Unemployment benefits known as Allocation d’aide au retour à l’emploi (ARE) requires certain eligibility conditions to be satisfied. These include minimum working days, loss of job, training, ability to work, physical fitness, etc.
Did you know?
You can use an online simulator to estimate your eligibility for various unemployment benefits
Pole Emploi was renamed as France Travail
Summary
Unemployment benefits are available, when all the following conditions are satisfied,
- Must have a valid ID proof or a resident permit
- Must have worked a minimum number of days
- Must not have lost the job voluntarily
- Must have registered as a Job-seeker
- Must stay inside in France
- Must be physically fit for employment
- Must be actively looking for a Job
- Must not be claiming a full retirement pension
- Sources & References
Must have a valid ID proof or a resident permit
An applicant must hold a valid national identity card or a French resident permit.
If the applicant is a French national, he/she must provide at least one of the following documents:
- National identity card
- Passport
- Civil or military invalid card with a photograph
If the applicant is from a country that is a member of the European Union, the European Economic Area, Switzerland, Monaco, Andorra, or Saint-Martin, a valid identification document is sufficient.
If the applicant is the citizen of other foreign countries, he/she must provide one of the following valid resident permits:
- Carte de résident, the 10 years card
- Carte de séjour temporaire or pluriannuelle – salarié/travailleur temporaire
- Carte de séjour pluriannuelle – passeport talent
- Carte de séjour temporaire – travailleur temporaire, when the employment contract has been terminated by an employer established in France or for a case of force majeure
- Carte de séjour temporaire ou pluriannuelle – vie privée et familiale
- Autorisation provisoire de séjour Or récépissé de première demande Or de demande de renouvellement d’un titre de séjour which mentions “autorise son titulaire à travailler”.
- Visa de long séjour valant titre de séjour (VLS-TS) – salarié or vie privée et familiale
- Autorisation provisoire de séjour, issued to foreigners who have lodged a complaint or testified in a criminal proceeding or who have been granted protection
- Carte de séjour temporaire – recherche d’emploi ou création d’entreprise
- Carte de séjour pluriannuelle – bénéficiaire de la protection subsidiaire
- Carte de séjour pluriannuelle – bénéficiaire du statut d’apatride or famille d’un bénéficiaire du statut d’apatride
Must have worked a minimum number of days
An applicant must have worked at least 130 days or 910 hours, which is approximately 6 months. These worked days should be within a certain period:
- In the last 24 months (2 years), if you are under 53 years old.
- In the last 36 months (3 years), if you are 53 years old and above.
These worked days are considered for one or more jobs,
- In a calendar week (from Monday to Sunday), only a maximum of 5 days are taken into account.
- If you had multiple jobs simultaneously, each day will be counted only once.
- Training days are included but not entirely. A maximum of 2/3 of the number of worked days or hours worked will be considered. For example: In a training period of 80 days, only 60 days of training will be counted.
Certain periods are not taken into account for these worked days:
- If your employment contract has been suspended due to,
- unpaid leave of at least one calendar month or a sabbatical leave.
- availability for a civil servant or public servant
- If you have suspended your contract to engage in a non-salaried or independent activity (micro-entrepreneur, trader, etc) which is excluded from the scope of the unemployment insurance scheme.
Must not have lost the job voluntarily
An applicant will not be eligible,
- if he/she resigned from the job or
- voluntarily left it for another job contract which lasted less than 65 worked days or less than 455 hours (approximately 3 months).
Employees who lost their jobs via “licenciément” or “rupture conventionnelle” are also eligible for unemployment benefits.
Employees at the end of fixed-term contracts (CDD or contrat de mission) are also eligible for unemployment benefits. Please refer “J’arrive en fin de CDD / de contrat de mission” for more details.
Some resignations which are justified by certain professional or family requirements, may be considered legitimate and be eligible for unemployment benefits.
Since 1st November 2019, in the case of a professional reconversion project leading to a resignation, an applicant may be eligible for unemployment benefits under certain conditions. The applicant can be their eligibility by logging on to the website demission-reconversion.gouv.fr
Must have registered as a Job-seeker
- An applicant must be registered with France Travail as a Job-seeker, within 12 months following the end of the job contract.
- Registration can be done online at Francetravail.fr by clicking on “M’inscrire, me réinscrire“.
Must stay inside in France
- The applicant must reside within the French national territory, where the rules of unemployment insurance are applicable.
- It means that the applicant will not be eligible for these benefits, if he/she moves abroad for a certain duration (above 35 days in a calendar year), whether it’s for work or holidays.
- For more information, please consult “Declare an absence of more than 7 days to France Travail” and “Unemployment benefits abroad“.
Must be physically fit for employment
- The applicant’s health or physical abilities must allow him/him to work.
- If you are on sick leave, please refer to the section “I am on arret maladie” for further information.
Must be actively looking for a Job
The applicant must commit to actively taking actions to find an employment, such as
- Attend the scheduled appointments with France Travail, accept offers for training, employment, etc.
- Implement the actions defined with the France Travail advisor as part of the Personalized Employment Access Project (PPAE). For example, engage in training activities or steps towards business creation.
Must not be claiming a full retirement pension
The applicant,
- must not be be eligible for a full pension at the legal retirement age.
- must not have claimed an early full pension.
For more information, consult “I am close to retirement” on France Travail website.
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Sources & References
- Essential things to know about receiving unemployment benefits in France www.francetravail.fr
- Everything to know about registering with France Travail www.francetravail.fr
- Registration to the list of job-seekers Code du travail : articles R5221-47 à R5221-48
- What are the various categories of Job-seekers? www.service-public.fr
- Documents required for registration on France Travail (formerly Pôle emploi)? www.service-public.fr
- Returning back to France : what are the rights to unemployment benefits? www.service-public.fr
- Are you entitled to unemployment in France after a stay in Europe? www.service-public.fr
