Access to the asylum seeker's work

Verified 20 October 2025 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

As an asylum seeker in France, you may be allowed to work if theOfpra: titleContent has not ruled on your application 6 months after it was filed. We're taking a look at the regulations. It differs depending on whether you are in the first 6 after filing your application or after.

First 6 months

You cannot not get permission to work for the first 6 months which follow the registration of your application by Ofpra.

Nevertheless, pending the response of Ofpra, you may, under certain conditions, collect the Asylum Seeker Allowance (Ada).

After 6 months

Your employer may request a work authorization if the following 2 conditions are met:

  • Certificate of claim in your possession
  • Asylum application under consideration for more than 6 months by Ofpra.

In this case, when you apply for renewal of the certificate of asylum application at the end of validity, your employer may also request a work authorization. A promise of employment or an employment contract must accompany the application.

If the proposed employment contract comes into play valid certificate, your future employer must request a work authorization.

Whatever the time of filing, the application shall be examined in accordance with rules applicable to all foreigner workers in France. In particular, the administration analyses the employment situation in the relevant occupation and employment pool.

The administration has a period of 2 months from the receipt of the application for a work permit.

If you do not hear from your application within this period, the authorization is deemed to have been granted.

The duration of the work authorization cannot exceed the duration of your receipt, which is 6 months. The work permit is renewable until the decision of Ofpra.

If you were granted the right to work before the rejection decision by Ofpra, you retain this right in the event of appeal to the CNDA.