Top Work Opportunities in France 2025 for Global Students

France has emerged as one of the most preferred study abroad destinations for international students due to its prestigious academic qualifications and comparatively reasonable tuition fees for many courses. France offers a tailored and clear support system for students seeking to balance their studies with work experience, undertake internships, and launch their careers after graduation.

This blog explains the job scenario in France for international students, rules governing part-time work and internships, as well as post-study pathways and graduate jobs, all with practical up-to-date guidance to help you plan realistic career moves when studying abroad in France.

Student employment 

International students in France are permitted to work while studying, but this right is subject to specific restrictions and rules. If you are a non-EU/EEA student holding a student visa or residence permit (titre de séjour étudiant), then you can usually work up to 964 hours per year – roughly the equivalent of 60% of full-time work, which equates to around 21 hours per week averaged out over the year, however this is calculated all through the year and therefore more time is possible in the holidays.

This limit has a significant impact on part-time jobs in France, as it sets the legal maximum and restricts potential earnings and tax/social security treatment.

Types of part-time jobs in France and how to find them

Student part-time jobs in France are diverse: campus jobs (libraries, office assistants), hospitality and retail work, language-teaching or conversation practice work, delivery and courier work, contract-based roles for start-ups.

Students in bigger cities like Paris, Lyon, Toulouse, and Grenoble will find more hospitality and retail opportunities; those at research universities may get paid research assistantships or administrative roles on campus. As the 964-hour limit is set per year, it’s common for many students to opt for seasonal full-time work over extended periods and excess in part-time hours during the semester to make the most money being legally employable.

Minimum wage and what it means for students

France has a nationally mandated minimum wage, the SMIC (Salaire Minimum Interprofessionnel de Croissance); as of 2025, it is for a gross hourly rate of €11.88 or about €1,801.80 per month for a 35-hour workweek.

The net take-home after mandatory deductions will be less, so those who want to make sure they can pay rent and cover living expenses should budget conservatively and weigh working with scholarships or university housing supports.

Internships in France

In France, internships are a key part of many degrees and often offer a more viable path to long-term employment than casual part-time roles. There is, however, a law that stipulates that an internship lasting more than two months must be remunerated, since January 2024, the statutory minimum internship allowance increased – this amount is indexed and revised regularly, so that long placements pay students at hourly or monthly rates.

More than pay, internships in France fall under a legal internship agreement (convention de stage), detailing aims, duration, supervision, and assessment — a judicial safeguard that turns internships into a legitimate part of learning and employability.

Work permit for students in France: When it is needed and how it works

For a majority of the international students who already have an active student visa or residence permit, a separate work permit is not needed to accept work up to the prescribed levels. However, once a graduate has been able to obtain longer-term employment post studies, a change of status or regular work permit will generally be required to move from a student residence to a permit to work for gain.

It is also essential to understand the difference between work while studying rights and the different steps involved in changing status to become a professional after you have studied.

Post-study work opportunities France

France offers clear post-study options for graduates to stay and work. The APS (Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour), has long been the main channel that new graduates can stay and look work or start a business: depending on their level of diploma, the new graduate may benefit from an APS allowing them to look for employment or entrepreneurship possibilities temporarily in France for 12 to 24 months between prior to obtaining another type of longer-term permit such as passport talent or a salaried work permit as soon as they have an eligible job offer.

There have been gradual policy changes in recent years to take the pressure off retaining skilful graduates, and there are other schemes and clarifications designed with those who hold master’s degrees or have carried out more tailored research in mind, but always check for the latest Campus France or government advice before you graduate.

Graduate jobs and career opportunities in France

Graduate jobs in France cover both multinational firms as well as entrepreneurial SMEs/start-ups. There’s generally strong demand from international students with training in engineering, data science, AI, finance, luxury and hospitality, or bilingual communication. Paris is still where finance and luxury concentrate, Lyon and Grenoble are the poles of engineering and technology, while Toulouse is the aerospace hub.

Employers increasingly appreciate practical experience, so a bridge between internships and the classroom has resulted in many administrative assistants serving as first-job placements for France study program participants.

