Administrative procedures

Before to read this section, make sure you acknolewdged the general information contained in "Entering the Country".

• EU citizens

EU citizens intending to live and work in France should have a valid passport (nationals from Belgium, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands can seek employment upon production of their national Identity Card). A work permit or a visa is no longer necessary. According to EU law, EU nationals have up to 3 months to apply for a "Carte de séjour de ressortissant de l’Union Européenne" (EU resident permit) at the "Préfecture" or "Commissariat de Police" (Police Station) of your place of residence. The "Carte de séjour" will be granted upon production of:       - A valid passport        - A birth certificates or a marriage certificate       - A proof of accommodation        - Proof that you pay contributions to the French Social Security scheme        - 3 passport photographs        - A contract of employment or the necessary authorizations from the Chamber of Commerce in case of self-employment

If you are staying for a limited duration (less than one year), a resident permit will be issued for this period of time, after which your situation will be re-examined. If you are planning to stay on a permanent basis, a resident permit will be issued for 5 years. After these 5 years, your permit can be renewed for 10 more years if you are still employed on permanent basis. Please note that the right of residence - granted with the resident permit - can be extended to the permit holder’s spouse; dependant descendants under 21, dependants ascendants and spouse’s ascendants. The EU residence permit allows you to work anywhere.

• Non EU citizens

There are four different cases of foreigners intending to work in France. > First case: non-EU citizens intending to work in France for less than three months. With your passport and, if needed, you short-term visa, you must apply for an Autorisation Provisoire de Travail (APT) at the Direction Départementale du travail, de l’emploi et de la formation professionnelle (D.D.T.E.F.P.). You can only apply if you have already found an employer, who provides you with a job which is temporary in nature or by circumstance. The authorization will be issued for the duration of the contract. > Second case: non-EU citizens, intending to work in France as a permanent worker. An employer in France who wants to hire a non-EU citizen must obtain an authorization from the French Ministry of Labor. The authorization is a prerequisite document for the issuance of a long stay visa by a French Consulate abroad. If the Ministry approves the contract, it is forwarded to the Agence Nationale d’Accueil des Etrangers et des Migrations (ANAEM) for transmission to the appropriate French Consulate abroad. The Consulate then notifies the applicant who can proceed with visa formalities. After entering France with the proper visa, he or she must apply at the local Préfecture of Police for a Carte de Séjour. Note that only those employers who cannot find available, qualified workers within France may petition to bring in a permanent worker who is not a European Union national. > Third case: non EU citizens, intending to work in France as a temporary worker (3 to 12 months) and already living in France:         - If you are a student, your residence permit already allows you to work, with a limit of 20h/week (except for holidays, when you can work full time).        - If you have finished your studies, or live in France as a visitor or family member, and intend to work for a period not exceeding one year, you must apply for an Autorisation Provisoire de Travail (APT) at the Direction Départementale du travail, de l’emploi et de la formation professionnelle (D.D.T.E.F.P.). You can only apply if you have already found an employer, who provides you with a job which is temporary in nature or by circumstance.  > Fourth case: non EU citizens, intending to work in France as a seasonal worker. A job is considered seasonal when it occurs at the same time every year, followed by an inactive phase, in the relevant professional sector (agriculture, hotel industry, summer or winter tourism, agro-food, etc.). Provided there are no qualified workers available within the national territory to fill their needs, French employers can use foreign workers.

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