What is an internship in France?

  • An internship is a temporary period of "immersion into the world of work" during which "the student acquires professional skills and puts into practice what they have learned on their course, with a view to obtaining a degree or other qualification and furthering their professional insertion" within a host organisation.
    • Reference: Art. L.124-1 of the French Education Code
  • An internship must be included in the school or university curriculum.
    • Reference: Art. L.124-3 of the French Education Code  
  • The duration of the internships(s) carried out by the same intern in a single host organisation may not exceed six months per academic year.
    • Reference: Art. L.124-5 of the French Education Code 
  • Where the duration of the internship exceeds 308 hours, the intern must be remunerated.
    • Reference: Art. L.124-6 of the French Education Code  
  • Remuneration owed by a public body […] may not exceed the rate provided for in Article L. 124-6, i.e. 15% of the hourly social security ceiling.
    • Reference: Art. D.124-8 of the French Education Code

What is the "internship agreement"?

An internship agreement is a mandatory document for carrying out an internship at UCA. Preparation of the internship agreement provides an opportunity to go over everything with your tutor before starting the internship: role, hours, rules of procedure, etc. It is not an employment contract. It is vital in terms of insurance: the internship agreement guarantees social security cover and cover in the event of an accident at work. It is the only reference document in the event of a legal dispute.

You must ask your tutor at UCA to prepare the agreement and send it to you well in advance of your arrival.
 

Special cases of non-EU students carrying out internships lasting for more than three months

If you are not a French or EU national and your internship lasts for more than three months, it is essential that you send UCA your internship agreement at least one month before your arrival. This will allow enough time to complete the necessary formalities with the DIRECCTE, validate your agreement and obtain your "intern" visa.
To this end, please enclose a copy of your passport with your internship agreement.
 

Summary of the process

  1. Contact your tutor at UCA to complete the internship agreement
  2. Ensure the agreement is acceptable to your home university
  3. Prepare the required documents and sign the agreement
  4. Forward all the documents to your tutor