Work and taxes for students in France

This information is for orientation only. Working beyond titre de séjour limits is an immigration offence. Check service-public.fr and your international office.

Student work roadmap

1. 1Valid titre
2. 2Offer
3. 3Contract
4. 4Employer declaration
5. 5Fiche de paie
6. 6Income declaration
7. 7After graduation (APS / CDI)

Student checklist — before accepting a job

• Titre de séjour / VLS-TS valid with student work rights.
• Hour limit (non-EU): 964 hours per calendar year (~20 h/week on average).
• Written contract — CDD, part-time CDI, contrat d’extra, alternance.
• SMIC respected — €12.02/h gross minimum from 1 January 2026.
• Red flags: cash with no fiche de paie, employer refuses URSSAF declaration.

Work rules during studies

Last updated: May 2026 — Service Public — Travail étudiant étranger

Contract types

• CDD / CDI temps partiel — Defined weekly hours; congés payés.
• Contrat d’extra (CDD d’usage) — Specific sectors (hospitality, events); short duration.
• Intérim — Agency is employer; check deductions.
• Micro-entrepreneur — Separate regime with caps — do not confuse with employed student work.

SMIC 2026

Last updated: May 2026 — Code du travail — SMIC

Fiche de paie and contributions

• Gross → net — Social contributions (~20–25%) + PAS (withheld tax).
• URSSAF — Employer declares; you receive NIR if first job.
• Payslip — Keep every month for CAF and tax declaration.

Impôt sur le revenu (IR)

Where to find work

• Campus student jobs — Library, labs, events.
• Indeed, HelloWork, LinkedIn — Retail, logistics, tech.
• Restauration / hôtellerie — High demand; evening/weekend hours.
• Babysitting / private lessons — Declare income above thresholds.
• France Travail (ex Pôle emploi) — Offers and support.

After graduation

• APS — 12 months job search after master’s in France.
• CDI salarié — Status change with contract and salary threshold.
• Passeport Talent / EU Blue Card — Paths for qualified profiles.

Official links