Guide to finding a job and working in France

As a WHV holder, you are permitted to work as a freelancer (auto-entrepreneur). This status is open to all in France under these conditions:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Have an address in France
• Be a European national (or foreign national under certain conditions)
• Not be under administrative supervision
• Not be subject to any exceptional restrictions imposed by relevant authorities

There are a few different ways to become a freelancer, but the easiest is by creating a micro-enterprise through Urssaf. As soon as you complete and submit the application form, you can begin your activity. Urssaf takes 2-3 weeks to approve your application for the creation of a micro-enterprise.

Once created, you must report your earnings regularly (there is a choice between monthly and quarterly). Regardless, you will have a 90 day grace period for your first declaration. The advantage of freelancing through a micro-enterprise is that accounting procedures are simplified for bookkeeping of receipts of purchases. TVA (value added tax) is not included, which is important to indicate on invoices. Tax rates vary by the type of services provided or goods sold.

You can find more information on Urssaf’s website for freelancers (auto-entrepreneurs).

ACRE

As a freelancer, you can benefit from ACRE (assistance for creators and entrepreneurs). This assistance translates to lower tax rates for you to pay on your earnings. You must apply for ACRE within the 45 days following the creation of your micro-enterprise. You can consult the Urssaf website for ACRE eligibility requirements. There are multiple ways to qualify, and you only need to satisfy one of them. The tax rates differ by type of service or goods sold, but with ACRE, the contribution rates are lower across the board (the first set of numbers in the table below).