French Employment Contracts: CDI, CDD, CTT — Complete Guide 2026 (English)

Last verified: 2026-05-02

If you are a foreign founder of a French SAS hiring your first engineer, an established SARL bringing on a CDD to cover a maternity leave, or an HR manager preparing the 2026 onboarding cycle, this guide explains every step of French hiring under the Code du travail, the 2026 SMIC (Décret n°2025-1228), the Décret n°2023-1004 (transposing the EU Working Conditions Directive 2019/1152), and the consolidated rupture-conventionnelle regime as updated by Loi n°2026-103 du 19 février 2026. France structures employment around three contract types: CDI (the default, indefinite-term), CDD (the limited exception for one of the closed motifs in art. L.1242-2), and CTT / intérim (temporary agency work). For 2026, three things changed compared to last year. First, SMIC rose to €12.02 / hour gross (€1,823.03 monthly at 35h) effective 1 January 2026 — a +1.18% increase. Second, since 9 September 2023 (Loi 2023-171), upward derogation from statutory probation caps is no longer possible — a CDI cadre is capped at 4+4 = 8 months total period d’essai. Third, the EU information-of-worker directive obliges every employer to provide a written summary of the essentials of the working relationship within 7 days / 1 month of hire. This guide walks through CDI, CDD, and CTT regimes side-by-side, the DPAE (Déclaration Préalable à l’Embauche) procedure that must be filed before the employee starts work, the convention-collective lookup that determines minimum wages and probation periods sector-by-sector, and the most common mistakes we see foreign employers make in their first French hire.

Quick Answer (TL;DR)

• Default contract type: CDI (Contrat à Durée Indéterminée) — Code du travail art. L.1221-2.
• Exception: CDD (Contrat à Durée Déterminée) — only for closed list of motifs in art. L.1242-2 (replacement, surplus activity, seasonal). Maximum 18 months including renewals.
• Temporary agency: CTT (Contrat de Travail Temporaire / intérim) — worker employed by an ETT, missioned to user.
• 2026 SMIC: €12.02 / hour gross; €1,823.03 / month gross (35h × 52/12); ≈ €1,443.11 / month net — Décret n°2025-1228 du 17 décembre 2025.
• DPAE deadline: before the employee actually starts work, at the earliest 8 days before — Code du travail R.1221-5.
• Probation maximums (since 9 Sep 2023, no upward derogation): ouvriers/employés 2+2 months; agents de maîtrise/techniciens 3+3 months; cadres 4+4 months — Code du travail L.1221-19.
• Statutory severance (indemnité légale de licenciement): ¼ month per year of service first 10 years; ⅓ month per year beyond — L.1234-9; R.1234-2.
• Rupture conventionnelle: mutual termination — Cerfa 14598 + 15-day rétractation + DREETS homologation (15 working days, silence = tacite homologation) — L.1237-11 et seq.
• EU Worker-Information Directive (Décret n°2023-1004): essentials in writing within 7 days; rest within 1 month.

Table of Contents

1. Overview of French Employment Law
2. Legal Foundation: The Codes and Hierarchy of Norms
3. Choosing the Right Contract: CDI vs CDD vs CTT
4. Required Documents and Mandatory Mentions
5. Step-by-Step Process: From Job Offer to DPAE to Onboarding
6. Costs and Timeline
7. Common Mistakes (Gyoseishoshi Perspective)
8. After Signing: Monthly and Annual Obligations
9. FAQ
10. Conclusion

1. Overview of French Employment Law

French employment law sits in Livre II du Code du travail (“Le contrat de travail”) and is structured around the principle of CDI as the default form. Article L.1221-2 is unambiguous: “Le contrat de travail à durée indéterminée est la forme normale et générale de la relation de travail.” Every other form — CDD, CTT, apprentissage, professionnalisation — is an exception that requires a specific motif allowed by statute. Hiring a CDD when the situation does not fit one of the closed motifs in art. L.1242-2 exposes the employer to automatic requalification into CDI by the conseil de prud’hommes (employment tribunal), with full back-pay, indemnité for irregular requalification (1 month minimum), notice period, and indemnité légale de licenciement.

