France Seasonal Work Visa (Work Permit)

Overview

Prospective employees who want to apply for a seasonal work visa must meet the seasonal work permit requirements France.

Here are the eligibility requirements:

Have a Valid Job Offer

Before applying for the France seasonal work visa, you must prove that you have a valid job offer from an employer in France. The job offer’s validity must be at least 3 months and a maximum of 6.

Note that even if your employer wants you to work for 6 months, the actual duration you’ll work depends on the duration the French Embassy or Consulate approves.

Age

All applicants for the France seasonal work permit must be at least 18 years old.

Qualification

When applying for a seasonal work visa in France, you must prove to the Embassy that you have the necessary qualifications to do the work for which you are being employed. This is particularly important if you’ll be working as a chef, ski instructor or lifeguard.

Non-EU National

You must be a citizen of a country outside the EU to apply.

Means of Subsistence

If you intend to do seasonal work in France, you must show the Embassy that you have enough money to cater for yourself for the duration of your stay. This requirement can be waived if your employer offers to sponsor your movement to and from France.

Criminal Record Certificate

You must prove that you have not been convicted of any criminal offence in any country where you have held residence.

Medical Insurance Policy

You must also prove to the Embassy that you have a medical insurance policy that is valid in every country in the EU. The policy must also be worth at least €30,000.

Valid Passport

You also need to prove your nationality and identity. This is typically done by presenting a valid passport. The passport you’ll use for your application must have two empty pages where your visa will be attached. It must also be valid for 3 months after your visa expires.

Accommodation in France

To apply for this visa, you must prove you have a place to stay in France. You must show evidence that you have booked a hotel or Airbnb, rented an apartment, bought a property, or have been invited to stay with a friend or family member for the duration of your stay.

For Employer

• Letter outlining why you need an overseas worker and the role they’ll perform on arrival to France.
• Passport of your prospective employee.
• Proof that you announced the vacancy for the job market in France.
• Evidence of the experience and qualification of the prospective employee.
• Kbis Extract or SIREN number.
• Extract K to prove you are tax-compliant.
• Copy of the last social contribution that you made.

For Prospective Employee

• Valid passport or travel document. This document must be valid 3 months after your seasonal work visa expires.
• Residence permit card.
• Recent passport photographs. The 3 passports must meet the photo requirement rules of the EU. Every detail of your face must show clearly. If you wear medicated glasses, you must ensure that they don’t reflect the light from the camera.
• Birth certificate to prove that you are at least 18.
• Dematerialised work authorisation approval from the OFII (The French Office for Immigration and Integration).
• Signed job offer from an employer in France.
• Evidence that you have paid the stamp duty fee of €25.
• Receipt of visa fee payment of €50.
• Proof of domicile, which shows you have a place to stay in France. This can be replaced by an invitation letter from a family or friend.
• Medical certificate from the OFII.
• Letter to the French Embassy promising to leave France once your visa expires.
• Criminal record certificate from the Police of your country and any other country you have dwelt in the past 5 years.
• Bank statements or sponsorship letters from employers.
• Flight itinerary showing your ties to home.
• Diplomas or certificates showing you are qualified for the work you will do in France.
• Signed and completed seasonal work visa application form. Note that unsigned forms will lead to a visa refusal.

Step 1: Obtain Work Authorisation

To employ a seasonal worker from overseas, you must first request authorisation to sponsor the foreign worker. This work authorisation is done online. You must submit documents proving that you have tried hiring in France and the EU without success. On the form, you have to explain why you want to hire a foreigner and what their duties would be.

Before you submit the form, you must attach all of the supporting documents listed above for the employer category and then wait for a decision.

If your application is successful, your work authorisation will be sent to the OFII and the French Embassy in the country of the prospective employee.

You can then send the work authorisation document to the prospective employee so they can apply for a visa.

The work authorisation issued to you to get a foreign employee also states how long the employee would work. If the work authorisation permits the worker to stay in France for 3 months, the employee will apply for a short-stay visa.

On the other hand, if the employee gets authorisation to work for more than 3 months, they’ll have to apply for a long-stay visa.

Step 2: Gather Supporting Documents

After you get the notification from your French employer that you have been permitted to work in the country, the next step is to gather your documents. You can use the documents required section above as a checklist to know the necessary documents.

Should you need further help with gathering your documents, reach out to any of our case workers at Total Law by dialling +44 (0)333 305 9375 or sending us a message online.

Step 3: Apply Online for the Seasonal Work Visa France

After gathering your documents, you have to make an online application. You can get the form by visiting the website of the French Embassy in your country. After completing the online form, you are expected to print it, sign it and attach it to other supporting documents.

Step 4: Schedule an Interview

After you complete the online form, you’ll have to schedule an interview with the French Embassy in your country. Note that the French Embassy or the visa application centre does not allow walk-in interviews. You must schedule a visa interview before going.

Step 5: Pay the Seasonal Work Visa Fee

You can pay this fee via a money order issued in favour of the French Embassy, Consulate or visa application centre. It is also possible to pay online. You can also pay the visa fee at the Embassy on the day of your interview. However, ensure you attach the receipt to the visa fee payment to your supporting documents.

Step 6: Attend Your Interview

On the day of your interview, take all your supporting documents with you. You are to present them before the visa official reviewing your application. After the interview, your biometrics will be collected.

Step 7: Pick Your Visa

If your application is successful, you’ll be issued a multi-year residence visa permit to enter France. The Embassy will send you an email to notify you of their decision. They’ll also tell you when and where to pick up your visa.

Step 8: Apply for Temporary Residence

It is essential that once you arrive in France, you go for your temporary resident permit. That is what gives you the right to keep staying on French soil.

Note that you’ll pay €19 before the temporary residence is issued. The residence permit will bear the title travailleur saisonnier, which means seasonal worker.