Freelancing in France on a Working Holiday Visa

Introduction and eligibility

As work-from-anywhere becomes more common, freelancing has also become more popular. But if you’re on a working holiday in France, is it even possible to become a freelancer?

The answer is not black and white, because it seems to be on a case by case basis. The official Franco-Canadian youth mobility accord also does not explicitly mention or forbid freelance work.

As a result, some WHV holders have been approved to perform freelance work, while others have been denied.

If you want to want test your chances (there is no penalty for applying and being rejected) and also meet the following criteria:

1. You work in a unregulated liberal profession* (e.g., social media manager, writer, translator, web developer, design, and consulting) and
2. You have a mailing address in France,

then this guide will explain how you can create your own micro-enterprise for free through URSSAF (Union de recouvrement des cotisations de sécurité sociale et d’allocations familiales).

*According to URSSAF, there is no exhaustive list of unregulated liberal professions. Rather, it is a category that covers everything not classified as a commercial activity, an artisanal activity, an agricultural activity, or a regulated liberal profession. Source.

Note that if you are a working holiday maker looking to exercise:

• A commercial profession, it is the Chambre du Commerce et de l’Industrie that will process your application. We do not know if working holiday makers are permitted to exercise this kind of activity.
• An artisanal profession, the same application steps apply, except that your application will be reviewed by the Chambre de Métiers et de l’Artisanat, not by URSSAF. According to former working holiday makers, the Working Holiday Visa is not accepted by CMA as a sufficient work authorization, leading to refusals.

Continue to the next chapter to learn how to become a freelancer in a liberal profession as a working holiday maker in France.