The second structural feature is the principe de faveur (Code du travail L.2253-3): the convention collective de branche (sectoral agreement, identified by an IDCC code) prevails over the statutory floor whenever it is more favourable to the employee. This is why every Scrib🐮 employment workflow starts by asking the user to identify the convention collective applicable. For tech companies, the most common is Syntec (IDCC 1486 — bureaux d’études); for restaurants, the HCR convention (1979); for retail, commerce de détail (1517); etc. A Code du travail-only contract that ignores the convention collective will be incomplete and may expose the employer to URSSAF redressement.

Third, since the transposition of Directive (EU) 2019/1152 by Décret n°2023-1004 (in force 1 November 2023), the employer must provide each employee with written information on the essentials of the working relationship within fixed timeframes: 7 days for the core items (identity, place, title, start date, period d’essai, remuneration, working time), and 1 month for the secondary items (paid leave, notice for termination, convention collective, social security regime, training).

2. Legal Foundation: The Codes and Hierarchy of Norms

The hierarchy of norms — from highest to lowest — is:

1. Constitution & treaties (e.g., ILO conventions, EU directives transposed);
2. Code du travail (statutory);
3. Décrets / arrêtés (regulatory);
4. Convention collective de branche (IDCC sectoral agreement);
5. Accord d’entreprise / établissement (company agreement);
6. Usage / engagement unilateral (custom);
7. Règlement intérieur (≥ 50 employees);
8. Contrat de travail individuel (the contract is the last layer).

A contract clause less favourable than any higher-level norm is void.

Authorities you will deal with

3. Choosing the Right Contract: CDI vs CDD vs CTT

Decision matrix

CDI — the default

Under Code du travail art. L.1221-1 al. 2, the CDI form is contractually free except where the convention collective imposes a written contract or mandatory mentions. However, since Décret n°2023-1004, the employer must provide written information on the essentials of the working relationship within fixed timeframes:

Best practice (and what Scrib🐮 generates): consolidate all of the above in a single written CDI signed by both parties, attached with a copy of the convention collective summary.

CDI — additional clauses depending on situation

CDD — the closed list of motifs

Under C. trav. art. L.1242-12, the CDD must mandatorily include:

Form: Must be in writing; transmitted to the employee within 2 working days of hire (L.1242-13). Failure → automatic requalification into CDI.

Maximum durations (with renewal — limit per L.1243-13):

• Standard: 18 months;
• Replacement of an absent employee, awaiting an arrived employee: 18 months;
• Surplus activity: 18 months;
• Seasonal: 8 months / season;
• Replacement of head of company: 18 months.

Indemnité de fin de contrat (prime de précarité): 10% of total gross remuneration paid during the contract — L.1243-8. Not due in some cases (rupture for grave misconduct, transition to CDI, seasonal, holidays, certain youth contracts).

CTT — temporary agency work

In intérim, two contracts are drawn:

CTT is typically handled by the ETT itself; user companies do not draft these. The motifs allowed for CTT mirror those for CDD (replacement, surplus, seasonal). Same indemnité de fin de mission (10%) is due to the worker by the ETT.

4. Required Documents and Mandatory Mentions

Templates Scrib🐮 generates

Non-compete clause — five cumulative validity conditions (Cass. soc. 10 juill. 2002, n° 00-45.135)

A non-compete clause is null and unenforceable unless all five are satisfied:

1. Legitimate interest of the company;
2. Limited time (typically maximum 2 years);
3. Limited geography (precise perimeter);
4. Limited scope of activity (specific functions);
5. Financial counterpart paid during the clause’s effect (typically 25–33% of gross monthly salary).

If any one is missing, the clause is null, and the employee is free of any restriction post-termination. Waiver by employer: must be (i) within the deadline set by the contract or convention collective (often 15 days post-rupture); (ii) clear, precise, unconditional; (iii) notified in writing. Late waiver = full compensation due (Cass. soc. 13 juill. 2010, n° 09-41.626).

