tax applies to owners of real estate. The housing tax applies only to secondary residences, not to the principal place of residence.
• Property wealth tax (impôt sur la fortune immobilière, IFI): this tax applies to all persons holding property with a total value exceeding the EUR 1.3 million threshold. For foreign nationals considered to be administratively resident in France, the value of assets held abroad is taken into account.
• Social taxes (CSG, CRDS): The generalised social contribution (CSG) and the contribution for the repayment of the social debt (CRDS) are taxes for financing social protection in France and for offsetting social security debt. The rate is 9.2% for the CSG, of which 6.8% is deductible from income tax, and 0.5% for the CRDS.
• Value added tax (VAT): the standard VAT rate is 20% in metropolitan France; it applies to the majority of sales of goods and provisions of services. Certain goods or services benefit from specific rates, such as food, which is taxed at the reduced rate of 5.5%.
• Other taxes: domestic tax on petroleum products, tax on driving licences, tax on high-performance passenger cars, taxes on insurance agreements, etc. 

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The cost of living will very much depend on the region in which you live. Owing to the cost of housing, the difference is particularly significant between the Paris region, the large regional metropolitan areas, the coastal areas and the rest of the territory.

Like many countries, the rate of inflation in France has risen since the war in Ukraine started.

In 2025, inflation fell to an annual average of 0.9%, after reaching +2.3% in 2024. 

According to the latest ‘family budget’ survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) in 2017, the main items of expenditure in France are:

RENTING PROCEDURES

Rental agreements (or ‘leases’) are usually signed for three years and can be tacitly renewed. When you want to leave, you must give three months’ notice (one month if you are relocating for work or have become unemployed). This notice must be sent to the property owner by registered post. 

Rental costs:

• A deposit, equivalent to one month’s rent, is usually requested. In principle, it is returned one month after departure.
• Agency fees generally amount to one month’s rent. Rent is payable in advance.
• Many property owners also ask for a guarantor (a third person who undertakes to pay the rent if the tenant should experience financial difficulties). 

It is generally accepted that the amount of the rent should not exceed 30% of the tenant’s net monthly salary (the last three payslips are requested as supporting documents).

COST OF RENT

Except in the case of the rental of a single-family house, the rent generally includes charges corresponding to the costs of maintaining and using the common parts of the building; in some cases this may also include water and heating.

To get an idea of the rental prices in the city you want to live in, you can consult the ‘mobiville’ application, which will also enable you to identify the city’s main recruiters and consult job offers. 

https://candidat.francetravail.fr/mobiville

You can also look at the National Property Federation (Fédération Nationale Immobilière) website: https://www.fnaim.fr/ and the Chamber of Notaries website: https://www.notaires.fr/fr

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MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE

Before going to a doctor or dentist, you need to check that the latter is linked to the state health scheme (‘conventionné’). There are two types of such doctors: those who fully adhere to the state scheme agreement and apply the agreed fees, and those who adhere to the agreement but are free to set their fees. 

You can find health professionals close to where you live and obtain information about their fees on the following website: http://ameli-direct.ameli.fr/nouvelle-recherche/professionnels-de-sante.html. In both cases, the reimbursement made by the CPAM (primary health insurance fund) will be based on the agreed fees.

HOSPITALISATION
The French hospital system consists of public healthcare institutions, under state control, which provide a public service and private healthcare establishments. If you are admitted to a private establishment, you need to check that this establishment is within the state scheme.

PHARMACIES

In France, prescription drugs are only available at a pharmacy. Over-the-counter medicines are available at pharmacies, chemists and in some large stores. 

REIMBURSEMENTS

Medical expenses are reimbursed at the rate of 70% of the agreed fee. For example, the agreed fee for a consultation with a general practitioner is EUR 25; for a specialist, the fee varies between EUR 50 and 80. For a general practitioner, the reimbursement made by the local medical insurance fund will be EUR 16.10, so you will have to pay EUR 6.90. The indicated reimbursement amount takes account of the patient’s contribution (‘ticket modérateur’) and the flat-rate contribution (‘participation forfaitaire’) of one euro.

As a general rule, health insurance does not reimburse all expenses, as part must be paid by the insured person (this is the ‘ticket modérateur’).

