Fact sheet : work permit application
Date of update
Working as an employee in France
Whatever the length of the stay for business purposes, a prior work permit must be obtained to be allowed to be employed in France.
Citizens of a European Union or European Economic Area Member State or Switzerland can work in France without a work permit. Please have a look at our dedicated fact sheet.
A work authorisation can be included in a visa or a residence permit and can also be a specific authorization obtained in addition to the residence permit.
Residence permits enabling to work as employee
Some visas and residence permits are valid as work permits during the period of validity of the residence document, depending on the conditions under which they are granted (‘Talent’ status, Intra-company transfer employee, etc.). No additional steps are necessary. Please see the ‘Residence permits’ section for further details. For more information, see our section on residence permits.
Residence permits requiring a specific work permit
The specific work permit is requested by the employer before the applicant arrives at the company. This work permit is required to obtain a visa and a residence permit. It is required in particular for procedures involving the introduction of employees on permanent contracts (excluding ‘Talent’ status), temporary workers on fixed-term contracts, employees changing employer and posted workers excluding intra-group mobility.
Helpful tip : The exercise of a regulated profession also implies the possession of a specific diploma or qualification specific to the profession in question (for example: health professions, lawyers or accountants).
Exemptions from work permit
Citizens of a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) Member State or Switzerland
Citizens of a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) Member State or Switzerland are exempt from a work permit.
Non-EU employees already working in a member state of the EU
Citizens outside of a European Union (EU) or European Economic Area (EEA) Member State or Switzerland working lawfully and customarily for an employer established in an EU or EEA Member State or Switzerland in the context of providing a service, subject to proof of a residence permit issued by the European State authorizing work in this State, are exempt from a work permit.
Employees coming in France for less than 3 months
For three months or less period, foreign employees who are nationals of third countries, coming to French territory to exercise a salaried professional activity are exempt from a work permit in one of the following fields:
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- Sporting, cultural, artistic and scientific events.
- Conferences, seminars and trade shows.
- Production and distribution of cinematic and audiovisual works, shows and recordings.
- Modeling and artistic posing.
- Personal service workers and domestic workers working in France during their private employers’ stay in the country.
- Audit and consulting in IT, management, finance, insurance, architecture and engineering, under the terms of a service agreement or intra-company transfer agreement.
- Occasional teaching activities by invited lecturers.
Work permit validity and length
Length
The work permit is valid for the period specified in the employment contract or assignment letter. In some cases, the work permit is valid for 12 months, renewable.
Validity
Certain residence permits valid as work permits and special work permits allow their bearer to work as an employee:
- For any employer or for a specific employer only; and/or
- In one or more set geographical areas.
Work permit delivered for overseas territories
A work permit issued in an overseas department or region (Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Mayotte and Reunion) is valid only in that department. Foreign talents holding such a permit and who wish to move to mainland France to engage in paid employment must obtain a new work permit.
Work permit delivered for European territory of France
A work permit issued for European territory of France does not entitle its bearer to work anywhere else than in mainland France. Foreign talents wishing to work in one of the overseas territories must have their employer request another work permit.
Important: any change of employment (employer, work contract) requires a new work permit application.
Applying for a work permit
It is up to the employer, whether based in France or abroad, to submit the application for a work permit.
Step 1 : If the employment levels have to be checked before hiring the future employee (see below),the employer will have to publish the job offer for 3 weeks in a public employment agency (France Travail or Apec) before applying for the work permit.
Step 2: Online application for the work permit by the employer at least 3 months prior to the anticipated date of the employment on the dedicated portal.
Once the application has been submitted online, both the employer and the employee receive an e-mail confirming that the application has been submitted.
Step 3: If the work permit is issued, the employer and the foreign employee will receive it by e-mail.
The future employee will have to attach the work permit to his/her visa and/or residence permit application.
Step 4 : The work permit must be attachedto “registre unique du personnel” (single personnel register) which is kept available for Labour Inspectorate officials.
Find the flyers explaining the process depending on your hiring project:
- You wish to hire a foreign citizen currently outside France.
- You wish to hire a foreign citizen currently in France.
Opposability of the employment situation
The foreign candidate for whom the employer requests a work permit can be subject to the opposability of the employment situation. Prior to applying for a work permit, the employer should check if candidates are available on the French labour market (the job offered should be posted 3 weeks on the French unemployment agency France Travail – APEC).
According to the region of employment, some jobs are listed among the jobs in tension, that is to say characterized by difficulties in recruitment, for which there is no opposability of the employment situation. Please find a simulator to know if the employment levels will have to be checked for the hiring of the employee here.
Exemptions to the opposability of employment situation are in the following cases:
- Bilateral agreements include exemptions of opposability of employment situation for foreign nationals from the signatory countries.
- The request for a work permit from a foreign student holding a diploma at least equivalent to the master’s degree is examined without opposability of the employment situation, if the employment contract presented is related to his training and matched compensation at least equal to €2,702.07 gross monthly as of November 1, 2024.
Required documents
The ANEF website provides a list of documents to be submitted in support of a work permit application.
For information purposes, a list of documents is available on our website.
Cost
The specific work permit does not involve any additional costs for the employer or the employee.
However, employer hiring or hosting a foreign employee must pay a tax to the “Direction Générale des Finances Publiques” (DGFiP). This tax is payable when the residence permit, for an employee or seconded employee (excluding ICT assignees), is issued for the first time. The tax is payable when the foreign employee enters France for the first time or is admitted for the first time as an employee. It is declared and paid with the VAT return the following year. Please consult the dedicated fact sheet.
Extending a work permit
Holder of a specific work permit
There are two different situations when applying for a new work permit.
Renewing a work permit
The renewal application must be submitted in the two months before the work permit expires on the ANEF dedicated platform.
When the duration of the initial assignment is extended, an amendment to the fixed-term employment contract should be provided within the limits laid down in the French Labor Code.
New work permit
If the employee changes employment while in France and holds a work permit, the employer must apply for a new work permit on the dedicated platform prior to start working even if the employee’s residence permit is still valid.
The employment situation changes
If the reasons of stay in France change (e.g. from paid employment to starting up your own business), a change of status procedure may be initiated in the two months before the residence permit expires authorizing the foreign national to work in France.
Helpful tip: Some statuses do not allow the length of stay to be extended once the assignment has been completed (for example, posted employees must leave France once their assignment is completed, except in some cases)
Find out about the change of status on our residence permit section