Forfait jours — five validity conditions (Cass. soc. 29 juin 2011, n° 09-71.107)

1. An accord d’entreprise or accord de branche must authorise the forfait;
2. The employee must consent in writing;
3. Annual entretien with employer to discuss workload, work-life balance, remuneration;
4. Employer monitoring of days worked;
5. Right to disconnect.

Without these five, the forfait jours is null and the employee is paid as 35h with overtime.

5. Step-by-Step Process: From Job Offer to DPAE to Onboarding

Step 1 — Pre-hiring checks (Day –7 to 0)

1. Choose form — CDI by default; CDD requires a motif from the closed list L.1242-2.
2. Check convention collective — IDCC code (find via https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/conv_coll/). Identify minimum wages, period d’essai, classification grids.
3. Check obligation d’emploi — companies ≥ 20 employees must employ ≥ 6% disabled workers (L.5212-2).
4. Verify worker right to work — for non-EU candidates, check the titre de séjour authorising salaried work (L.5221-5; L.8251-1). Verification record kept for 5 years.
5. Choose remuneration — at least SMIC: €12.02 / hour, €1,823.03 / month gross at 35h/week (Décret n°2025-1228 du 17 décembre 2025), or higher floor of the convention collective.

Step 2 — Draft the contract using Scrib🐮

User answers the questionnaire. Output: French contract; Word + PDF.

Step 3 — DPAE (Déclaration Préalable à l’Embauche)

Under Code du travail art. L.1221-10 and R.1221-1 et seq.:

• Mandatory for every hire (CDI / CDD / apprenticeship / seasonal / etc.) — even re-hire of a previously employed worker.
• Deadline: within the 8 days preceding the start of work, and at the latest before the worker actually starts (R.1221-5).
• Method: electronic via URSSAF — https://www.due.urssaf.fr/declarant/formulaireDueLibre.jsf
• Data required: Employer SIRET; employee identity, date of birth, place of birth, NIR (social-security number) if known; date and time of start; type of contract; duration; period d’essai.
• Receipt: URSSAF returns an accusé de réception; the employer must transmit a copy to the employee.

Sanctions for failure:

• Civil: requalification into CDI (CDD without DPAE);
• Penal: €45,000 fine + 3 years prison for natural person (L.8224-1 — travail dissimulé); €225,000 for legal person;
• URSSAF redressement: 6 months SMIC + administrative penalties;
• Loss of public-procurement rights for 5 years.

Step 4 — Sign the contract & deliver mandatory documents

Step 5 — Visite d’information et de prévention (medical visit)

Under C. trav. art. R.4624-10, every new employee must receive a visite d’information et de prévention within 3 months of taking up duties (or before, for postes à risque). Organised by the SPSTI (formerly médecine du travail). Cost is borne by the employer (€80–€200 typical).

Step 6 — Affiliations

6. Costs and Timeline

Direct costs

Indirect costs (labour load)

Total employer cost ≈ +42% of gross salary at SMIC (less for higher salaries due to ceilings) — sum of:

• URSSAF (maladie, vieillesse, allocations familiales, etc.);
• AGIRC-ARRCO (retraite complémentaire);
• Pôle emploi / France Travail (chômage);
• Accident du travail (sector-dependent rate);
• CSG/CRDS portion;
• Versement mobilité (large cities);
• Apprentissage / formation taxes.

Source: https://www.urssaf.fr — barème cotisations.

Timeline

7. Common Mistakes (Gyoseishoshi Perspective)

Mistake 1 — DPAE filed late or not filed

Travail dissimulé (L.8221-3) — fine €45,000, prison 3 years for natural person; criminal record. Fix: file DPAE on the day of contract signing — not waiting until the start day. URSSAF accepts up to 8 days before.

Mistake 2 — CDD without precise motif

Requalification into CDI from start — back-pay, indemnity for irregular requalification (1 month minimum), notice + indemnité licenciement. Fix: use one of the closed motifs in L.1242-2 (replacement of named employee, surplus activity, seasonal — defined activities, etc.). Avoid catch-all “tâches occasionnelles”.

