Employees posted or seconded outside of intra-group mobility
An employer established abroad may temporarily post or second an employee to France, outside of intra-group transfers, under certain conditions. This applies in particular to service provision, short-term assignments, or secondments for their own account.
In a nutshell
- Posting or secondment outside of intra-group mobility concerns employees sent temporarily to France while retaining their employment contract and the subordinate relationship with the employer abroad.
- A work permit is generally required before arrival in France.
- The employer must comply with reporting obligations, including the prior declaration of posting.
- The duration of the stay is limited to that of the assignment, within a framework strictly regulated by French law.
Who does it apply to?
An employer established outside France may temporarily post or second to France an employee who is a national of a country outside the European Union (EU), the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, in the following situations:
- Provision of services: The employee intervenes in France to carry out an assignment within the framework of a subcontracting or service contract, while remaining under the authority of the foreign employer.
- Intragroup mobility outside Intra-Company Transfer (ICT): The employee is seconded within an entity of the same group in France, without meeting the conditions of the “ICT posted or seconded employee” status.
- Secondment for own account: The employee is sent to France for the direct needs of the foreign business, without receiving any benefits in France (for example, participation in a trade fair).
In all cases, an application for work authorization, except in exceptional circumstances, must be submitted in advance by the employer.
Algerian nationals are subject to a specific regime.
What are the conditions?
To be eligible for posting or secondment outside of intra-group mobility, the employee must provide justification for:
- A current employment contract with an employer established abroad.
- A work permit obtained before arriving in France, without obligation to search for candidates on the French labor market.
- A temporary posting in France falling under one of the three authorized cases.
A foreign business without a permanent establishment in France may send its employees to perform a service stipulated in a contract. The employment relationship with the foreign employer remains in place for the entire duration of the assignment.
foreign business can second an employee to a business in the same group in France, even when the criteria for the title “ICT posted or seconded employee” are not met.
The employee must already be part of the business’s workforce abroad before being seconded.
A foreign business can send an employee to France for its own needs, without there being a client or contractor in France.
A foreign national habitually resident in a member state of the EU, EEA or Switzerland may be posted to France without a work permit, subject to certain conditions, including a valid residence permit, sufficient remuneration and social security affiliation in the country of employment. Social security and reporting formalities remain mandatory.
Prior declaration of posting
Before the start of the assignment, any employer established outside France who posts or seconds employees to French territory must make a prior declaration of posting to the labor inspectorate.
This process is carried out via the SIPSI online service.
Posting or secondments for the employer’s own account are exempt from prior declaration of secondment.
What is the permitted length of stay?
The duration of the stay corresponds to that of the assignment entrusted to the employee, up to a limit of 12 months, with the possibility of renewal under certain conditions.
How to obtain temporary worker status?
A posted or seconded worker residing outside France must submit a long-stay visa application to the competent French consular authority no earlier than three months before the planned date of arrival in France.
- The foreign employer makes the prior posting declaration when required via the dedicated platform.
- The work permit is requested online by the client or the employer concerned before the visa application.
- The employee obtains a long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit (VLS-TS) bearing the mention “Temporary Worker”, valid for 12 months, from the French diplomatic and consular authorities of the place of usual residence.
- Upon arrival in France, the employee validates their VLS-TS via the dedicated platform and undergoes the mandatory medical formalities.
The detailed list of required documents is provided by the authority responsible for processing the application. For guidance purposes, a list of supporting documents required for a “Temporary Worker” residence permit can be consulted.
More information on social protection documentation can be found in our section “Understanding social protection”.
- VLS-TS validation: €300
- Long-stay visa: €99
- In case of renewal:
- Administrative fee: €200
- Stamp duty: €50
How to extend the stay?
The renewal application must be submitted to the Prefecture of the applicant’s place of residence two months before the expiry of the current residence permit (VLS-TS or previous residence card). The applicant must prove that they continue to meet the conditions for the issuance of their permit.
The residence permit is renewed for a period corresponding to the remaining term of the secondment. The renewal fee is €250.
In the event of a change in professional circumstances, a change of status may be requested before the expiry of the permit, provided that the conditions of the new status requested are met.
What about the accompanying family?
Family members do not benefit from a simplified procedure linked to the status of the posted worker.
They can apply for an independent residence permit or join France under family reunification, subject to conditions of length of stay and resources.
At a glance
This page explains the immigration rules applicable to employee postings in France in the context of a service provision or posting on the employer’s own account, outside intra-company mobility. It is based on institutional sources such as the French Ministry of the Interior, the MEAE, France-Visas and Business France. It presents information covering the conditions, declaration obligations and procedures to be completed before the posted employee arrives in France. It uses the example of a foreign employee posted to France for a specific assignment, for example in the context of a service provision.