France is a popular tourist destination all year because it is one of the world’s most cultured countries.
France is a member of the G7 and G8 powers, confirming its status as one of the world’s most powerful and prosperous economies. The unemployment rate in France is now around 9%, which means that skilled engineers and technicians seeking jobs in the country have a good chance of finding work.
Those looking for reasons to work and live in France will find a more relaxed way of life among them.
Public transportation is both cheaper and more efficient than in the UK, with buses and railways serving the entire country, including many remote locations.
The minimum wage in France is among the highest in Europe, with residents and workers earning a minimum pay of EUR 9.76 per hour. Workers enjoy a 35-hour work week, and ex-pats and French employees can take annual vacations to pursue training or pursue hobbies, resulting in above-average leisure time for French workers every day. Working in the country allows you to achieve a decent work-life balance.
Depending on your country of origin, you may be required to apply for a French visa if you are moving to France for employment. The many types of visas and work permits available to you are determined by your specific purpose of admission and length of stay in the nation, among other factors.
Work Permits and Employment-Based Visas
There are many works permits and employment visa types for ex-pats, each has its conditions. This section will go through some of the most common work permits and visas that are available to professional employees.
If you are a citizen of the European Union or the European Economic Area, you do not need a work permit. If you are a foreign employee working for less than three months in one of the following fields, you are additionally free from acquiring a work permit:
- Sporting, cultural, artistic, and scientific events.
- Conferences, seminars, and trade shows.
- Producing and distributing films, television shows, and records in the cinematic and audiovisual arts.
- Modeling and artistic posing.
- Personal service workers and domestic workers work 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.
You are also excluded if you are the spouse of a French citizen, the parent of a French kid, or a close family member of a French employee with a temporary ‘Private and Family Life’ residence permit.
Citizens from other countries, on the other hand, almost always require a work permit, regardless of the length of their stay. If you have a long-stay visa equal to a residence permit (VLS-TS) visa or residence permit, you are exempt. These visas serve as both work permits and tourist visas.
France Work Permit Requirements
In most circumstances, the employer is responsible for submitting the work permit application on the employee’s behalf. At least two months before the employee’s start date, this should be done.
Required Documents
A letter describing the employee’s function or the reasons for their hiring, as well as the responsibilities they will be responsible for.
France work permit application form:
- Cerfa no. 15187*1 in four copies if the employee lives outside of France.
- Cerfa no. 15186*1 in four copies if the employee is already in France.
- For legal entities (Extrait K-bis) and sole proprietors (Extrait K), an up-to-date excerpt of the commercial register; a craft license (titer artisan); or, failing that, a tax notice for private individuals.
- Evidence of the relationship between the company established in France and the company established abroad for intra-company transfers.
- A copy of the employee’s passport or another form of national identification.
- A copy of the residence permit authorizing the employee’s stay in France for those who are already residents.
- A CV/résumé or other document demonstrating the employee’s abilities and experience.
- A copy of any qualifications or certificates required for the position in question, if applicable.
- If the position in question is subject to specific regulatory requirements, show that these requirements have been met.
- Evidence of efforts to locate a candidate who is already employed in France.
If the employer is based outside of France, the following information must be included in the application:
- An original employment contract or a certificate of employment from a company based outside of France demonstrating at least three months of service.
- A sworn declaration of intent to register for social security.
- A sworn declaration of application for registration with the applicable paid leave scheme (Caisse des congés payés), if applicable.
- A letter appointing a person based in France to carry out the necessary administrative formalities in its name and on its behalf, if necessary.
