Work-study as an international student in France: apprenticeship, contrat pro, conditions and pay in 2026

Information checked on 6 October 2026.

Work-study, "alternance" in French, attracts students for good reasons: a salary, experience that recruiters value and, often, training fees paid for. For an international student, the question comes quickly: am I allowed to sign? The short answer is yes, but not under just any conditions. The type of contract, how long you have been in France, your level of study and your nationality change everything. Here are the rules as Service Public (the official French government site) describes them, 2026 pay and the pitfalls to avoid. If you are still preparing to leave, start with our complete Campus France guide.

Work-study for international students: what the law says in 2026

Work-study takes two forms: the contrat d'apprentissage (apprenticeship contract) and the contrat de professionnalisation (professionalisation contract). For a non-European student holding a "student" residence permit, they do not follow the same rules.

The Opco (opérateur de compétences) funds and registers the work-study contracts of your employer's sector. For an apprenticeship, its validation opens the right to work beyond the usual student cap. For a professionalisation contract, the employer must request and obtain a work authorisation before the contract starts.

You remain a student throughout: your residence permit stays a "student" permit, and it must remain valid for the whole contract. The general rules on student work are in our article on working in France as an international student.

First year in France: often too early

This is the point that surprises people most. To sign an apprenticeship contract, you must in principle have been in France for more than a year. In practice:

• you arrive in September 2027 for a licence 3 or a work-study "bachelor": apprenticeship stays closed in principle until September 2028;
• you arrive for a master's, or for a level I diploma recognised by the Conférence des grandes écoles (CGE): the one-year condition does not apply to apprenticeship;
• for a professionalisation contract, the one-year condition applies in every case.

Read the diploma's title carefully. A "bachelor", "MSc" or "MBA" awarded by a school is not automatically a master's degree: ask the school in writing whether it confers the master's degree or carries a CGE label. The difference decides whether you can sign in your first year.

Algerian students: work authorisation in every case

Algerian students fall under the 1968 Franco-Algerian agreement. For them, according to Service Public:

For an Algerian student, work-study is still possible, but it asks one more step of the company. Tell them from the job interview.

Apprentice and contrat pro pay in 2026

An apprentice's minimum pay depends on age and contract year. Service Public calculates it on the SMIC (French minimum wage) of €1,867.02 gross a month, in force since 1 June 2026.

From age 21, the minimum set by the collective agreement applies if it is higher. For contracts signed since 1 March 2025, the part of pay below 50% of the SMIC (€933.51) is exempt from employee contributions and from CSG-CRDS (social levies), and pay is exempt from income tax up to the annual SMIC.

The professionalisation contract follows another scale: 55% of the SMIC under 21 (65% with a vocational baccalaureate or equivalent), 70% from 21 to 25 (80% with that level), and at least the SMIC from 26.

Apprenticeship has one last advantage: since 1 July 2026, apprentices are among the exceptions who keep the right to housing benefit, while non-European students without a grant have lost it. Details are in our article on the APL for international students.

Finding a company and signing: the steps

A delay in these steps can lead to the contract being suspended or terminated: the University of Lille spells it out to its students.

Private schools and work-study: the pitfalls

Many private schools put work-study front and centre in their brochures. Before signing anything, ask four questions.

• Who finds the company? Almost always you. Ask in writing what happens if you do not find one: will you then have to pay the tuition yourself?
• Does the diploma qualify for apprenticeship? An apprenticeship contract prepares a diploma or vocational title registered in the national register (RNCP). Check that the programme is registered.
• Does the diploma fall under the master's exception? If not, the one-year condition applies, and the work-study promised for the first year is out of reach.
• Is the schedule compatible with your residence permit? At renewal, the prefecture checks that your studies are real and serious.

Our comparison Campus France or direct application helps tell apart programmes connected to the Études en France procedure and those of private schools.

And after work-study?

A contract that goes well often leads to a job offer. You will then need to change status, from student to employee, with precise salary thresholds. Everything is explained in our guide to changing from student to employee status. In the meantime, keep everything: contract, payslips, certificates from the training centre. These are the documents the prefecture will ask for when you renew your permit, then when you change status.

Finding your company through the network

A good share of work-study contracts are signed through recommendation. In your country's community in your city, on Compatri, there are fellow nationals already in jobs, others who run a business, and former apprentices who know which companies hire international students and which ones know the work authorisation procedure. Our article on the diaspora's professional network explains how to approach it without being pushy, and you can join your community before you leave. The "African students" group also shares tips on internships and work-study.

Compatri is not a Campus France or French government service and does not replace the official source: for your right to work, Service Public, the prefecture and your institution's work-study office are the reference.

Official sources

• Service Public: can a non-European student work in France?
• Service Public: the apprenticeship contract
• Service Public: the professionalisation contract
• ANEF: digital administration for foreign nationals in France
• La bonne alternance: offers and companies that hire
• University of Lille: residence permit and work-study