A CDI (contrat à durée indéterminée) is the standard permanent employment contract in France, and it is what most tech job offers mean by “permanent”. It has no end date. It usually starts with a trial period (période d’essai), during which either side can end it quickly, and after that it can only end through resignation, dismissal with a valid reason or a negotiated exit. For a cadre (professional or manager), the legal trial period is up to 4 months, renewable once to 8 months if the industry agreement allows it. Most tech companies apply the Syntec collective agreement, where a cadre has a 4-month trial period renewable once and 3 months’ notice on resignation or dismissal.
This guide explains each part of a French tech contract. Figures come from Service-Public, the official French government information site, and from the Labour Ministry’s Code du travail numérique, which gives the rules for each collective agreement. Your contract or a company agreement can be more favourable, so always read your own documents. This is general information, not legal advice.
The short answer
| Topic | The law (Labour Code) | Syntec agreement (IDCC 1486) |
|---|---|---|
| Trial period, cadre | Up to 4 months, renewable once to 8 | 4 months, renewable once |
| Trial period, technician or supervisor | Up to 3 months, renewable to 6 | ETAM coefficient 275 to 500: 3 months, renewable once |
| Trial period, employee | Up to 2 months, renewable to 4 | ETAM coefficient 240 to 250: 2 months, renewable once |
| Notice when you resign | Not set by law | Cadres 3 months; ETAM 1 or 2 months |
| Notice when you are dismissed | Depends on seniority | Cadres 3 months; ETAM 1 or 2 months |
Sources: Service-Public, trial period, Service-Public, resignation and the Code du travail numérique pages for Syntec on trial periods, resignation notice and dismissal notice.
What a CDI means in France
The CDI is the normal form of employment in France. Compared with a fixed-term contract (CDD), it gives you more security: after the trial period, your employer can only dismiss you for a real and serious reason and must follow a procedure. Service-Public’s page on dismissal explains the rules on valid reasons (Service-Public).
Other contract types you may see in tech:
- CDD (fixed-term contract): only allowed in cases set by law. Its trial period is shorter: 1 day per week of work up to 2 weeks for a CDD of 6 months or less, and up to 1 month for a longer CDD (Code du travail numérique).
- Freelance or “B2B”: you invoice as a self-employed worker. That is not an employment contract, and the protections in this guide don’t apply.
- Internship (stage): an agreement with your school, not an employment contract.
If you need a residence permit, check which contract your route needs. The Talent qualified employee route needs a contract of more than 3 months; the EU Blue Card needs at least 6 months. See Talent Passport salary thresholds.
Période d’essai cadre: the trial period
Legal maximums for a CDI
The Labour Code sets the maximum length of the first trial period in a CDI (Service-Public):
| Category | First trial period | Maximum with one renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Employees and workers (employés, ouvriers) | 2 months | 4 months |
| Supervisors and technicians (agents de maîtrise, techniciens) | 3 months | 6 months |
| Cadres | 4 months | 8 months |
A collective agreement or your contract can set a shorter trial period. The employer can’t simply give you 6 or 8 months from the start: the longer figure is only possible through a renewal.
Can the trial period be renewed?
Only once, and only if all three of these are true (Service-Public):
- An extended branch agreement allows renewal.
- Your contract or offer letter says clearly that the trial period can be renewed.
- You agree to the renewal in writing (an email is enough) during the first trial period.
If one is missing, the trial period ends at its first term. You don’t have to accept a renewal.
Période d’essai cadre under Syntec
The Syntec agreement sets these maximums for a CDI (Code du travail numérique):
- ETAM (employees, technicians and supervisors), coefficient 240 to 250: 2 months, renewable once.
- ETAM, coefficient 275 to 500: 3 months, renewable once.
- Engineers and cadres, coefficient 95 to 270: 4 months, renewable once.
Your coefficient is usually on your contract and your payslip. So the “6 months” or “4 months renewable” you may read in forums depends on your category and on what your contract says.
Ending the trial period
Either side can end the trial period without giving a reason, but there is a notice period (délai de prévenance) (Service-Public):
| Time you have been in the job | Notice if the employer ends it | Notice if you end it |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 8 days | 24 hours | 24 hours |
| 8 days to 1 month | 48 hours | 48 hours |
| 1 to 3 months | 2 weeks | 48 hours |
| More than 3 months | 1 month | 48 hours |
If the employer doesn’t respect its notice, it must pay you what you would have earned until the end of it.
For a visa holder, losing a job during the trial period affects your permit too. Ask your employer’s immigration adviser or the prefecture what to do before you make plans.
Notice period in France when you resign
The law doesn’t set a notice period for resignation (démission). It comes from your collective agreement or contract, or, failing those, local or professional custom (Service-Public).
Under Syntec, the resignation notice is (Code du travail numérique):
| Category | Notice |
|---|---|
| ETAM, less than 2 years’ seniority | 1 month |
| ETAM, 2 years or more | 2 months |
| ETAM, coefficient 400, 450 or 500 | 2 months |
| Engineers and cadres | 3 months |
The employer and employee can agree on a longer or shorter notice.
