EOR · EUR (€)

Employer of Record in France

France's Code du travail assumes the CDI (permanent contract) as the default employment relationship and restricts fixed-term contracts to narrow, specific cases — get the contract type wrong and you're exposed to reclassification claims. Add employer social charges that often run 40%+ of gross salary, and a company budgeting off a lighter-tax market will underprice a French hire before they even start. An Employer of Record gets the contract type and the cost model right from day one.

Talk to us about France How our EOR works

xpath.global Employer of Record coverage — hire in France without a local entity

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France · EUR (€)

Why hire in France through an EOR

France remains one of Europe's largest talent markets for engineering, AI research and luxury/consumer brands, with strong government incentives for R&D roles (Crédit d'Impôt Recherche). The complexity isn't finding the candidate — it's structuring a compliant CDI, budgeting for genuinely high employer social charges, and navigating collective bargaining agreements (conventions collectives) that vary by sector and can override standard contract terms.

Employment law essentials in France

Probation for management-level roles ("cadres") can run up to four months and is renewable once by agreement; notice periods range from one to three months depending on category, tenure and the applicable collective agreement. Statutory paid leave is 25 days (five weeks), and many sector agreements add RTT days (reduced-time compensation) on top. Termination in France requires a defined, documented process — informal dismissals carry real legal risk.

How it works

How hiring through an Employer of Record works

Five clean steps from candidate selection to compliant, ongoing employment — with xpath.global as the legal employer on record.

Diverse international team collaborating on cross-border hiring through an Employer of Record

The result

You operate as if the employee were on your internal team — without entity setup, cross-border compliance risk or payroll complexity.

01
Step 01
Select your candidate
Identify the person you want to hire — anywhere across Europe. We support hiring in 20+ European countries, whether it's a new recruit, a converted contractor or an internal transfer.
02
Step 02
Immigration & relocation readiness
Before the contract is signed, our in-house mobility team checks what's required for the move: work permits, visas, residence registration, posted-worker notifications, A1 certificates, home search, school support and settling-in. Because xpath.global combines EOR with global mobility, employment and relocation are orchestrated by one case owner — not bounced between vendors.
03
Step 03
Employment setup through xpath.global
Onboarding typically begins within a few business days of candidate confirmation. xpath.global drafts a locally compliant employment contract and hires the employee through our in-country entity — no need for you to open a legal presence.
04
Step 04
Payroll, taxes and benefits administration
We run payroll coordination, income tax, social security and statutory benefits in line with each country's labour law — plus supplementary benefits (private health, pension, equity) when your policy calls for them.
05
Step 05
Ongoing employment and HR support
xpath.global maintains continuous compliance, contract updates, leave, expenses and offboarding — while you manage the employee's day-to-day work exactly as you would with an internal hire.

Payroll, tax & immigration in France

French payroll is one of the most cost-loaded in Europe: employer social contributions (health, pension, unemployment, family allowance, and more) commonly add 40% or more on top of gross salary, alongside employee-side withholding at source (prélèvement à la source). For non-EU hires, an autorisation provisoire de travail (APT) or equivalent work authorization is required, sponsored by the employer; EU/EEA nationals have free movement.

How xpath.global's EOR works in France

Your case owner builds the CDI correctly for the sector and role, prices in the real employer social charge burden upfront rather than as a mid-year surprise, and — where the hire needs it — runs the work authorization process through our in-house immigration team.

Always-on compliance

Stay compliant while you grow — everywhere.

Contracts, minimum wage, statutory benefits, terminations and local labour law across 20+ European countries. Our compliance team monitors changes so your team never gets caught out.

Full employee lifecycle — hire, adjust, terminate
Regulatory monitoring and proactive alerts
200+ legal experts specialised by country
Data protection: GDPR, SOC 2 aligned processes

Talk to a specialist

20+

European countries covered

UK, DE, ES, FR, NL, IT, PL, RO…

200+

In-house legal and tax experts

Country-specialised, on your case

24×7

Dedicated customer support

One case owner, no ticket queues

120+

Currencies to pay your employees

Multi-currency payroll & FX

Pricing

Pay, manage and grow your global team.

Transparent, per-employee pricing across the services that surround the EOR relationship — employment, immigration, contractors and full mobility. All plans include a dedicated case owner and platform access.

Employer of Record

Employ talent across Europe without setting up a local entity.

Starting at

Tailored

per employee / month

Legal employment in 20+ European countries
Locally compliant contracts & onboarding
Payroll, tax & social security handled
Statutory + supplementary benefits
Automated compliance & filings
24/7 HR & legal expertise

Book a demo

Immigration Compliance

Employer of Record bundled with work authorization and visas — one case owner end-to-end.

Custom

Tailored

priced by scope

Legal employment in 20+ European countries
Locally compliant contracts & onboarding
Payroll, tax & social security handled
Work permit & visa processing
In-house immigration specialists
Family & dependant support
Posted-worker & A1 filings
Same case owner across EOR & immigration

Talk to us

Contractor Management

Engage and pay global contractors compliantly.

Starting at

Tailored

per contractor / month

Compliant contractor agreements
Payments in 120+ currencies
Misclassification risk checks
Automated invoicing & tax forms
Centralized contractor dashboard

Book a demo

Indicative pricing. Final quotes depend on country, role and volume — we confirm the exact monthly and one-off fees before you sign.

FAQs — Employer of Record in France

Why are French employer costs so much higher than the gross salary?+

Employer social contributions in France are among the highest in Europe. xpath.global prices these in from the start so there's no gap between the quoted cost and the actual invoice.

Can we use a fixed-term contract (CDD) instead of a CDI in France?+

Only in narrowly defined circumstances under French labour law. xpath.global advises on the correct contract type before you sign, since misuse of CDDs carries reclassification risk.

Can xpath.global handle a non-EU work permit for a French hire?+

Yes — our immigration specialists manage the APT/work authorization process alongside the employment contract, under the same case owner.

Forward look

France continues to refine sector-specific collective agreements and R&D tax incentives, both of which change the real cost and structure of a French hire year over year — reasons a case owner who tracks this actively earns their fee.