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You are here: Home Employment Employment Information A guide to work permits in France

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22/06/2011A guide to work permits in France

A guide to work permits in France The rules for obtaining a work permit in France are reasonably straightforward, but not all foreign nationals require one and not even all Europeans get equal treatment. Here is an overview of the rules. Updated 2011.

Not everyone needs a work permit, autorisation de travail, to be allowed employment in France. While all those who are entitled to unrestricted employment are from European countries, not all European nationals enjoy this status.

Foreign nationals entitled to work in France without obtaining a permit fall into the following three categories:

- Citizens from the 27 European Union member states
- Nationals from member states of the European Economic Area (EEA)
- Citizens of Switzerland

In addition, foreign government employees, international civil servants on a diplomatic mission, international organisation employees, traders, scientists, artists and sailors working on s ship stationed at a port in France do not need a separate work permit.


A spouse of a non-EU/EEA origin and dependant family members of an EU citizen are entitled to the same rights as an EU citizen, however, they must apply for a residence permit Carte de Séjour within two months of their arrival. Also, as of 2009, they must apply for a long stay visa (visa de long séjour) before leaving their home country.

Citizens of Romania and Bulgaria face restrcitions until 31 December 2013, which may limit their ability to work on certain sectors. It is advisable to contact the French Embassy prior to departure.

The rules of registration of EU citizens in France are being changed, therefore you should always consult the local Mairie to find out if registration is required. If so, you will have to register at the Mairie of your place of residence within three months of arrival in France.

EU citizens are not obliged to apply for a residence permit (carte de séjour), however it is allowed to apply for one.  The permit is valid for up to five years.

Foreign nationals from any country other than those listed above must hold both a valid work permit and residence permit (in the form of a long-stay visa, visa de long séjour) to be allowed employment in France. Furthermore, both must be obtained before arriving in France.

Excluding these categories above, however, the work permit rule essentially requires the applicant to have obtained an offer of employment prior to arrival. The process of applying for the work permit is initiated by the French employer, who will subsequently provide the forms to be filled by the applicant. These are processed in France, usually at a local level.

The employer will have to justify that the applicant is more appropriate for the job than a French national or a national of any of the countries (above listed) which have a free right to work in France, or that there are no other candidates for the post. Once the application is cleared, the work permit and the accompanying long-stay visa are delivered by the French consular services in the applicant's home country.

If this may at first appear a Catch-22 situation, whereby it is impossible to find employment before first arriving in France, note that a visitor to France travelling on a tourist visa is entitled to look for a job offer.

However, neither the work permit nor the long-stay visa can be applied for from within France. In all cases, the applicant must return to their home country to do so. As always, there are exceptions to what is otherwise a rigid rule. These include measures to ease the employment of high-ranking management employees, and temporary work permits for students, au pairs and seasonal agricultural workers.

In all cases, check with your local French consulate about your specific situation.

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