Paris

Work

EU nationals, except those from the 12 countries that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007, have an automatic right to work in France. Pretty much anyone else who’d like a French job will need a hard-to-get work permit, issued at the request of your employer, who will have to show that no one in France – or the entire European Economic Area – can do your job. Exceptions may be made for artists, computer engineers and translation specialists.

Working ‘in the black’ (that is, without documents) is difficult and risky for non-EU nationals. The only instance in which the government turns a blind eye to workers without documents is during fruit harvests (mid-May to November) and the vendange (grape harvest; mid-September to mid- or late October).

Au-pair work is also very popular and can be done legally even by non-EU citizens. To apply, contact a placement agency from your home country at least three months in advance.

EU Nationals

EU nationals with the right to work in France can find summer and casual work in restaurants, bars and hotels (particularly in the Alps during the winter skiing season; for bar work check out www.mountainpub.com). Teaching English is another option, either for a company or through private lessons. Paris-based mag FUSAC (France USA Contacts; www.fusac.fr) advertises jobs for English speakers, including au-pair work, babysitting and language teaching.

France’s national employment service, the Agence National pour l’Emploi (ANPE; www.anpe.fr, in French), has offices throughout France; the website has job listings.

The Centre d’Information et de Documentation Jeunesse (CIDJ; www.cidj.com, in French) provides young people with information on jobs (including seasonal summer jobs), housing, education and more. It has offices all over France, including Paris (tel: 01 44 49 12 00; 101 quai Branly, 15e; metro: Champ de Mars).

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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