Paris Work & study

Work

Although there are strict laws preventing non-EU nationals from being employed in France, it’s possible to work ‘in the black’ (ie without the legally required documents). Au pair work is popular and can be done legally even by non-EU nationals.

To work legally in France you need a carte de séjour. Getting one is almost impossible if you aren’t a citizen of the EU, unless you are a full-time student. At the same time non-EU nationals cannot work legally unless they obtain an autorisation de travail (work permit) before arriving in France. This is no easy matter, as a prospective employer has to convince the authorities that there is no French person – or other EU national, for that matter – who can do the job being offered to you.

In addition to the fortnightly Fusac, an excellent source for job-seekers, the following agencies might be of some assistance.

Agence Nationale pour l’Emploi (National Employment Agency; ANPE; www.anpe.fr, in French), France’s national employment service, has lists of job openings and branches throughout the city. The ANPE Hôtel de Ville branch (01 42 71 24 68; 20bis rue Ste-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 4e; 9am-5pm Mon-Wed & Fri, 9am-noon Thu; Hôtel de Ville) assists those residing in the 1er, 4e and 12e arrondissements.

Centres d’Information et de Documentation Jeunesse (CIDJ; Youth Information & Documentation Centres; www.cidj.com, in French) offices have information on housing, professional training and educational options, and notice boards with work possibilities. Its Paris headquarters (01 44 49 12 00, 0 825 090 630; 101 quai Branly, 15e; 10am-6pm Mon-Wed & Fri, 1-6pm Thu, 9.30am-1pm Sat; Champ de Mars-Tour Eiffel) is a short distance southwest of the Eiffel Tower.

Business hours

Small businesses are open daily, except Sunday and sometimes Monday. Hours are usually 9am or 10am to 6.30pm or 7pm, often with a midday break from 1pm to 2pm or 2.30pm. Shops that open Monday usually get started late (eg at 11.30am).

Banks usually open from 8am or 9am to between 11.30am and 1pm, and then 1.30pm or 2pm to 4.30pm or 5pm, Monday to Friday or Tuesday to Saturday. Exchange services may end 30 minutes before closing time.

Most post offices open 8am to 7pm weekdays and 8am or 9am till noon on Saturday.

Supermarkets open Monday to Saturday from 8.30/9am to 8pm, though a few now open on Sunday morning as well. Small food shops are mostly closed on Sunday and often Monday too, so Saturday afternoon may be your last chance to stock up on certain types of food (eg cheese) until Tuesday.

Restaurants keep the most convoluted hours of any business in Paris, so you'll need to investigate each one separately.

Most museums are closed one day a week: usually Monday or Tuesday. Some museums have a weekly nocturne in which they remain open until as late as 10pm one night a week, including the Louvre (Wednesday and Friday) and the Musée d’Orsay (Thursday).

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Doing business

If you are going to Paris on business, it’s a good idea to contact one of the main commercial offices or your embassy’s trade office in Paris before you leave home, to establish contacts and make appointments. These include the following:

American Chamber of Commerce (01 56 43 45 67; www.amchamfrance.org ; 1st fl, 156 blvd Haussmann, 75008 Paris)

Australian Trade Commission (01 40 59 33 85; www.austrade.gov.au ; 4 rue Jean Rey, 75015 Paris)

Canadian Government Department of Commercial & Economic Affairs (01 44 43 29 00; www.amb-canada.fr ; 35-37 av Montaigne, 75008 Paris)

Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris (CCIP; 01 55 65 40 03, 0 820 012 112; www.ccip.fr, in French; Bourse de Commerce, 2 rue de Viarmes, 75001 Paris)

France-Canada Chamber of Commerce (01 43 59 32 38; www.ccfc-france-canada.com, in French; 5 rue Constantine, 75007 Paris)

Franco-British Chamber of Commerce & Industry (01 53 30 81 30; www.francobritishchamber.com ; 3rd fl, 31 rue Boissy d’Anglas, 75008 Paris)

Irish Embassy Trade Office (01 44 17 67 04; www.embassyofirelandparis.com ; 4 rue Rude, 75016 Paris)

New Zealand Embassy Trade Office (01 45 01 43 10; www.nzembassy.com/france ; 7ter rue Léonard de Vinci, 75116 Paris)

UK Embassy Trade Office (01 44 51 34 56; www.amb-grandebretagne.fr ; 35 rue du Faubourg St-Honoré, 75008 Paris)

US Embassy Trade Office (01 43 12 23 83; www.buyusa.gov/france/en ; 2 av Gabriel, 75008 Paris)

If you are looking to set up a business in France and need a temporary office or secretarial assistance, contact the following:

Copy-Top (www.copytop.com, in French; 9am-7pm) This chain is useful for photocopying, printing etc and has 28 outlets in central Paris, including a Bastille branch (01 48 05 80 84; 87 blvd Voltaire, 11e; Voltaire) and a Montparnasse branch (01 42 22 80 58; 52 blvd du Montparnasse, 15e; Montparnasse Bienvenüe).

NewWorks (www.newworks.net, in French; 9am-7pm) This service bureau chain can supply most of your office and secretarial needs and serve as your temporary office too. There are four outlets, including Champs-Élysées branch (01 72 74 24 54; 10 rue du Colisée, 8e; Franklin D Roosevelt).

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