Intra-Company Transfer posted or seconded employee: conditions, length of stay and rights in France
Employee mobility within a group is common. The Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) posted or seconded employee status means an international business can temporarily transfer a foreign employee to its French subsidiary, without breaking the employment contract with the employer established abroad.
In a nutshell
- An Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) posted or seconded employee is an employee sent temporarily to France by their foreign employer to work within the French subsidiary of the same group.
- The employment contract with the original employer is maintained for the entire duration of the assignment.
- The residence permit serves as a work permit and allows the holder to carry out only the activity stipulated by the posting or secondment.
- The maximum length of stay is three years, with no possibility of exceeding this period under the status.
- The employee may be accompanied by their family, including their spouse who may also be employed in France.
What is intra-group assignment?
In the context of international mobility, corporate groups can organize temporary transfers of employees to their French subsidiary so as to perform specific functions.
The status of an Intra-Company Transfer (ICT) posted or seconded employee is aimed at international employees in leadership, management or expert roles.
The ICT posted or seconded employee status is for employees who are citizens of a country outside the European Union (EU), European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland, and who retain their employment contract with the business established abroad for the entire duration of their assignment in France.
The status of an employee on assignment
When an employment contract is concluded with the French host entity, the employee falls under the status of Talent-Employee on assignment..
Who does it apply to?
To carry out professional activity in France for more than three months, employees who are nationals of a country outside the EU, the EEA or Switzerland and employed by a business established outside France must apply for a long-stay visa, then a residence permit adapted to their situation.
European citizens are free to pursue professional activities.
Algerian nationals are subject to a specific regime.
What are the eligibility requirements?
A foreign employee may be eligible for the “ICT posted or seconded employee” residence permit if they can demonstrate:
- Having at least six months’ seniority within the group of the business that employs them.
- An employment contract maintained with the employer established abroad.
- Belonging to the same group between the originating business and the host business in France.
- Senior management or expert roles.
- Remuneration at least equal to the applicable legal and contractual minimums.
No employment contract is concluded with the French host business. If this is the case, please consult the dedicated fact sheet “Talent Employee on Assignment” (Talent -Salarié en mission).
Holders of an “ICT posted or seconded employee” card issued by another European Union member state can work in France under the “ICT mobile posted or seconded employee” status, within a limit of three years.
They must justify:
- An ICT posted or seconded employee residence permit issued by another Member State.
- An addendum to the employment contract specifying the assignment in France
- Belonging the same group between the companies concerned.
- Sufficient resources.
Prior declaration of posting
Before the start of the assignment any employer established outside France who 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.
What activities are permitted?
The status “ICT Posted or Seconded Employee” or “ICT Mobile Posted or Seconded Employee” constitutes a work permit. The employee is authorized to perform only the salaried professional activity stipulated within the framework of the posting or secondment that justified the issuance of the permit.
What is the permitted length of stay?
The duration of the stay is identical to that of the assignment, up to a maximum of 36 months, non-renewable.
Good to know
The ICT posted or seconded employee status is not intended to allow for permanent settlement in France. At the end of the three-year period, the employee must either leave French territory or apply for a change of status to another type of residence permit.
How to obtain the status “ICT posted or seconded employee”?
- Application for a long-stay visa
The visa application must be submitted no earlier than three months before arrival in France to the French consular authorities in your place of habitual residence. The process is initiated on the official France-Visas website.
- Application for a residence permit
Upon arrival in France, the ICT posted or seconded employee visa allows the holder to engage in paid employment.
The residence permit is then issued by the Prefecture of the applicant’s place of residence, upon presentation of the long-stay visa and required documents. Applicants must contact the Prefecture of their place of residence immediately upon arrival.
The precise list of documents is provided by the France-Visas website or the relevant Prefecture.
For reference, you can find the list of required documents.
- Fee for issuing the residence permit: €300
- Stamp duty: €50
- Cost of a long-stay visa: €99
Social security bilateral agreements
The posted or seconded ICT employee can remain affiliated with the social security system of their country of origin, if that country has a social security agreement with France. A posting certificate must then be requested by the employer before applying for a visa. Find out more in our dedicated section on social security.
How to extend your stay in France?
The total duration of stay in France may not exceed three years, including renewals. However, if the assignment is extended within this period, the renewal application must be submitted two months before the expiry of the current permit.
The applicant must demonstrate that they continue to meet the eligibility criteria and submit their application to the Prefecture of their place of residence in France.
Administrative cost: €250.
After the expiry of the title and a cumulative period of six months outside the European Union, a new application may be submitted in the event of a new intra-group transfer.
In the event of a change in professional circumstances, a change of status can be requested from the Prefecture, subject to meeting the conditions of the new permit sought.
What about the accompanying family?
The spouse and dependent minor children of the holder of an “ICT posted or seconded employee” or “ICT mobile posted or seconded employee” permit benefit from the status of accompanying family.
The spouse can obtain a residence permit authorizing residence in France and the exercise of any salaried activity.
The administrative cost is:
- Spouse’s residence permit: €300
- Visa per family member: €99
At a glance
This page explains the ICT posted employee immigration status for employees on intra-company mobility from abroad to France. It is based on institutional sources such as the French Ministry of the Interior, the MEAE, France-Visas, prefectures and Business France. It presents information covering eligibility conditions, administrative procedures and the conditions for carrying out an activity as part of an intra-company posting to the French subsidiary of an international group. It uses the example of a foreign employee temporarily transferred to a French subsidiary for an expert or management assignment and residing in France with their family.