France employs staff on both a temporary and permanent basis, has a 35 hour working week and a minimum wage of 8.44€. Salaries are paid at the end of the month and bonuses are available based on individual or company performance. Annual holiday allowance is 30 days, not including bank holidays, with many companies also offering generous benefits packages comprising health insurance, subprime lending and profit-share.
We have some good news. Only half of the people working in France pay income tax, filing their tax return by mid March and paying the outstanding balance on a monthly basis.
We now have some not so good news. France imposes charges sociaux, which is similar to National Insurance in the UK - the only difference being that these charges are significantly more substantial and kick in at relatively low levels of earning.
For those lucky enough to work for a French employer, their company will foot the bill. Foreign residents who are self employed or run a small business don’t enjoy the same privileges. These social charges are collected by an organisation called the URSSAF and in 2008 these payments were deducted at 13.4%
In addition to social security taxes there are mandatory health charges and pension payments. Rates can vary, but expect these two forms of tax to account for 20% of your income. This means that the social charges – social security, health and pension – can amount to more than 30% of your income.
Short stay visas are valid for three months. Long stay visas are issued by the French Embassy in your home country. A long-stay visa entitles you to apply for one of four types of temporary resident card: visitor, student, family or employee. If you intend to work in France for more than three months your first priority on arrival is to apply for a resident’s card*. Detailed information on visas is available from the French Embassy or Consulate in your home country
* Citizens from the European Union no longer require a resident’s card to settle in France. Non-EU citizens must obtain a work permit and a long-stay visa before they can apply for a resident’s card.
