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CDI vs CDD: French employment contracts explained for UK employers

Olivier Niel, founder of Eagle RocketUpdated

In short

  • The CDI is the French open-ended contract, and the law makes it the normal form of employment.
  • A CDD (fixed-term) is allowed only for listed temporary reasons, lasts 18 months at most by default and adds a 10% end-of-contract payment.
  • A CDD used for a permanent role is reclassified as a CDI, with at least one month's salary in compensation.

In France you hire a salesperson on a CDI, the open-ended contract that the Labour Code calls "the normal and general form of the employment relationship" (article L1221-2). The CDD, the fixed-term contract, is an exception reserved for temporary needs. Unlike in the UK, you cannot choose a fixed-term contract just because it suits you.

What is the difference between a CDI and a CDD?

CDI (France)CDD (France)UK equivalent
End dateNoneFixed date or end of a specific taskPermanent or fixed-term, freely chosen
When allowedAlwaysOnly for the temporary cases listed in L1242-2 (replacement, temporary increase in activity, seasonal work…)No list of permitted reasons
Maximum lengthNone18 months including renewals by default (L1242-8-1)No maximum, but 4 years of successive fixed-term contracts makes the employee permanent unless justified
RenewalsNot applicableTwice by default (L1243-13-1)No statutory limit on number
Written contractNot required for full time unless the collective agreement says soAlways, with the precise reason; otherwise deemed a CDI (L1242-12)Written statement of particulars from day one
ProbationUp to 2, 3 or 4 months by category1 day per week, capped at 2 weeks (contract up to 6 months) or 1 month (L1242-10)Set by the contract
Ending earlyResignation, dismissal or mutual terminationOnly for gross misconduct, force majeure, medical unfitness, by agreement, or if the employee gets a CDI elsewhere (L1243-1, L1243-2)Per the contract terms, with notice
End paymentSeverance on dismissal (from 8 months)10% of total gross pay unless followed by a CDI (L1243-8)Nothing specific at expiry

Sources: Code du travail, articles cited (code.travail.gouv.fr); service-public.gouv.fr F15635; GOV.UK, Fixed-term employment contracts and Employment contracts; all checked 21 October 2026. Next check: January 2027.

Why can't I hire a salesperson on a CDD?

Because a CDD "cannot have the purpose or effect of permanently filling a job linked to the normal and permanent activity of the company" (L1242-1). A sales role that builds your French business is permanent activity. The law lists the reasons that allow a CDD; the ones that could apply to a sales team are replacing an absent employee (for instance during parental leave) or a genuine, temporary increase in activity.

Getting it wrong is costly. A CDD signed outside those cases, without a written reason, or beyond the maximum length is deemed a CDI (L1245-1), and the labour court awards at least one month's salary on top (L1245-2). Service-public.gouv.fr also lists a fine of 3,750 euros for using a CDD without a written contract.

How does a CDI compare with a UK permanent contract?

Both are open-ended. The real differences are in how they end and in what French law adds by default:

  • Probation is regulated: up to four months for an executive, renewable once only if a branch agreement allows it. See probation period in France.
  • Dismissal needs a real and serious reason from day one, a formal procedure, notice and severance. See notice and dismissal in France.
  • Working time is framed by law: 35-hour week or a forfait jours for autonomous executives. See the 35-hour week.
  • Your collective agreement adds rules on top of the Labour Code: minimum salaries by grade, notice, sometimes extra severance.

What should a sales CDI contain?

Beyond identity, job title, start date and place of work, a salesperson's CDI should spell out:

  • the fixed salary and the variable pay plan (how targets are set and when commission is earned), see sales commission in France;
  • the territory or customer portfolio, and whether it can change;
  • the working time arrangement (hours or forfait jours);
  • the probation period and its renewal, if your branch agreement allows it;
  • any non-compete clause, with its financial compensation;
  • the collective agreement that applies.

For the full hiring sequence, read our guide to hiring sales staff in France. When you are ready to find the person, we recruit sales staff in France for UK companies.

What we cannot tell you

  • Whether your collective agreement sets a shorter maximum length or a different number of renewals for CDDs in your sector.
  • Whether a specific temporary need qualifies as a "temporary increase in activity": courts look at the facts, and a misused CDD is reclassified as a CDI.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a CDI contract in English?

A CDI (contrat à durée indéterminée) is an open-ended employment contract, the equivalent of a UK permanent contract. French law calls it the normal and general form of the employment relationship (Code du travail, article L1221-2).

Can I hire a salesperson on a CDD to test the market?

Not lawfully. A CDD may only be used for a precise and temporary task in the cases the law lists, such as replacing an absent employee or a temporary increase in activity, and never to fill a job linked to the normal, permanent activity of the business (L1242-1 and L1242-2). Testing a new market with a permanent sales role is what the probation period of a CDI is for.

How long can a CDD last in France?

By default 18 months in total, renewals included, and it can be renewed twice, unless a branch agreement sets other limits (L1242-8-1 and L1243-13-1).

Does a CDI have to be in writing?

For a full-time CDI, the law does not require a written contract unless the collective agreement does, but the employer must then give the employee a copy of the pre-hiring declaration (service-public.gouv.fr, fiche F15635). In practice a written contract is essential for a salesperson, to set out pay, commission rules, territory and any non-compete clause. A CDD must always be in writing.

Sources and method

Every rule, rate and amount on this page was checked at the source on the date shown. I update the page when a source changes.

Olivier Niel

Olivier Niel, Founder and Managing Director, Eagle Rocket

Olivier founded Eagle Rocket in 2020, a sales recruitment firm on a human scale. The firm works for a single fixed fee paid on success, and holds two in-depth interviews with each candidate before presenting them to a client.

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Rules and figures are checked against official French and UK sources (service-public.gouv.fr, the French Labour Code, URSSAF, gov.uk) on the date shown. Published by Eagle Rocket SARL (RCS Évreux 883 581 803). This guide is general information, not legal advice.