Mistake 3 — CDD duration extended beyond 18 months

Requalification into CDI; criminal fine €3,750 (L.1248-1). Fix: compute total max with renewal. If a worker is needed beyond, hire CDI.

Mistake 4 — Période d’essai longer than statutory cap

Excess period reduced to maximum legal; if termination occurred in excess part, requalified into licenciement sans cause réelle et sérieuse. Fix: since 9 September 2023 (Loi 2023-171), no derogation upward — caps are absolute. Keep CDI cadre at max 4+4 = 8 months. CDI agents de maîtrise/techniciens: max 3+3 = 6 months. Ouvriers/employés: max 2+2 = 4 months.

Mistake 5 — Rupture conventionnelle missing droit de rétractation date

DREETS refuses homologation; convention void. Fix: date the convention precisely; calendar day 1 is the day after signing. Submit homologation via TéléRC after the 15-day window expires.

Mistake 6 — Non-compete clause without financial compensation

Clause null and void (Cass. soc. 10 juill. 2002, Bull. n°239). Fix: state (i) limited time (e.g., 12 months); (ii) limited geography; (iii) limited scope (functions); (iv) financial counterpart (typically 25–33% gross monthly salary during clause duration).

Mistake 7 — No mutuelle santé proposed

Employer liable for funding equivalent care; URSSAF redressement. Fix: Loi ANI 2013 (Loi n°2013-504) — every private-sector employer must propose a complementary health plan covering at least the panier de soins minimum, with employer paying ≥ 50%.

Mistake 8 — Forgetting visite information / prévention

Employer civilly liable for occupational illness; criminal sanction. Fix: schedule the visit within 3 months. For postes à risque, before start.

Mistake 9 — Convention collective not identified

Pay slip incorrect; minimum wages of branch not respected; URSSAF redressement on top of supplemental wage. Fix: locate IDCC via https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/conv_coll/ — Scrib🐮 questionnaire prompts user.

Mistake 10 — Foreign worker without titre de séjour

Employer commits emploi illégal — fine €15,000 / contribution spéciale OFII. Fix: verify titre via préfecture (procédure attestée d’authentification). Verification record kept for 5 years.

8. After Signing: Monthly and Annual Obligations

Monthly obligations

Annual obligations

End-of-employment documents

Termination of CDI — modes

Rupture conventionnelle — procedure

Indemnité spécifique de rupture conventionnelle: at least equal to indemnité légale de licenciement (L.1234-9) — i.e., ¼ month per year of service for first 10 years, ⅓ beyond. The convention collective often imposes a higher floor.

Indemnité légale de licenciement (L.1234-9; R.1234-2)

Effective from a 8-month seniority since Décret n°2017-1398 du 25 septembre 2017:

• ¼ month salary per year of service, first 10 years;
• ⅓ month salary per year beyond 10 years.

Reference salary = best of (i) average of last 12 months OR (ii) average of last 3 months × 12/3, with primes prorata.

9. FAQ

Q1. What is the strict difference between CDI and CDD? CDI is the default form of the employment relationship in France — Code du travail art. L.1221-2. You can hire CDI for any reason, no time limit, no special motif. CDD is the exception — only allowed for the closed list of motifs in L.1242-2: replacement of an absent employee, surplus activity, seasonal, etc. If the motif is not strictly one of those, the worker may obtain requalification into CDI by the conseil de prud’hommes — and this is automatic if the written contract is missing or the motif is unstated (L.1245-1).

Q2. What is the maximum période d’essai for a cadre, including renewal? Code du travail art. L.1221-19: 4 months initial, renewable once if both the contract and an accord de branche étendu authorise it — so 8 months total maximum. Since Loi 2023-171 (effective 9 September 2023), it is no longer possible to derogate upward. The previous practice of some conventions allowing 12 months total has been abolished.

Q3. Can the renewal of période d’essai be unilateral by the employer? No. L.1221-23: renewal requires the express consent of the employee in writing — a clause in the contract saying “subject to renewal” is not enough. The employee must sign a separate document accepting the renewal during the initial period.

