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Show Applicable labour law

Show Overview of employment contracts

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<div class="ck-content" data-wrapper="true" dir="ltr" style="--ck-image-style-spacing: 1.5em; --ck-inline-image-style-spacing: calc(var(--ck-image-style-spacing) / 2); font-family: Segoe UI; font-size: 11pt;"><p style="margin: 0; text-align: justify;">The <strong>French Labour Code (code du travail)</strong>, specifically <a href="https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/section_lc/LEGITEXT000006072050/LEGISCTA000006160713/#LEGISCTA000006160713" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Articles L1261-1 to L1265-1 (Part 1, Book II, Title VI)</a>, is the primary legal framework governing the international posting of workers &nbsp;in France. It incorporates Directive 96/71/EC (Posting of Workers Directives) and subsequent amendments, ensuring equal treatment of posted workers and alignment with domestic labour standards.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;</p><p style="margin: 0; text-align: justify;"><strong>The Labour Code:</strong></p><p style="margin: 0; text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p><ul style="list-style-position: initial;"><li data-list-item-id="e5a2d5bf1c9365b0418074c15f82a42a5"><p style="margin: 0; text-align: justify;"><strong>Regulates employment conditions</strong>, covering various aspects such as: working time, compensatory rest, public holidays, paid annual leave, working time and night work for young workers, remuneration, including overtime pay, conditions for temporary employment and hiring-out of workers, workplace safety and health, protective measures for pregnant and recently postnatal women, equality of treatment between men and women, reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses, and the right to strike.</p></li><li data-list-item-id="edad498d970115d0bc8755c40e50ca086"><p style="margin: 0; text-align: justify;"><strong>Ensures the application of </strong>a set of protective rules, particularly individual and collective freedoms, equality, conditions of assignment and guarantees owed to workers by companies carrying out temporary work activities, the right to strike, legislation on working hours, public holidays, paid annual leave, remuneration, payment of wages, health and safety at work, illegal employment, and reimbursement of professional expenses for transport, meals, and accommodation &nbsp;(<a href="https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/article_lc/LEGIARTI000038156575#:~:text=1262%2D4%20aux%20d%C3%A9tachements%20en,d%C3%A9j%C3%A0%20accomplies%20%C3%A0%20cette%20date." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Article L1262-4</a>). <strong>After 12 months of posting, or 18 months if the employer has requested an exemption from the application of long-term seconded employee status, posted workers benefit from additional rights.</strong></p></li><li data-list-item-id="eb53d9d5a6a7d7136eb2c0d9e5aec9837"><p style="margin: 0; text-align: justify;"><strong>Does not expressly define the terms worker or labour contract.</strong> The employee is bound to an employer through an employment contract. In exchange for their work, they receive a salary or wage. The employer exercises a relationship of subordination over the employee: they can give instructions, monitor execution and sanction breaches against the worker. Settled case-law of the French highest court defines the elements of the subordination relationship.<sup>1</sup> &nbsp;</p></li><li data-list-item-id="ee1f603e6f29ab64341f57cb2e5be1294"><p style="margin: 0; text-align: justify;"><strong>Defines a posted worker</strong> as any employee of an employer regularly established and exercising their activity outside France and who, usually working on behalf of the latter outside the national territory, performs the work at the request of this employer for a limited period on national territory (<a href="https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/article_lc/LEGIARTI000031013760" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Article L1261-3</a>).</p></li><li data-list-item-id="e32cf60cb60b5db6c4ce3c3dd878caee8"><p style="margin: 0; text-align: justify;"><strong>Applies to all posted workers</strong>, regardless of their employer's country of establishment or their nationality, including TCNs posted to France.<sup>2</sup> The core provisions apply for up to 12 months, or 18 months if the employer has requested an exemption from the application of long-term seconded employee status, after which almost all national labour law provisions apply, except contract initiation and termination rules.</p></li></ul><hr><p style="margin: 0; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:9pt;"><sup>1</sup> French Court of Cassation, Social Chamber, Plenary, </span><a href="https://www.courdecassation.fr/decision/5fca7f276b18d06e76c3374f?search_api_fulltext=chambre+sociale+28+novembre+2018+%2F+n%C2%B0+17-20.079&amp;op=Rechercher&amp;date_du=&amp;date_au=&amp;judilibre_juridiction=all&amp;previousdecisionpage=&amp;previousdecisionindex=&amp;nextdecisionpage=&amp;nextdecisionindex=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-size:9pt;">n°17-20.079</span></a><span style="font-size:9pt;">.</span></p><p style="margin: 0; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size:9pt;"><sup>2</sup> Ministry of Labour webpage on the rights of posted workers: </span><a href="https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/droit-du-travail/detachement-des-salaries-posting-of-employees/detachement-des-salaries/article/salaries-detaches-vos-droits" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><span style="font-size:9pt;">Les droits des salariés détachés (travail-emploi.gouv.fr</span></a><span style="font-size:9pt;"> [last accessed: 16/02.2026].</span></p></div>

Employments contracts

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Table 2 - Overview of relevant national administrations

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Country-Fiche: France

Competent authorities

Request for information from national authorities

Table 1 - Overview of relevant national administrations

Applicable labour law

Employments contracts

Table 2 - Overview of relevant national administrations

Temporary Work Agencies

Social security

Electronic Exchange of Social Security Information (EESSI) system (includes public repository of social security institutions)

Institutions responsible for the issuance of PD A1

Online tool to check PD A1

European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) – List of institutions that issue the EHIC

Entry and stay requirements for TCNs

Visa

Table 3 - Visa types

Residence and work permits

Table 4 - Residence Permits

Table 5 - Work Permits

Special entry and stay requirements

Travel and residence documents

Useful Links

Table 6 - Useful links