Internship in France

Planning your internship in France : 

Meet the criteria :

  • Be enrolled in an academic institution – in France or abroad.
  • Hold a valid visa.

Depending on the length of the internship you are looking for, you should either apply for a short-term visa and a temporary resident permit, or a long-term visa.

For more information on the visa application process, have a look to French Immigration Website.

  • Have sufficient financial resources.

Internships are not always paid. Check your finances before applying for an internship.

  • Plan ahead.

Start looking for an internship at least three to six months before your first day of availability. French companies often looks for interns during French summer, from April to August, although internships offers can be found at any time of the year.

The duration of an internship within the same organization cannot exceed six months according to French Law.

More information about working in France on Campus France website and on French Government Website.

Being an intern in France : 

  • The “convention de stage”

Internships are jointly supervised by the academic institution and the employer. This joint supervision is embodied in an agreement called ‘convention de stage’.

This document acts as a work contract for the intern and specifies : number of working hours per week, monetary compensation, insurances, supervision and rupture of the internships.

  • Remuneration 

French Law stipulates that the remuneration is not mandatory for internships lasting less than two months. Conversely, an internship lasting two months or more must be remunerated.

The employer fixes the remuneration, which usually corresponds to the minimum salary of 3,75 euros gross per working hour, paid monthly (around 500 euros). This remuneration is not eligible for taxes in France.

At the end of your internship :

In France, internships can provide you with academic credits (ECTS) and can be a requirement for graduation. Either the academic institution or the employer can ask a final report of the internship to validate this working experience.

For more information on where to look for an internship, please check our useful links documents here.