Can you leave earlier?
Yes, if your employer agrees. Service-Public explains two cases (Service-Public):
- You ask to skip part of the notice and the employer accepts: you are not paid for the days you don’t work. Get the agreement in writing.
- The employer decides to release you: it must still pay you for the notice period.
If you are a cadre under Syntec, plan your start date at a new job around the 3-month notice, or ask early to shorten it.
Unemployment benefits after resigning
As a general rule, resigning doesn’t give you a right to unemployment benefits. France Travail recognises some resignations as “legitimate”, for example to follow a spouse who moves for work, and then benefits can apply (Service-Public).
Notice when you are dismissed
Under Syntec, the dismissal notice is (Code du travail numérique):
- ETAM, coefficient 240 to 355: 1 month up to 2 years’ seniority, 2 months after that.
- ETAM, coefficient 400 to 500: 2 months.
- Engineers and cadres: 3 months, or longer if agreed.
There is no notice for dismissal for serious or gross misconduct. Notice is doubled for a worker with a recognised disability, up to 3 months. It starts the day the registered letter is first presented to you.
Rupture conventionnelle: leaving by agreement
A rupture conventionnelle is a negotiated end to a CDI. It is neither a resignation nor a dismissal, and neither side can force it. Key points (Service-Public):
- It isn’t possible during the trial period or with a CDD.
- You get a payment of at least the legal or agreement severance pay, whichever applies, and you can negotiate more.
- Either side can withdraw within 15 calendar days of signing.
- The labour administration then has 15 working days to approve it; silence means approval.
- If you meet the conditions, you can claim unemployment benefits afterwards.
What is Syntec?
“Syntec” is the common name of the national collective agreement for technical design offices, consulting engineers and consulting firms (bureaux d’études techniques, cabinets d’ingénieurs-conseils et sociétés de conseils), number IDCC 1486. It covers about 857,000 employees according to the Code du travail numérique, and many software companies, IT consultancies (ESN) and startups apply it (Code du travail numérique, IDCC 1486).
What it changes for you:
- Your category and coefficient: ETAM or “engineers and cadres”, with a coefficient that sets minimum pay and your trial and notice periods.
- Trial and notice periods: as above.
- Other topics: the agreement also covers working time arrangements, holidays, a holiday bonus (prime de vacances) and severance pay. The full text is on Légifrance.
Your payslip names the collective agreement that applies to you. A company agreement can replace some branch rules, and your contract can always be more favourable.
Checklist before you sign a French CDI
- Status and coefficient: cadre or ETAM, and which coefficient. See French job offers explained for what cadre status means.
- Trial period: its length, and whether the contract allows a renewal.
- Notice period: usually 3 months for a cadre. Negotiate your start date with your current employer in mind.
- Working time: 35 hours, a longer week with RTT, or a forfait jours.
- Salary: gross annual, fixed and variable, and whether a 13th month is included. Check your take-home pay with the salary after tax calculator.
- Remote work and location: what the company’s remote policy allows, and where your contract says you work.
Looking for companies to apply to? Browse all jobs and companies on France Dev Jobs.
Frequently asked questions
What does CDI mean in France?
CDI stands for contrat à durée indéterminée, a permanent employment contract with no end date. It usually starts with a trial period. After that, it ends only by resignation, dismissal for a real and serious reason, or a negotiated exit (rupture conventionnelle).
How long is the trial period for a cadre in France?
By law, up to 4 months, renewable once to a maximum of 8 months if a branch agreement allows it, your contract mentions it and you agree in writing. Under Syntec, a cadre’s trial period is 4 months, renewable once. Your contract can set a shorter period.
What is the standard notice period in France?
There is no single legal figure for resignation. It comes from your collective agreement or contract. Under Syntec, cadres give 3 months’ notice and ETAM staff 1 or 2 months depending on seniority and coefficient. Your employer can agree to a shorter notice.
Is there a notice period during the trial period in France?
Yes, but a short one. If you end the trial period, you give 24 hours’ notice in your first week and 48 hours after that. If the employer ends it, the notice runs from 24 hours to 1 month depending on how long you have been in the job.
What is the Syntec collective agreement?
It is the national collective agreement for technical design offices, consulting engineers and consulting firms (IDCC 1486). Many software companies and IT consultancies apply it. It sets job categories, coefficients and minimum pay, and the trial and notice periods described above.
Can I get unemployment benefits if I resign in France?
Usually not. A resignation only opens the right to benefits if France Travail treats it as legitimate, for example to follow your spouse. A rupture conventionnelle or a dismissal, by contrast, generally allows you to claim benefits if you meet the conditions.
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This guide is general information, not legal advice. Labour rules and collective agreements change. Check your contract, your collective agreement and the official pages linked above.