France CDI vs CDD: Complete 2026 Decision Guide

The choice between CDI (Contrat à Durée Indéterminée) and CDD (Contrat à Durée Déterminée) is the first decision every French employer makes. The Code du travail makes the answer almost binary: CDI is the default form of the employment relationship under art. L.1221-2; CDD is the exception, available only for the closed list of motifs in art. L.1242-2. This 2026 guide walks through the legal architecture, the eight allowed CDD motifs, the duration caps, the indemnity de précarité, and the requalification trap that catches employers who try to use CDD as a flexible labour pool.

1. The Legal Default — CDI (Code du travail art. L.1221-2)

Article L.1221-2 of the Code du travail states that CDI is the default form of the employment relationship in France. There is no maximum term, no special motif required, no automatic indemnity at the end. Termination requires cause réelle et sérieuse for licenciement (art. L.1232-1), or mutual agreement via rupture conventionnelle (art. L.1237-11), or resignation by the employee.

Source: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/section_lc/LEGITEXT000006072050/LEGISCTA000006189414/

2. The CDD Exception — Closed List of Motifs (Art. L.1242-2)

A CDD is only valid for one of the following motifs listed exhaustively in art. L.1242-2:

1. Replacement of a named, absent employee (maternity, sick leave, sabbatical, etc.) — art. L.1242-2 1°;
2. Surplus of activity (temporary increase in the company’s activity) — 2°;
3. Seasonal employment (specific seasonal activities listed by branch agreement) — 3°;
4. Replacement of head of company / non-salaried gérant / agricultural farmer — 4°;
5. Awaiting an arrived CDI employee (employee hired but not yet starting) — 1° bis;
6. Awaiting transformation into a CDI — 1° ter;
7. Replacement of an employee who left and pending the abolition of the post — 1° quater;
8. Specific contracts (CDD d’usage in defined sectors — entertainment, hospitality, etc.) — Code du travail D.1242-1.

Any CDD with a motif outside this list is automatically requalified into CDI by the conseil de prud’hommes under art. L.1245-1 — with consequences: 1-month minimum indemnity (art. L.1245-2), reinstatement of all CDI rights, and potential damages.

3. Mandatory Written Form (Art. L.1242-13)

A CDD must be in writing and transmitted to the employee within 2 working days of hire (art. L.1242-13). Failure → automatic requalification into CDI under art. L.1245-1.

The written contract must include (art. L.1242-12):

• Reason for resort to CDD (specific motif from L.1242-2);
• Date of end of contract OR minimum duration;
• Renewal clause if applicable;
• Identity of replaced worker (if motif = replacement);
• Job description / classification;
• Duration of période d’essai (art. L.1242-10);
• Remuneration;
• Caisse de retraite complémentaire;
• Convention collective applicable.

Missing any of these except renewal triggers requalification.

4. Maximum Durations (Art. L.1242-8 and L.1243-13)

The CDD has a hard maximum duration:

Source: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/section_lc/LEGITEXT000006072050/LEGISCTA000006145393/

Exceeding the cap → requalification + criminal fine €3,750 under art. L.1248-1.

5. Renewal Rules (Art. L.1243-13)

A CDD may be renewed up to twice (post Loi Travail 2016) within the maximum duration cap. Renewal must be agreed in writing — either in the original contract or in an avenant signed before the original term expires. Tacit renewal is not permitted (art. L.1243-13 al. 2 — automatic CDI conversion if the employee continues working post-term without written renewal).

6. Indemnité de Fin de Contrat (Prime de Précarité — Art. L.1243-8)

At the end of every CDD that is not converted into CDI, the employee receives an indemnité de fin de contrat equal to 10% of total gross remuneration paid during the contract. This is in addition to the indemnité de congés payés.

The 10% is NOT due in the following cases (art. L.1243-10):

• Transition into CDI immediately;
• Seasonal contracts or CDD d’usage in eligible sectors;
• Holiday/student contracts;
• Rupture for grave/lourde misconduct of employee;
• Force majeure;
• Common-law negotiated rupture before term initiated by employee.

