Does an open-ended employment contract (CDI) in France have to be in writing?

A full-time CDI can be concluded without a written contract, but the employer must give the employee, in writing, the main information on the employment relationship (article L. 1221-5-1 of the Labour Code and decree no. 2023-1004 of 30 October 2023); this contract contains it. A part-time contract must be in writing and spread the hours over days or weeks (article L. 3123-6): this form does not cover it. A written contract is drawn up in French (article L. 1221-3).

How long can the probation period of a French CDI be?

At most two months for manual and clerical workers, three months for technicians and supervisors, four months for managers (article L. 1221-19 of the Labour Code). It exists only if the contract provides for it. It can be renewed once only, if an extended branch agreement allows it and the contract provides for it, with the employee's express agreement, up to four, six or eight months in all. The collective agreement or the contract may set shorter periods, never longer ones.

What must a French employer do before an employee hired on a CDI starts?

Declare the hiring to the Urssaf, or to the MSA in agriculture, through the pre-hiring declaration (DPAE), before the employee starts; arrange the information and prevention visit with the occupational health service; enter the employee in the single staff register. The agreed pay cannot be below the national minimum wage (SMIC) or the collective agreement's minimum. The contract is signed in two originals, one for each party.

Full-time open-ended employment contract (CDI) (France)

Name: Full-time open-ended employment contract (CDI) (France)
Brand: DocMuse
SKU: contrat-de-travail-cdi-temps-complet
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This document is in French

The PDF you download is in French — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.

A full-time open-ended employment contract (CDI) for a job in mainland France or an overseas department other than Mayotte: post and category, place of work, probation period and its renewal within articles L. 1221-19 to L. 1221-21 of the French Labour Code, 35 hours a week, pay, paid leave, notice, collective agreement, supplementary pension and provident bodies, and the other information an employee must be given (decree no. 2023-1004 of 30 October 2023). No non-compete or mobility clause. Signed in two originals. In French.

Made for use in France
Last updated October 13, 2026

When to use this document

You are hiring your first full-time employee in France on a permanent contract.
An intern or temp has proved their worth and you want to take them on permanently.
You want a written contract setting out the job, pay, hours and probation period for a new recruit.
You need a full-time open-ended employment contract, known as a CDI.

What you fill in

The details the document asks for.

Employer
Employer's registered address
Employer's SIRET number
Person signing for the employer
Employee
Date of birth
Place of birth
Employee's address
Start date
Position
Job category
Classification under the collective agreement (level, coefficient)
Duties
Place of work
Length of the probation period (e.g. “one month” or “none”)
Renewal of the probation period
Working hours
Gross base salary
Other components of pay
Applicable collective agreement (title and IDCC number, or “none”)
Supplementary pension fund (name and address)
Provident and supplementary health cover provider (name and address)
Additional terms
City
Date

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Common questions

Does an open-ended employment contract (CDI) in France have to be in writing?: A full-time CDI can be concluded without a written contract, but the employer must give the employee, in writing, the main information on the employment relationship (article L. 1221-5-1 of the Labour Code and decree no. 2023-1004 of 30 October 2023); this contract contains it. A part-time contract must be in writing and spread the hours over days or weeks (article L. 3123-6): this form does not cover it. A written contract is drawn up in French (article L. 1221-3).
How long can the probation period of a French CDI be?: At most two months for manual and clerical workers, three months for technicians and supervisors, four months for managers (article L. 1221-19 of the Labour Code). It exists only if the contract provides for it. It can be renewed once only, if an extended branch agreement allows it and the contract provides for it, with the employee's express agreement, up to four, six or eight months in all. The collective agreement or the contract may set shorter periods, never longer ones.
What must a French employer do before an employee hired on a CDI starts?: Declare the hiring to the Urssaf, or to the MSA in agriculture, through the pre-hiring declaration (DPAE), before the employee starts; arrange the information and prevention visit with the occupational health service; enter the employee in the single staff register. The agreed pay cannot be below the national minimum wage (SMIC) or the collective agreement's minimum. The contract is signed in two originals, one for each party.

How you can sign this document

Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked

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