You can see the various reimbursement rates on the following website:  https://www.ameli.fr/assure/remboursements/rembourse

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THE BROAD PRINCIPLES

In France, education is compulsory from the age of 3 to 16. There are state-run schools (secular and free of charge), private schools under contract to the State (which must adhere to the Ministry’s official guidelines and curricula) and other private schools who are not under contract. 

ORGANISATION OF EDUCATION

1. PRIMARY EDUCATION
   Primary school encompasses nursery schools and elementary schools.

• Nursery school is for children aged 3 to 6 (children who are 2½ years old are accepted under certain conditions).
• Elementary school is for all children, both French and foreign, between the ages of 6 and 11. It covers five years: CP (first year), CE1-CE2 (second and third years) and CM1-CM2 (fourth and fifth year).

2. SECONDARY EDUCATION

   • Lower secondary school (collège) is for children aged 11 to 15. The years range from sixième, (11-year-olds) to troisième (15-year-olds). In principle, all children receive the same education. The ‘Diplôme National du Brevet’ is awarded at the end of lower secondary school.
   • Upper secondary school (lycée) is for teenagers from 15 to 18 years of age. It comprises three years called: seconde, première and terminale (respectively, the first, second, and third and final years of upper secondary school). Upper secondary schools offer a wide variety of subjects. There are two types of upper secondary schools: general and technological lycées, leading to the Baccalaureate, and vocational lycées leading to the certificate of vocational proficiency (CAP), the vocational training certificate (Brevet d’enseignement professionnel, BEP) or the vocational Baccalaureate (Baccalauréat professionnel).

   The Baccalaureate is a qualification that marks the completion of secondary education and gives access to higher education.

3. HIGHER EDUCATION

• Courses: DUT (Diplôme universitaire technologique) awarded at the IUT (Institut universitaire de technologie) and BTS (Brevet de technicien supérieur) in two years, or studies following the international LMD system (Bachelor’s degree three years, Master’s degree five years, PhD eight years).
• The application for prior admission or registration on the Parcoursup platform (depending on the country of origin) is mandatory for non-French candidates or foreign residents who wish to start studying in France.
• Grandes Écoles (elite universities) such as the ENA (National School of Administration), the Ecole Polytechnique, HEC Paris, and also many engineering and business schools. Entrance to these schools is by competitive entrance examination, which candidates prepare for over two years with preparatory classes.

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HERITAGE

Culture is an important aspect of France’s image in the world. This image is connected with the use of the language in international institutions and its important cultural heritage. This heritage is extremely varied: towns and cities, historical monuments, listed, ancient and religious sites, castles, and urban or natural sites, most of which are open to visitors. Whether they are public or private, these places attract a large number of visitors from around the world and make France one of the main international tourism destinations.

It is also well-known that gastronomy is inseparable from French cultural life. There are restaurants which offer terroir [local] cuisine (traditional French), for all budgets. France offers many high-quality regional products, some of the best known being its wines and cheeses.

See website: https://www.tourisme-en-france.com/

MAIN LEISURE ACTIVITIES

The practice of sport has considerably increased in recent years. There are around 10 million members of sports federations: football and tennis are the two sports clubs with the most members.

Leisure activities such as theatre, cinema, concerts and exhibitions are advertised in many newspapers, on town hall websites and on specialist websites such as www.allocine.fr ; http://spectacles.premiere.fr/pariscope/theatre.

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For all events in your private life, consult your consulate. The French authorities may ask you for certain administrative documents issued by your consulate.

BIRTHS
All births on French territory must be registered. Registration must be completed within five days of the birth. 

This is done at the hospital or town hall of the place of birth by the father, or other persons who attended the birth.

MARRIAGE
In France, only civil marriage has legal value. Any two people can marry in France, even if they are not French nationals, as long as they are aged 18 or over (exemptions are possible).

Notice of the marriage must be published, for a period of 10 days, at the town hall for the place or places where the future couple reside. The marriage may, therefore, take place from the 11th day.

The marriage is held in a municipality with which at least one of the two spouses has lasting links, either directly or indirectly (i.e. via a parent).

CIVIL SOLIDARITY PACT (PACS)

This is a contract between two adults to be able to make arrangements for their life together. Persons bound by a PACS must live at the same address.

For further information, contact the registry of the district court for the place of residence.

DEATHS

Deaths must be registered, within 24 hours, at the town hall for the place where the person died.

See website: http://www.service-public.fr