Having a job during your studies is quite common in France. You can have extra, and be more independent.
In a company or at university, everystudent has the right to work. Here find some information.
Everyone has the right to work
All international students have the right to work while studying in France as soon as they enroll in a higher education institution giving access to Student Social Security. If you are not a citizen of the European Union, you must have a residency permit.
The law allows international students to work 964 hours a year, the equivalent of 60% of the legal work in a year. Part-time work will not cover all of your expenses. It can only be complement income.
When you work in France, whether you are a student or not, you are guaranteed a minimum wage by law. It is commonly called the SMIC (Salaire Minimum Interprofessionnel de Croissance - the minimum wage). It is 9.76 Euros gross per hour in 2017. This wage is gross; you have to deduct compulsory social charges (about 20%) to find out how much you really take home.
If you work 10 hours per week for the minimum wage, you will earn about 78 Euros net.
Studying and working at university
In France, international students can also work within the university. These student contracts last twelve months, from September 1st to August 31st.
In order to help students succeed and find work afterwards, student work in a university is adapted to their timetables and classes. For the same reason, students who work in French universities cannot work more than 670 hours from September 1st to June 30th, and no more than 300 hours from July 1st to August 31st.
Doing an internship required by the programme
Included in the curricula of some degrees (mainly Master), the student has to do an internship. French and international students have to follow the same rules:
- The internship is possible only after signature of a convention (signed by the institution providing the internship, the university and the student);
- If the internship lasts more than two months, the student must be paid 577,50 Euros per month (1st January 2018).
