You can supplement your income by working while studying in France, regardless of the level of education you are undertaking and regardless of your nationality. All students have the right to work on or off campus. A few rules to be aware of.
Every foreign student has the right to work in France
All foreign students have the right to work while studying in France. This right applies to all students in France. Students who are not European Union nationals must have a student resident permit
French law allows foreign students to work up to 964 hours per year, or the equivalent of 60% of the maximum working hours permitted. (50% for Algerian students whose status remains defined by the Franco-Algerian Agreement of December 27, 1968). The income received from such work is a bonus.
When working in France, whether a student or not, a minimum wage is guaranteed by law. This statutory minimum wage is commonly called the Smic (salaire minimum interprofessionnel de croissance or guaranteed minimum wage). As of January 1, 2021, this minimum wage is €10.25. This salary is gross; mandatory social security contributions have to be deducted (around 20%) to determine actual earnings (i.e. €8.20/hour). A student working 10 hours a week at minimum wage will earn approximately €82 net.
The autorisation provisoire de travail (APT) or provisional work permit is no longer required to work while studying, provided no more than 964 hours per year are worked (different rules apply for Algerian students).
Studying and working at university
In France, foreign students are also permitted to work at their host institution or university. These student jobs generally last twelve months, from September 1st to August 31st. Welcoming students at the start of the school year, tutoring, cultural or sporting events, support for students with disabilities, etc. These types of jobs contribute to the sense of community and enhance life at the university.
To promote academic success and the vocational integration of students, students jobs at the university are scheduled around class times and study times. For the same reason, students working at French universities are not permitted to work more than 670 hours between September 1st and June 30th and not more than 300 hours between July 1st and August 31st.
Interships while studying
Some degree programs require a student to complete an internship. French and foreign students are subject to the same rules:
- The internship requires an agreement (signed between the institution and the structure hosting the student);
- If the internship lasts more than two months, the student must be paid compensation of €600.60 per month (January 1, 2021).
- Internships completed as part of a degree course do not count towards the 964 hours of permitted work per year.
Apprenticeships and professional training contracts
An apprenticeship contract is an employment contract of limited or indefinite duration between an employee and an employer. An apprenticeship allows practitioners of a trade or profession (the apprentice) to gain on-the-job training under a journeyperson/employer while studying (learn more about apprenticeship contracts).
Apprenticeships and professional training contracts, previously only accessible to international students who had completed a year of training in France, are now open to first-year students enrolled in a master's (recognized by the State) or in one of the training programs approved by the Conférence des Grandes Écoles and included in this list. All other training programs that include an apprenticeship or professional training contracts are not open to first-year students.
For countries implementing the "Etudes en France" procedure, applications for apprenticeships are made on this platform prior to the visa application.
If the number of hours provided for in the contract exceeds 964 hours per year for an international student from a non-EU country, the student's employer must, on the student's arrival in France, apply for a temporary work permit on the Ministry of the Interior website.
For Algerian students, the employer must apply for a provisional work permit (APT) regardless of the number of hours worked.