Domestic workers and nannies who travel to france with their employer [fr]
This procedure is applicable to all employers, French or not. It results from the application of the “Code du Travail” (art R 341-1) which requires all employees to hold a work permit issued by the competent DIRECCTE (Direction Régionale des Entreprises, de la Concurrence, de la Consommation, du Travail et de l’Emploi, formerly DDTEFP). Please note that this depends on the place of stay in France.
The « Code du Travail » does not provide any exception for short stays in France.
1/- The first step is for the employer to apply for a work permit (processing delay : 8 days).
The employer shall :
- complete and sign CERFA form n° 15188*01 « Salariés détachés (hors mobilité intragroupe) » available on website of the Ministry of Immigration (only in French) :
Please do not forget to indicate the duration of stay in France (this can be up to one year with a maximum stay of 90 days for each period of 6 months);
- if applicable, you may join the complete list of domestic workers employed by the same employer (please see annex 2 of the form);
- the competent DIRECCTE is the one of your first place of stay in France (if the employee stays at different places during the trip please fill annex 3 of the form).
The form and its annexes (if applicable) shall be sent via email to the competent DIRECCTE. You can find the email addresses of the DIRECCTE below.
- Liste des courriers électroniques des DIRECCTE (ex DDTEFP) / Email addresses of the DIRECCTE (formerly DDTEFP)
- (PDF - 60.4 kb)
The DIRECCTE will reply to all applicants via email within 8 days and will have validated the form with an official stamp.
This stamp :
- will be considered equivalent to a work permit;
- will be valid for the whole of France
- may be valid for a year with maximum stays of 90 days per semester.
The work permit (“autorisation provisoire de travail”) will be sent by post to the address of your first place of stay in France.
2/- Upon receipt of the stamped form from the DIRECCTE, the employee may apply for a visa by providing :
- a Schengen visa application form :
- Télécharger les formulaires / Download forms
- 2 pictures
- a valid passport with a residence permit in Canada, both of them with a minimum validity of 3 months after the expiry of the requested visa. The passport must have been issued less than 10 years ago (first issuance). Even if it has been renewed since then, we will decline the passport for a visa application and you will have to renew it prior to applying.
- the CERFA form with the stamp of the DIRECCTE (see above)
- a letter of from the employer stating that he will bear all the expenses of the employee during its stay in France
- a letter from the employer committing himself to pay the taxes to URSAAF
- a medical travel insurance including medical cover and repatriation valid for their entire stay./.