Q4. When must DPAE be filed and what happens if forgotten? DPAE — Déclaration Préalable à l’Embauche — is mandatory for every hire under Code du travail art. L.1221-10 and R.1221-1. Filed via URSSAF electronically, at the latest before the worker actually starts work, but at the earliest 8 days before. Forgetting = travail dissimulé under L.8221-3. Consequences: criminal fine up to €45,000 + 3 years imprisonment for natural person, €225,000 for legal person. Plus URSSAF redressement on 6 months SMIC + civil indemnity to worker. Plus loss of public-procurement rights for 5 years.

Q5. What is the SMIC in 2026? Décret n°2025-1228 du 17 décembre 2025 — effective 1 January 2026. €12.02 / hour gross, €1,823.03 / month gross at 35h/week. Net is approximately €1,443.11 — varies slightly by sector (accident-du-travail rate). Increase over 2025: +1.18%. Applies to métropole + Guadeloupe + Guyane + Martinique + La Réunion + Saint-Barthélemy + Saint-Martin + Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon. Mayotte has its own SMIC.

Q6. If the convention collective sets a minimum higher than SMIC, which prevails? The convention collective. Hierarchy of norms: convention de branche always prevails over the statutory floor when more favourable (Code du travail L.2253-3 — principe de faveur). So if Syntec convention sets €1,950 gross monthly minimum for position III.1, you cannot pay €1,823 SMIC. URSSAF will redress.

Q7. What is rupture conventionnelle and why is it so popular? Created in 2008 by Loi n°2008-596. Code du travail L.1237-11 et seq. It is a mutual termination — employee gets unemployment benefits (France Travail), employer gets a clean break with very limited risk of contesting at prud’hommes. Procedure: at least one entretien, sign Cerfa 14598, 15 calendar days rétractation, then homologation request via téléservice TéléRC. DREETS has 15 working days — silence = homologation tacite. Indemnity floor = indemnité légale de licenciement.

Q8. Can the employee force a rupture conventionnelle? No. It is contractual — both parties must agree. If the employer refuses, the employee’s options are: démission (no chômage); prise d’acte (risky — only valid if employer fault is grave enough); or wait for employer-initiated dismissal. There is no employee right to demand rupture conventionnelle.

Q9. What about indemnité de fin de CDD? L.1243-8: 10% of total gross remuneration during the contract. Not due if: (i) transition into CDI immediately (L.1243-10); (ii) seasonal contract or contrats d’usage (L.1243-10 al. 2); (iii) holiday/student contracts; (iv) rupture for grave/lourde misconduct of employee or for force majeure.

Q10. How are working hours regulated for cadres on forfait jours? L.3121-58 et seq. The cadre is paid based on a number of days worked per year (typically 218), not on weekly hours. Conditions: (i) accord d’entreprise or accord de branche must authorise; (ii) employee must consent in writing; (iii) annual entretien with employer to discuss workload, work-life balance, remuneration; (iv) employer monitoring of days worked; (v) right to disconnect. Without these, forfait jours is null and the employee is paid as 35h with overtime (Cass. soc. 29 juin 2011, Bull. n°181).

Q11. What are the requirements for a non-compete clause? Cass. soc. 10 juill. 2002, n° 00-45.135 — five cumulative conditions for validity: (1) legitimate interest of the company; (2) limited time (typically max 2 years); (3) limited geography; (4) limited scope of activity; (5) financial counterpart paid during the clause’s effect. If any one is missing, the clause is null — the employee is free of restriction. Typical compensation: 25–33% of gross monthly salary, paid monthly during the restriction.

Q12. What if the employer waives the non-compete clause? Waiver must be (i) within the deadline set by the contract or convention collective (often 15 days post-rupture); (ii) clear, precise and unconditional; (iii) notified in writing to the employee. Late waiver = full compensation due (Cass. soc. 13 juill. 2010, n° 09-41.626).

