Do I need a visa to intern in France?
EU/EEA/Swiss nationals: no visa needed. Everyone else: yes — a VLS-TS étudiant if you’re already enrolled at a French institution, or a VLS-TS stagiaire if you’re coming to France specifically for an internship. In every case, a signed convention de stage is required before the internship begins — including for internships under 2 months.
Gratification (the minimum monthly stipend) is mandatory once the internship exceeds 308 hours or 2 months. The 2026 rate is €4.50 per hour (15% of the €30 hourly social security ceiling), up from €4.35 in 2025.
This page is part of our broader guide to internships for international students, which compares work authorisation across the US, UK, France, Canada, and Germany.
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Which visa you need
Which visa you need depends on your nationality, whether you’re already enrolled at a French institution, and the length of the internship.
| Situation | Visa/permit needed | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| EU/EEA/Swiss national | None | Convention de stage still required regardless of nationality. |
| Non-EU, enrolled at a French institution | VLS-TS “étudiant” | Validated with OFII within 3 months of arrival. Covers internships that are part of your programme. |
| Non-EU, coming to France for an internship only | VLS-TS “stagiaire” | Requires prior approval and a signed convention de stage before applying. |
| Non-EU, internship under 90 days | Short-stay Schengen visa (or visa waiver, depending on nationality) | Only for very short placements. Longer stages need the long-stay route. |
Apply through France-Visas. Processing times vary by consulate, so apply as early as your convention de stage allows.
If you’re evaluating a remote or cross-border stage, our remote internships for international students guide explains how physical location affects visa and work authorisation.
The convention de stage — required for every internship
The convention de stage is a legal agreement signed by three parties: you (the intern), your host organisation, and your educational institution. Without it, your placement isn’t legally recognised as a “stage” under French law — and both you and the employer can face penalties.
Correction to a common claim: Some guides say the convention is only required for internships over 2 months. That is wrong. Per Service-Public.fr, every internship requires a signed convention regardless of length. Only the gratification is tied to the 2-month / 308-hour threshold.
What the convention de stage must include
- Names and signatures of the student, host organisation, and school.
- Start and end dates of the internship.
- Learning objectives and tasks to be performed.
- Name of your on-site supervisor (tuteur) and your academic supervisor.
- Weekly working hours and any gratification amount.
- Terms for absences, sick leave, and holiday entitlement during the stage.
Maximum internship length
A single stage cannot exceed 6 months or 924 hours. For longer work placements, the alternative is alternance (see below).
Without a convention de stage: the placement isn’t legally a stage. This can mean visa refusal, loss of student insurance coverage, and — for the host company — penalties for what French authorities may treat as undeclared work.
Stage vs alternance — don’t confuse the two
These terms are often used loosely in English translation, but they are legally distinct in France. Mixing them up can derail your visa application.
| Feature | Stage (internship) | Alternance (apprenticeship) |
|---|---|---|
| Employment status | Student intern, not an employee | Employee with a labour contract |
| Governing document | Convention de stage | Contrat d’apprentissage or contrat de professionnalisation |
| Pay | Gratification only if over 308 hrs | Salary set by law, tied to age/level |
| First-year internationals | Accessible on a standard student visa | Usually not in first year on a standard visa |
If your goal is early work experience as a newly arrived international student, a stage is almost always the accessible route. If you’re weighing France against the UK, see our UK internship visa and Graduate Route guide — the Graduate Route allows self-employment and freelance work; a French stage does not.
Gratification — how much you’re paid (2026 rates)
French law requires a minimum “gratification” once your internship exceeds a set threshold. It isn’t a salary, and interns aren’t covered by the national minimum wage (SMIC), but the gratification floor is a legal minimum your host cannot go below.
- Threshold: Gratification becomes mandatory once your internship exceeds 2 consecutive or non-consecutive months within the same academic year — specifically, more than 308 hours of actual presence (starting from the 309th hour).
- 2026 minimum rate: €4.50 per hour of actual presence, equal to 15% of the hourly Social Security ceiling (set at €30/hour for 2026). This rose from €4.35/hour in 2025.
- Below the threshold: Internships of 2 months or less can legally be unpaid, though some employers pay voluntarily.
