Hiring a non-EU national in France: mandatory authentication of the residence & work permit.
Hiring an employee in France is a daunting challenge, especially when the employee is a foreign citizen. The employer must ensure that the candidate has the right to work in France. Nationals from EU, EEA, or Switzerland can legally work in France without a work permit. When hiring a citizen from one of these countries, the employer must simply verify the identity document of the candidate. Hiring nationals from other countries is more complex. The employer might have to go through the complex process of applying for a work permit. If the candidate already has a residence & work permit, it is mandatory to request the authentication of this permit.
Request for authentication of work permit
When hiring certain nationals from non-EU countries, the employer must verify that the candidate has a residence permit (in French ‘titre de sejour’) authorising to work in France. To prevent illegal immigration through falsification of documents, a request for authentication of the permit is mandatory. An employer who does not comply with this obligation exposes himself to severe risks such as penalty fees.
Work permit authentication request 2 working days prior to hiring
The request must be made by the employer at least two working days before the hiring date. Without a response from the prefecture within these two working days, the employer’s obligation is deemed to have been fulfilled.
Content of the authentication request
The request can be sent electronically, by email or through a contact form. It must contain the details of the employer (company name, SIRET number, company address), of the employee (name, date and place of birth, …), the position (e.g. hiring date, working time, work place) and a scan of the residence permit or work visa.
Finding the competent authority
The request must be made to the prefecture of the department of the place of employment. For the Paris region, the request must be addressed to the police prefecture, through the dedicated contact form police prefecture Paris.
For any other region, the request must be made by email or through a contact form. Sometimes a form must be filled out and joined to the request. The competent prefecture can be found on www.interieur.gouv.fr :
finding the competent prefecture
Further steps
A copy of the residence title must be kept for the internal records. Once the authentication formality has been completed, the employer can proceed with the usual hiring formalities like the mandatory pre-employment declaration.
Are you hiring a foreign employee in France? Let a French payroll provider guide you through the process, from the work permit authentication request to monthly payroll.