Employ in France with ease.

Remote makes employment in France easy. With our localized contracts, easy invoice management, and best-in-class compliance, you can grow your global team with confidence.

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Facts & Stats

France, officially the French Republic (French: république française), is a country whose territory consists of metropolitan France in Western Europe and several overseas regions and territories. France is a developed country with the world's seventh-largest economy by nominal GDP, and the tenth-largest by PPP. In terms of aggregate household wealth, it ranks fourth in the world.

  • Capital city

    Paris

  • Currency

    Euro
    (, EUR)

  • Languages spoken

    French

  • Population size

    67,067,000 (May 2020 est.)

  • Ease of doing business

    Very easy

  • Cost of living index

    $$$$ (17 of 139 nations)

  • Payroll frequency

    Monthly

  • VAT - standard rate

    20%

  • GDP - real growth rate

    1.725% (2018 est.)

Grow your team in France with Remote

Looking to employ workers in France? Companies hiring in France must either own a legal entity in the country or work with a global employment solutions provider, usually one that provides employer of record services.

Remote can employ your team in France on your behalf through our local legal entity in the country and handle payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance for your France team. You can also pay contractors now in France with Remote.

Risks of misclassification

France, like many other countries, treats self-employed individuals or contractors and full-time workers differently and there are risks associated with misclassification.

If you're worried about whether to hire contractors or employees in France or anywhere else around the world, Remote can help. Our Solutions Consulting team are experts in preventing misclassification risks. Download our Contractor Compliance Checklist for a solid overview, then talk to our team about your specific situation.

Employing in France

Employment law in France is not contained under a single law. Instead it is governed by statutory regulations codified in (among other laws) the French labour code, the French Constitution as well as European Commission and other international labour conventions. Furthermore, collective labour law through codetermination, trade unions and collective bargaining plays a significant role in French labour relations.

French employment law provides strong labor conditions and protections for employees, so employing people will be an important investment and commitment.

Temporary agencies are popular options for more flexible workforce arrangements. For these and many other reasons, the following are only guidelines in the broadest sense, and professional legal services are recommended when employing in France.

Minimum Wage

The minimum hourly wage stipulate by law for 2023 is €1 709.28 per month, or €11.27 per hour. A higher minimum is often set by collective bargaining agreements, which are enforceable by law.

Payroll Cycle

For customers of Remote, all employee payments will be made in equal monthly installments on or before the last working day of each calendar month, payable in arrears.

Onboarding Time

We can help you get a new employee started in France fast. The minimum onboarding time we need is only 4 working days.

Our team ensures your employees are onboarded and paid as quickly as possible while keeping your business compliant with all local employment legislation. The minimum onboarding time begins after the employee submits all required information onto the Remote platform. The onboarding timeline is also dependent upon registration with local authorities.

For all non-nationals of the country of employment, the Right to Work assessment (if applicable) will add three extra days to the total time to onboard. There may be extra time required if we need to follow-up on the right to work assessment.

Please note, payroll cut-off dates can impact the actual first day of employment. Remote has a payroll cut-off date of the 10th of the month unless otherwise specified.

Competitive benefits package in France

At Remote, we’re obsessed with helping you craft the best possible employee experience for your team. We are leading the way in practicing “fair equity,” which means making sure employees everywhere have access to both the required and supplemental benefits they need to thrive (and that will allow you to attract the best local talent).

Our benefits packages in France are tailored to fulfill the local needs of your employees. Typically, our packages contain some or all of the following benefits:

  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Vision Insurance
  • Mental Health Support
  • Pension or 401(K)
  • Life and Disability Insurance

Calculate the cost to hire an employee
in France

Taxes in France

Learn how employment taxes and statutory fees affect your payroll and your employees’ paychecks in France.

  • Employer

    • 13.00% - Health, Maternity, Disability, Death

    • 8.55% (ceiling of €3,311) - Old Age Insurance

    • 5.25% or 2.45% - Family Benefits

    • 4.05% (ceiling of €13,244) - Unemployment

    • 0.30% - Autonomy Solidarity Contribution

    • 0.15% - AGS (Wage Guarantee Insurance)

  • Employee

    • 9.20% - Social Security Surcharge

    • 6.90% (ceiling of €3,311) - Old Age Insurance

    • 0% - Up to €10,777

    • 11.00% - €10,778–€27,478

    • 30.00% - €27,749–€78,570

    • 41.00% - €78,571–€168,994

    • 45.00% - €168,995 and above

Types of leave

Statutory leave

All full-time workers are legally entitled to 25 days paid holiday leave a year. In addition, full-time workers have 11 paid public holidays a year. The minimum amount of annual leave is 5 weeks.