7. Période d’Essai for CDD (Art. L.1242-10)

The probationary period for a CDD is capped at:

• 1 day per week of contract duration;
• Up to 2 weeks if total contract ≤ 6 months;
• Up to 1 month if contract > 6 months.

Convention collective may set lower caps. Renewal of essai is not allowed without explicit branch agreement.

8. Période d’Essai for CDI (Art. L.1221-19)

Since Loi 2023-171 du 9 mars 2023 (effective 9 September 2023), CDI essai durations are capped absolutely (no derogation upward):

Renewal requires (i) authorisation in the contract or written agreement at hiring; AND (ii) a branch agreement extended (accord de branche étendu) authorising the renewal.

9. Termination Routes — CDI vs CDD

CDI termination paths:

• Démission (resignation) — art. L.1237-1;
• Licenciement pour motif personnel (real and serious cause) — art. L.1232-1 et seq.;
• Licenciement pour motif économique — art. L.1233-3 et seq.;
• Rupture conventionnelle (mutual termination, requires homologation) — art. L.1237-11;
• Force majeure — art. L.1234-12;
• Retraite — art. L.1237-5 et seq.

CDD termination paths (art. L.1243-1 et seq.):

• End of term (date or arrival of replaced employee) — automatic;
• Rupture for grave/lourde misconduct of either party;
• Mutual agreement (rupture amiable);
• Force majeure;
• Move to CDI (justified — art. L.1243-2);
• Inaptitude médicale (constatée par médecin du travail);

CDD cannot be terminated for “motif personnel” or “motif économique” before term — would constitute rupture anticipée triggering damages of all remaining wages until term (art. L.1243-4).

10. The 2026 Decision Tree

11. The Requalification Risk

Three patterns trigger requalification automatically:

• Recurring CDDs for the same role with no break, treating CDD as a flexible workforce → CDI from start;
• CDD without precise motif (“tâches occasionnelles”) → CDI from start;
• CDD without written contract within 2 days → CDI from start;
• Tacit continuation post-term → CDI from term + 1 day.

Consequences: requalification under L.1245-1, indemnity of at least 1 month (L.1245-2), notice + indemnité de licenciement under L.1234-9, possible damages.

12. The Code du Travail’s Hierarchy

Whatever form is chosen, the Code du travail layers on top:

1. Constitution & treaties (ILO conventions, EU directives);
2. Code du travail (statutory);
3. Décrets / arrêtés;
4. Convention collective de branche (sectoral) — IDCC code defines minimum wages, durée du travail, classification grids;
5. Accord d’entreprise (company agreement);
6. Règlement intérieur (mandatory if ≥50 employees — L.1311-2);
7. Contrat de travail individuel.

The contract is the last layer. Any clause less favourable than higher-level norms is void.

13. The Practical Workflow

For any new hire:

1. Choose form — CDI by default; CDD only with one of L.1242-2 motifs.
2. Identify convention collective (IDCC) — find via https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/conv_coll/.
3. Check pay floor — at least SMIC (€12.02/hour, €1,823.03/month at 35h/week — 2026) AND convention minima.
4. DPAE filed via URSSAF before start (max 8 days before, latest before actual start) — art. L.1221-10.
5. Sign contract before start; deliver mandatory information per Décret 2023-1004 (transposition of Directive (EU) 2019/1152).
6. Subscribe mutuelle d’entreprise — Loi ANI 2013, employer pays ≥ 50%.
7. Schedule visite d’information et prévention within 3 months — art. R.4624-10.

The CDI vs CDD decision is the start of a chain of compliance steps. Get the foundation right, and the rest of the lifecycle is straightforward. Get it wrong, and the requalification trap closes hard.

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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. — 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. art. L.1221-10 et seq. (déclaration préalable) — https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/id/LEGISCTA000006195587
5. Décret n°2025-1228 (SMIC 2026) — https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000053042520