Employment

Non-French nationals who wish to perform salaried work in France must be in possession of a work permit and a medical certificate.

 

The medical examination which non-French workers must undergo must henceforth take place 3 months at the latest after their work permit has been issued. The document is issued by the Agence nationale de l’accueil des étrangers et des migrations (ANAEM).

 

 

A work permit is not required, however, in the following cases:
- non-French salaried workers detached under certain conditions to France and in the employ of a Community service supplier (employer established in the European Union, the European Economic Area or Switzerland);
- nationals from the EU, the European Economic Area. Switzerland, Monaco, Andorra and San Marino.

A certain number of residence permits allow for the exercise of salaried employment: the “skills and talents” residence permit, the “student” temporary residence permit, and the “scientific researcher” temporary residence permit (issued on presentation of the host agreement with a research or higher education body).
Bulgarian and Romanian nationals are required, during a transitory period, to hold a residence permit if they wish to exercise a professional activity in France (whether salaried or not).

For additional information

It is therefore prohibited for any person to recruit or retain a foreign worker who is not in possession of a work permit, on pain of penal and financial sanctions.
The “scientific researcher” temporary residence permit is considered a valid work permit.

N.B.: The “scientific researcher” residence permit can only be considered to be a work permit within the host body which has signed the host agreement.
A work permit issued in an overseas department of France is not valid in metropolitan France and reciprocally.


For renewal of a work permit, a request must be made during the two months preceding its expiry. The application should be made to the local departmental employment authority (DDTEFP). Contact should be made with the DDTEFP for details of the list of documents to be submitted.