10. Conclusion

French employment law in 2026 rewards employers who plan ahead and punishes those who improvise. The three rules that matter most are: (i) CDI is the default — every CDD must justify itself by a closed-list motif; (ii) DPAE before the worker starts — failing this triggers travail dissimulé sanctions of €45,000 / 3 years imprisonment; (iii) convention collective prevails — your contract is the last layer of the hierarchy of norms, not the first. The 2026 SMIC of €12.02/h (€1,823.03/month at 35h) is the absolute statutory floor; your IDCC’s grille salariale will frequently sit higher. Period d’essai caps are now hard caps since 9 September 2023 (Loi 2023-171) — do not sign a CDI cadre with a 6-month initial probation, even if “everyone in tech does it”; the excess will be void.

For foreign founders, the EU Worker-Information Directive (Décret n°2023-1004) is a hidden trap: even though French law historically tolerated CDIs without a written contract, you must now provide a written summary of the essentials within 7 days of hire, and the rest within 1 month. The simplest path is to sign a complete written CDI on day 1 — which is what every Scrib🐮 template generates.

Skip the paperwork. Generate your CDI, CDD or rupture conventionnelle in minutes with MmowW Scrib🐮. Answer questions, get government-compliant documents instantly. From ¥22,000/month pass for unlimited access to all 18 document types across 7 countries. Start Free Preview →

Disclaimer

This article provides legal information, not legal advice. MmowW Scrib🐮 is a Document Preparation Service operated by a licensed Gyoseishoshi (行政書士) office in Japan. We are not avocats, experts-comptables, conseils en propriété industrielle, or any French regulated profession. For complex situations — economic dismissals, social plans (PSE), CSE litigation, prud’homal disputes, expatriation contracts, or international mobility — we recommend consulting a French avocat en droit social or expert-comptable. The information in this article is verified as of 2026-05-02; French labour law changes frequently — always verify current rules against the official sources below.

Sources

1. Code du travail — Livre II Le contrat de travail — https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/section_lc/LEGITEXT000006072050/LEGISCTA000006145393/
2. C. trav. art. L.1221-1 et seq. (formation du contrat) — https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/section_lc/LEGITEXT000006072050/LEGISCTA000006189414/
3. C. trav. art. L.1221-19 (période d’essai) — https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/article_lc/LEGIARTI000019071113
4. C. trav. R.1221-1 et seq. (DPAE — formation) — https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/section_lc/LEGITEXT000006072050/LEGISCTA000018482811/
5. C. trav. L.1221-10 et seq. (déclaration préalable) — https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/id/LEGISCTA000006195587
6. C. trav. L.1237-11 et seq. (rupture conventionnelle) — https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/section_lc/LEGITEXT000006072050/LEGISCTA000019068016/2026-01-01
7. C. trav. R.1237-3 et seq. (homologation) — https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/section_lc/LEGITEXT000006072050/LEGISCTA000019217049/2026-01-01
8. Décret n°2025-1228 (SMIC 2026) — https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000053042520
9. URSSAF — DPAE landing page — https://www.urssaf.fr/accueil/employeur/embaucher-gerer-salaries/embaucher/declaration-prealable-embauche.html
10. URSSAF — DPAE form (electronic) — https://www.due.urssaf.fr/declarant/formulaireDueLibre.jsf
11. URSSAF — New employer guide — https://www.urssaf.fr/accueil/employeur/embaucher-gerer-salaries/embaucher/employeur-demarches-embauche.html
12. URSSAF — Tese service — https://www.urssaf.fr/accueil/services/services-employeurs/service-tese/effectuer-dpae-contrat-travail.html
13. Service-public — CDI overview — https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F1906
14. Service-public — Période d’essai CDI — https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F35309/0_2?idFicheParent=F1643
15. Service-public — Période d’essai — fin dérogations — https://entreprendre.service-public.fr/actualites/A16709
16. Service-public — SMIC 2026 — https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2300?lang=fr
17. Travail-Emploi — CDI — Le contrat à durée indéterminée — https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/le-contrat-de-travail-duree-indeterminee-cdi
18. Travail-Emploi — SMIC revalorisation 2026 — https://travail-emploi.gouv.fr/revalorisation-annuelle-du-smic-au-1er-janvier-2026

Last verified: 2026-05-02 — MmowW Scrib🐮 — Gyoseishoshi-operated Document Preparation Service