France Visas and French Work Permit Requirements

For Work & Travel and French Language School Programs

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the end of your stay. U.S. and Canadian citizens do not need visas to enter France and are permitted to stay up to 90 days.

For Au Pairs

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months beyond the end of your stay. Once placed with a host family, you will need to obtain a Long-Stay Au Pair Visa before entering France. The French Ministry of Labor requires au pairs to take language courses while in France. Your host family will enroll you in classes, and obtain a Pre-Enrollment Certificate. (You can decide on hours and level once you arrive in France.)

We will then send you the Pre-Enrollment Certificate and an approved Accord de Placement from your host family. The Accord de Placement is the contract of your engagement as an au pair. Your host family will obtain its approval from the French Ministry of Labor once both parties have agreed on the placement. As soon as you have received these documents from us, you will need to send or bring them to the nearest French consulate or embassy, along with your valid passport, completed visa application form, and a copy of your most recent diploma. It is important that you do not leave the U.S. before obtaining this visa! The fee for the visa is currently 99 Euro (approximately $125).

When you arrive in France, you will need to obtain a Carte de Séjour (temporary residence permit) from the local police authorities. Details on how to obtain this permit will be given to you by our partner office in Paris after a 1-week trial period with your host family.

Working Abroad offers the following programs in France:

Au Pair in Paris