- Tax treatment: Gratification at or below the legal minimum is exempt from social security contributions and, up to the annual SMIC threshold, from income tax.
- Sector exceptions: Some collective bargaining agreements (e.g., pharmaceutical industry) require gratification from as little as 1 calendar month — check your sector’s convention collective.
Worked calculation: A 5-month stage at 35 hours/week is roughly 700+ hours of presence — well above the 308-hour threshold — so gratification is mandatory at a minimum of €4.50/hour, paid monthly. Roughly €680–€700/month at full-time hours.
For how France compares with other countries on paid and unpaid rules, see our paid vs unpaid internships guide.
Term-time work allowance
If you hold a French student residence permit, you can work up to 964 hours per year (60% of the statutory working hours for the year). This covers part-time employment and paid internships that fall outside your curriculum. The limit is counted over a 12-month period starting from when your permit is issued or your VLS-TS is validated.
Hours worked as part of a required stage under a convention de stage do not count against the 964-hour cap, as they’re not classified as employment.
If you’re comparing term-time work limits across countries, the Germany internship visa guide covers the 140/280-day rule — a different calculation, but with similar intent.
Tax treatment
French tax residence follows Article 4B of the General Tax Code: home or family base in France, principal stay in France, principal professional activity in France, or centre of economic interests in France.
- Same-country stage (you in France, employer in France): Taxed in France as ordinary local employment or gratification income.
- Cross-border (you in France, employer abroad): Generally taxed in France because the work is performed there. Under most tax treaties, a short-stay employee is protected only if they stay 183 days or fewer, the employer is not resident in France, and no French establishment bears the cost.
- Home-country remote for a French employer: France may tax only French-source income — but the treaty rule above still applies. A French employer whose employee works remotely from abroad generally has no French withholding obligation.
For a deeper look at how remote and cross-border work affects tax, see our remote internships guide.
How to apply — step by step
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Secure a written internship offer from a French host organisation, with proposed dates and missions. |
| 2 | Draft and sign the convention de stage with your school and the host. Start early — some schools require internal approval first. |
| 3 | If you need a visa (not already enrolled/covered), apply via France-Visas with your signed convention de stage as supporting evidence. |
| 4 | If your internship exceeds 90 days, validate your VLS-TS with OFII within 3 months of arrival. |
| 5 | Confirm gratification terms (if applicable) are written into the convention de stage before you start. |
After graduation — the job-search permit
After completing a French degree, non-EU graduates can apply for a 12-month “recherche d’emploi / création d’entreprise” (job-search or business-creation) residence permit. During these 12 months, you can take any job — including internships related to your field — while you search for qualified employment. The permit is not renewable.
Once you find qualified employment, you can switch to a residence permit for qualified work. If you’re weighing France against other post-study routes, see our guides to the Canada internship work permit (PGWP up to 3 years) and Germany internship visa (18-month job-search permit).
Common mistakes
Frequently asked questions
What is a convention de stage?
Do I need a visa to intern in France?
What is a VLS-TS visa for interns?
How much will I be paid for a stage in France?
What’s the difference between a stage and an alternance?
What happens if I don’t have a convention de stage?
How many hours can I work during term time?
How long can a stage last?
Related guides
Internships for International Students
The hub — work authorisation and post-study rights across the US, UK, France, Canada, and Germany.
CPT vs OPT for F-1 students
The 12-month full-time CPT rule, tax treatment, unemployment limits, and worked examples.
UK internship visa and Graduate Route
Graduate Route 18-month change, GAE visa, and student work rights during term.
Canada internship work permit
The April 2026 co-op work permit change, the 50% rule, and PGWP tiers.
Germany internship visa
The 140/280-day work rule, mandatory vs voluntary internships, and the €13.90/hr minimum wage.
Remote internships for international students
Same-country, cross-border, and home-country scenarios — visas, tax, and work authorisation.
Paid vs unpaid internships
Legality by country — FLSA test, French gratification, UK NMW, Canadian provincial rules, German MiLoG.
Sources
Christian Chinonso is the founder of LearnViaHub, with 6+ years of research experience in international education — including GPA systems, scholarships, student financing, and study-abroad guidance — for students worldwide.