Leveraging university career services, alumni networks, and focused job fairs can be instrumental to getting your foot in the graduate employer door in France.

Jobs in France for English speakers

Speaking French is a big plus, but there are still opportunities for English speakers to work in France, especially if you’re employed by an international company, a research centre, or in fields such as IT and digital marketing, or language instruction, e.g., teaching English conversation courses or doing private tutoring.

The bigger cities and international centres will have roles in English, but most companies would expect a working, if not fluent, level of French for client-facing/admin roles. Actively learning French whilst you study, even to a conversational level, is one of the highest-ROI things international students can do to expand their employment opportunities and fit more graduate job profiles.

Wages, taxation and social security for student workers

Students’ earnings are subject to all labour laws as well as social security contributions, which vary between specific districts, and many employers make contributions on students’ behalf, while undertaking tax deductions where appropriate. For students, the practical aspect of this point is that one’s gross hourly wage (ex, SMIC) overestimates net income; further, internships and some on-campus jobs have a particular type of tax treatment.

For this reason, budget planning must be based upon “net” amounts and, if possible, get in touch with the university’s student services or an accountant to find out more about payroll procedures or declarations and what tax reductions apply to scholars or short-term trainees.

Top tips for studying and working in France

1. Wherever possible, prioritise internships over ad-hoc part-time roles — these translate more directly into graduate jobs and often offer formalised mentoring.
2. Deploy the 964-hour allowance as a holiday season: cram all study into holidays for focused term-time learning.
3. At least one language first because it significantly multiplies your options for jobs in France and softens the job-permit transition.
4. Favor internships over random part-time jobs when you can — they more straightforwardly lead to graduate jobs, and frequently also come with organized mentorship.
5. Strategically apply the yearly 964-hour allowance: save hours during holiday weeks and maximise term-time study focus.
6. Learn French to B1 level minimum before you graduate — it opens up the number of opportunities for graduate jobs in France and makes transitioning from a student permit to a work permit far simpler.
7. Connect with university careers services and local job boards; lots of universities offer niche recruitment for international students, especially in areas with skills shortages.
8. Know the route from APS or jobseekers permits to permanent work permission, and how much an employer must want you in terms of salary, job length, etc, to justify changing status.

Conclusion

France has a more integrated, student-friendly framework for study-work integration: there’s the 964-hour annual limit on student work opportunities, a fair playing field for internships in terms of minimum pay and max duration, and established pathways into employment post-study via the APS and post-grad or work visas.

Yet policy specifics such as levels of minimum allowances required, visa conditions, and integration schemes are updated from time to time, so planning would need to include a combination of tinselly ticks on criteria boxes by way of quality internships and French language proficiency, with serious networking, if you’re going to transform early work experience into sustained career chances.

FAQs

Ques. 1. How many hours can I legally work on a student visa in France?

Ans. Overseas students are allowed to work up to 964 hours a year, which works out at around 21 hours a week. This cap applies if you work part-time in France during the term or full-time on a seasonal basis when school’s out.

Ques. 2. What is the minimum wage for students in France?

Ans.  French minimum wage Basic in 2025 As of 1 January 2025, the SMIC will be €11.88 gross per hour worked. Students must also take into account the social costs, which serve to minimize net take-home pay.

Ques. 3. Do I need a work permit for students in France?

Ans. If you have a student visa or residence permit, you don’t need an extra work permit for part-time work. However, after graduating, you need to apply for post-study work permits, such as the APS or salaried permit, to keep working full-time.

Ques. 4. Are there jobs in France for English speakers?

Ans. Yes, especially among international companies, IT, research, and language teaching. Still, the majority of employers desire candidates with some level of French so learning a language greatly expands career prospects after your studies in France.

Ques. 5. What are the post-study work opportunities in France?

Ans.  Graduates are allowed to apply for the Autorisation Provisoire de Séjour (APS) after their studies, and then have 12–24 months working or starting up a business. Once you obtain a qualified graduate job in France, you can then move on to a longer-term permit known as the “passeport talent” or salaried work permit.