Sending managers to France: posting, A1 certificate, SIPSI and visas.

Business trip, posting or local contract

The test is what the person does in France, not the length of the trip: installing a production line, supervising a ramp-up or working in a group subsidiary for the benefit of that subsidiary are generally postings, even for a few days.

The SIPSI declaration and the representative in France

• The employer files a prior declaration online on the SIPSI portal of the Ministry of Labour before the employee starts working in France.
• It names a representative in France who liaises with the labour inspectorate and keeps the required documents available, translated into French.
• When the employee works for a French client, the client must check that the declaration has been made.
• Missing declarations are punished by administrative fines of up to €4,000 per posted employee, doubled in case of repetition within two years, within an overall ceiling of €500,000.

What French rules apply to posted employees

During the posting, a core set of French rules applies: minimum wage and collective agreement minimum salaries, working time and rest, paid leave, health and safety, and equal treatment. Since the 2018 revision of the European posting rules, after 12 months (18 months with a justified extension) almost all French labour law applies to the posted employee, except the rules on contract termination and supplementary pensions.

Social security: the A1 certificate

Within the European Union, the European Economic Area and Switzerland, a posted employee can remain affiliated to the home social security system for up to 24 months, with an A1 certificate issued by the home country. Without it, French social contributions can be claimed. For other countries, bilateral social security agreements (for example with the United States, Canada, Japan or India) may allow a similar certificate of coverage.

Non-European employees: work authorisation and residence

• Intra-company transfer (ICT). For managers, experts and trainees transferred within a group: a specific residence permit, “salarié détaché ICT”, with simplified conditions.
• Talent passport (passeport talent). A multi-year residence permit of up to four years for qualified employees, employees on assignment within a group, innovative company staff and investors, under salary and qualification conditions.
• Applications. Work authorisations are requested online on the ANEF platform; the employee then applies for the visa at the French consulate. Count several weeks.
• Family. The talent passport allows the family to join the holder under a simplified procedure.

Posting a manager or hiring a local one?

Posting a plant manager from head office works for a launch, with a clear handover date. It is costly over time and often meets three limits: knowledge of French employee relations, language on the shop floor, and the legal role of the site director towards the works council and the inspectorate. Many groups combine a posted project director for the group interface with a French interim or permanent site director for daily operations.

How MT-Transition helps

We place French-speaking interim managers who work alongside your posted staff, or replace them when the posting ends, and we recruit the permanent local team. They report to your head office in English. See our support for foreign companies and hiring in France.

Frequently asked questions