Work: Can a non-EU student work in France?

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Updated on: December 18, 2024 | By: @rprasanth_kumar

All foreign students in France, irrespective of their nationalities or level of education, have the right to work both on and off campus up to 964 hours per year. However, non-EU students must possess a valid student visa or resident permit. This article explains the rights of the students on various work and business-related subjects.

Did you know? Students on VLS-T visas are not allowed to work in France  

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Topics Covered

  1. Part-time Jobs
  2. Internships
    • During the course
    • After Graduation
  3. Alternance or Apprentissage
    • Contrat d’apprentissage
    • Contrat de professionalization
  4. Freelancing or Remote working
  5. Entrepreneurship
  6. APS and Carte de Sejour RECE

Part-time Jobs

  • International students are allowed to work 964 hours or the equivalent of 60% of the maximum working hours permitted per year.
  • This period is counted between the starting and ending dates of your student resident permit.
  • For example: If the student visa is valid for a year from October 1st 2024 to September 30th 2025, the student can work 964h during this 1 year duration.
  • When the resident permit is renewed, the working hours counter restarts from zero.
  • Different rules apply to Algerians and so they are only allowed 50% of the maximum working hours permitted per year.
  • Students working at their host college or university are only allowed to work up to 670 hours between 1st September and 30th June and limited to 300 hours between 1st July and 31st August.
  • This limit is applied to create a balance between their study and work hours which might overlap sometimes.

Did you know? A part-time job and a mandatory internship, required to complete the degree, can be done alongside. During my Master’s internship, I worked on a part-time job during some evenings and weekends. 

Mandatory internship salary is not taxable but the part-time job salary will be taxed according to your income tax bracket. So, submitting a French income tax declaration becomes very important. 

Internships

During the course:

  • Internship hours which are mandatory for completing the course are not deducted from the 964 hours annual work limit.
  • A “convention du stage” agreement must be signed by the institution, the organization hosting the student, and the student.
  • Internships lasting more than 2 months must be paid. It must be at least 650€ per month (since 1st January 2024).
  • The minimum hourly rate for an internship is 4.35€.
  • Income earned during these internships is exempted from income tax declarations up to the limit of 20,815 €. The income above this limit is taxable and must be declared.
  • However, all students are recommended to submit a zero-income tax declaration, when they don’t have any taxable income. This declaration will help a lot in the future.

After Graduation:

  • These internships will be considered regular work, so they do not enjoy any of the exemptions mentioned earlier including the hours and taxation.
  • These internships require a Convention du Stage too.
  • However, you won’t be able to obtain this document from your college or university because it requires a student status.
  • But, you can get it via 3rd part organizations like Fac for Pro, BeStudentAgain, etc by paying a fee of around 200 euros.

Alternance or Apprentissage

Contrat d’apprentissage:

  • Non-European students can engage in an apprenticeship if they’ve been in France for over a year.
  • However, students enrolling in a master’s program or a recognized level I diploma by the Conférence des grandes écoles can skip the one-year residency requirement.
  • The student must hold a long-stay student visa (VLS-TS) or a student residence permit.
  • In this situation, students can work more than 964 hours per year as part of their studies.
  • If the contract is approved by the Opérateur de Compétences (OPCO) or the Dreets (for public sector apprenticeships), the employer does not need to request an additional work permit.

Contrat de professionalization:

  • Non-European students can participate in a professionalization contract under certain conditions.
  • The student must have been residing in France for more than 1 year, holding a long-stay student visa (VLS-TS) or a student residence permit.
  • The student is allowed to work more than 964 hours per year as part of their studies.
  • If working beyond 964 hours, the employer must apply for and obtain a work permit before the student can start the job. For more information, Autorisation de travail d’un étranger salarié en France.

Freelancing & Remote working

  • Unfortunately, non-European students are not allowed to these activities during their studies in France.
  • This prohibition applies even to the work done under a foreign entity and income in a foreign currency received in your foreign bank account.
  • Even if you manage to register and obtain a SIRET number, it shouldn’t be used as long as you are on a student resident permit. It’s not legally allowed. 

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Entrepreneurship

  • Unfortunately, non-European students are not allowed to create a business during their studies in France.
  • For example, delivery jobs that require micro-entrepreneur status such as Deliveroo, etc are not allowed.
  • You can refer to the following article for more details. FAQ – Can A Non-European Student Have A Micro-Entrepreneur Status Along With a Student Visa?
  • Even if you manage to register and obtain a SIRET number, it shouldn’t be used as long as you are on a student resident permit. It’s not legally allowed. 

APS Master and Carte de Sejour RECE

  • Holders of these resident permits can work full-time if the job is related to their masters and if the salary is a minimum of 1.5 times SMIC.
  • If these 2 conditions aren’t satisfied, they can work only part-time for 964 hours per year.
  • You can refer to the following article for more details about APS. APS : French Job Search Or Business Creation Resident Permit

Sources & References

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DISCLAIMER

Any finance-related information shared is not professional legal, tax, or investment advice. The information provided is of an educational and general nature and is not investment advice within the meaning of Articles L. 321-1 and D. 321-1 of the French Monetary and Financial Code. Investment carries risks of loss and past performance does not guarantee future performance. Please consult a financial advisor for any professional advice.

4 thoughts on “Work: Can a non-EU student work in France?”

  1. Nana

    Hello,
    My name is Nana, I’m a non-EU student. I have been in alternance with a company for the past two years. My contract is ending at the end of this month. And for this year, according to my school’s timetable, I have been working full time since May 2024. So I’m way above the 964 hour limit. My question is, for the remaining months of the year, do I have the right to get another student job?

    Reply
    1. Prasanth

      Hello Nana,
      A non-EU student can work only 964h per year as explained in the article.

      If this limit was exhausted, then the employer must apply for a work permit known as “autorisation de travail”. When the new year starts (not necessarily Jan), the 964h work limit will be reset.

      Reply
  2. Surabhi

    Hello! I am Surr. I am currently employed and I am on my APS but my employer has already started the process for my work permit in August and according to the work limit on APS I will have time only until the end of October . My question is do I need to stop working because the prefecture takes so much time to reply and my hours will be exhausted? Thank you for your help

    Reply

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