You are looking for or have just found your dream job in France and you are afraid of the administrative steps to take? No need to panic! MisterBilingue explains it all to you!
The EEA* (European Economic Area) and Switzerland allow the free movement of workers! If you are a citizen of one of these countries, you can legally work in France without a work permit. You will simply have to provide your employer with a valid ID and take the necessary administrative steps to be attached to a French health insurance fund.
*Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden
If you already live in France, you may already have a residence permit that allows you to work without a specific work permit. The following residence permits exempt you from needing a specific work permit:
Your future employer will have to check that you have a valid residence permit (more information in this article (link to the employers article), and will then be able to start the "classic" hiring procedures.
You can find more details on the public service website.
In this case, it is your future employer who will take the necessary steps (see the link in the employers article), with different organizations: the OFII (French Office of Immigration and Integration) and the DREETS (Regional Directorates of Economy, Employment, Work and Solidarity, formerly called DIRECCTE).
Of course, you will have to provide various documents so that the company can begin the process:
The consulate will provide your residence permit if the application is validated.
NB: a medical examination must be scheduled within 3 months of your arrival in France. Be careful, the work permit may be refused if this medical check-up is not carried out in time!
If you meet one of the following conditions, you can apply for a Talent Passport (also called "multi-year residence permit"); please note that in this case, YOU are in charge of the procedures!
Qualified employee: You have obtained, in France, a professional degree or Specialized Master /Master of Science AND You have a contract of employment of more than 3 months that provides for an annual gross remuneration equal to or greater than €36,946.00
Recruiting in an innovative company: You are recruited into an innovative young company or a company recognized as innovative by the Ministry of Economy AND your functions have a direct link with the research and development project of this company AND You have a contract of employment that provides for gross annual remuneration equal to or greater than €36,946.00.
You will need to apply for a Long Stay Visa (LSTV) at the Consulate or Embassy of your country of origin if you are not in France, and at the prefecture or sub-prefecture of your residence if you live in France. You must provide the following documents :
On its side, the company will provide you with different documents to attach to the file:
More information on the talent passport here
From February 1, 2020, a withdrawal agreement provides specific provisions for British nationals and their families already residing in France; if you were already residing in France before December 31, 2020, you will simply have to apply for a "withdrawal agreement" residence permit before July 1, 2021. The obligation to hold a residence permit will come into effect on October 1, 2021.
On the other hand, since January 1, 2021, if you wish to come and live in France, you will have to follow the same procedures as non-EU and EEA nationals.
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