Pregnancy and maternity leave

The length of maternity leave for employees depends on the number of children of the mother:

  • Single birth bringing mother's number of children to one or two - 16 weeks, broken down into 6 weeks before childbirth and 10 weeks after
  • Single birth bringing mother's number of children to three or more - 26 weeks, broken down into 8 weeks before childbirth and 18 weeks after
  • Multiple birth of twins - 34 weeks, broken down into 12 weeks before childbirth and 22 weeks after
  • Multiple birth of triplets or more - 46 weeks, broken down into 24 weeks before childbirth and 22 weeks after

Additional maternity leave can be granted through the relevant collective bargaining agreement. Employees can also choose to increase or decrease proportion of maternity leave before and after childbirth with a physician's authorisation.

Paternity leave

Male employees are granted three days of leave when the childbirth happens and are entitled up to 25 days (4 compulsory, 21 optional) for single births and up to 32 days (4 compulsory, 28 optional) for multiple births. Paternity leave has to be taken within the first four months after the birth or adoption.

Other leave

  • Adoption leave: before adoption of a child, employees are entitled to 6 weeks of unpaid leave if travelling abroad to adopt a child. Length of leave after adoption depends on number of adoptions and whether the leave is shared between parents. When taken by one parent and up to two children, the duration is 10 weeks. For three or more children, the duration is 18 weeks. For multiple adoptions, adoption of twins, triplets or more, the duration is increased to 22 weeks. If shared by both parents, adoption leave is increased by 11 days (or 18 days in case of multiple adoptions).

Employment termination

Termination process

French employers in general have the following ways to terminate the employment relationship:

  • Termination by mutual consent through a settlement agreement;
  • Dismissal for economic reasons, for example structural, economic and technological changes;
  • Employee resignation with written notice and notice period as per employment contract;
  • Urgent dismissal of the employee, for example in case of theft or any other serious misconduct.

Notice period

The statutory notice period for an employer depends on the duration of employment. For employment duration between 6 months and 2 years, the notice period is 1 month. For employment duration over 2 years, it is 2 months. For executives, the notice period is 3 months.

Probation periods

The maximum length of a probationary period is 8 months. Collective bargaining agreements also play a role here.

Visa & Immigration

Visa Options

Depending on your employee's situation, we may be able to sponsor their visa application. Talk with our team today.

If Remote visa sponsorship isn't the best route for your employee, below are other possible visas they could apply for. We can also help with the visa application process.

These visa options should not be considered legal advice and are subject to change. The estimated time will vary per case.

Other visa options
  • ICT Salarié Detaché (EU Directive 2014/66)

    This category is for managers or experts transferred within a group of companies to France for over 90 days while remaining on home contract.

    Time until employee can start work: 1 to 3 months

  • Van der Elst (Assignment from Within the EEA)

    A type of visa or work permit available to non-EEA/EFTA citizens employed by and working for a company in an EU/EEA/EFTA country, that allows them to work for that company in another EEA/EFTA member state, subject to meeting certain eligibility conditions.

    Time until employee can start work: 2 days to 2 weeks

  • Foreign Service Providers (Détachés Hors Mobilité Intragroupe)

    This process is for applicants employed by foreign companies who provide a temporary service in France for over 90 days for a company in France on behalf of and under the authority of their employing company in their country of residence.

    Time until employee can start work: 2 to 4 months

  • Local Hire - Temporary Workers (Travailleurs Temporaires)

    This process allows for the recruitment of a foreign national who will be locally hired in France for a definite period of time (12 months renewable up to 18 months maximum).

    Time until employee can start work: 3 to 5 months

  • Passeport Talent - Salarié en Mission (Intra-Company, Local Contract)

    The Passeport Talent - Salarié en Mission is for employees transferred within a group of companies and with a local contract in France for over 90 days.

    Time until employee can start work: 2 weeks to 2 months

Net Migration

In 2020, France experienced a net migration of +36,527.

Best Destinations for Remote Work

From our Best Destinations for Remote Work report, the following made the top 100 list:

  • Paris
  • Marseille
  • Lyon
  • Nice
  • Antibes

Discover the rest of highly ranked cities for remote working and create your own custom list. Report

Tax Treaties

France has a tax treaty with Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Benin, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Burkina-Faso, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chile, China, Congo, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, Macedonia, French Polynesia, Gabon, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Malta, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Province of Quebec, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint-Martin, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan (Territory of), Thailand, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Disclaimer

The information contained in this site is for general guidance on matters of interest only. The application and impact of laws can vary widely based on the specific facts involved. Given the changing nature of laws, rules and regulations, and the inherent hazards of electronic communication, there may be delays, omissions or inaccuracies in information contained in this site. Accordingly, the information on this site is provided with the understanding that the authors and publishers are not herein engaged in rendering legal, accounting, tax, or other professional advice and services. As such, it should not be used as a substitute for consultation with professional accounting, tax, legal or other competent advisors.

While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained in this site has been obtained from reliable sources, Remote is not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the results obtained from the use of this information. All information in this site is provided “as is”, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information, and without warranty of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to warranties of performance, merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will Remote or employees thereof be liable to you or anyone else for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in this site or for any consequential, special or similar damages, even if advised on the possibility of such damages.

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