Procedure · Work and leaving a job

Resigning from a permanent job in France: the letter, notice and documents

The law imposes no particular form, but a dated letter avoids any dispute over your leaving date. Here are the steps, from the notice period to the end-of-contract documents, with a letter template ready to fill in.

At a glance

Who: Any employee on a permanent contract (CDI) who wants to leave, with no need to give a reason. On a fixed-term or temporary contract you cannot resign: the contract can only be ended early in specific cases.
When: At any time, even during sick leave or parental leave. The notice period starts on the day your employer is informed: when the post office first presents the recorded letter, or the day you hand it over.
Where: With your employer, by recorded-delivery letter or handed over in person against a signed receipt.
Cost: Free (the cost of a recorded-delivery letter if you post it).
How long: The notice period set by your collective agreement, your contract or local custom.

Notice period simulator (code.travail.gouv.fr)

Step by step

Check how long your notice is. The Labour Code sets no general length: your collective agreement, your contract or, failing that, the custom of your profession gives it. The simulator on code.travail.gouv.fr finds it from your collective agreement.
Write a clear letter. Simply say that you are resigning, with no conditions or grievances: you do not have to give a reason, and an ambiguous resignation (written in anger or blaming the employer) can be challenged. Date and sign it. The template below is enough.
Hand it over with proof of the date. Send it by recorded delivery with acknowledgement of receipt, or hand it over in person and have the employer sign and date a copy. Keep the proof: by recorded delivery, your notice starts on the day the post office first presents the letter, even if the employer collects it later. You can also set a later start date in your letter.
Ask for a waiver if you want to leave earlier. Your employer can agree to waive all or part of your notice: get the agreement confirmed in writing. If the waiver is at your request, you are not paid for the time not worked; if it is at the employer's initiative, they owe you notice pay.
Work your notice. You work as normal until the end of your notice. The law grants no hours off to look for a job, but some collective agreements or company customs do: check yours. A workplace accident or occupational illness during the notice period suspends it.
Collect your documents and final pay. At the end of your notice, the employer must have your employment certificate, your final settlement receipt (last salary, unused paid leave, bonuses due) and your certificate for France Travail ready for you. Check the settlement before signing it: once signed, you only have 6 months to challenge the amounts on it.

Documents to prepare

Your employment contract (notice period, non-compete clause)
The name of your collective agreement (on your payslip)
Your dated and signed resignation letter, and proof of delivery

Pitfalls to avoid

Resigning entitles you neither to unemployment benefit nor to keeping your company health cover free of charge, unless France Travail deems it legitimate, in particular for a career-change project approved by Transitions Pro before you resign.
Simply not turning up for work is not a safe way to leave: the employer can give you formal notice to return within at least 15 days; if you do not, you are treated as having resigned, with no unemployment benefit in principle.
A clear resignation is final: you can only take it back if your employer agrees.
Leaving without working your notice, without the employer's agreement, can make you liable to pay them compensation.
If you have a non-compete clause, check whether the employer waives it: otherwise it applies and entitles you to its compensation.

Resignation letter template (in French)

[Prénom Nom]
[Adresse]

[Nom de l'entreprise]
[Adresse de l'entreprise]

[Ville], le [date]

Lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception (ou remise en main propre contre décharge)

Objet : démission

Madame, Monsieur,

Je vous informe par la présente de ma décision de démissionner du poste de [intitulé du poste] que j'occupe depuis le [date d'embauche].

Conformément à [ma convention collective / mon contrat de travail], mon préavis d'une durée de [durée du préavis] débutera [à la réception de ce courrier / le [date de début du préavis]] et prendra fin le [date de fin du préavis].

[Facultatif : Je souhaiterais être dispensé(e) de tout ou partie de ce préavis et quitter l'entreprise le [date souhaitée]. Je vous remercie de bien vouloir me confirmer votre accord par écrit.]

À l'issue de mon contrat, je vous remercie de me remettre mon certificat de travail, mon reçu pour solde de tout compte et mon attestation destinée à France Travail.

Je vous prie d'agréer, Madame, Monsieur, l'expression de mes salutations distinguées.

[Signature]

Resignation letter template (in French): replace each part in square brackets, proofread, date and sign. The letter is in French because it goes to a French employer or administration.

Every letter template

What Nego does for you

Write your resignation letter from your situation (job, start date, notice, waiver)
Work out what your final settlement should include (unused paid leave)
Tell you whether your situation could entitle you to unemployment benefit (legitimate resignation, career change)
Compare with a mutually agreed termination before you decide

Nego follows the checked steps on this page, does the calculations with the site's tools and drafts your letters. It does not replace the administration: the procedure is completed on the official service.

Going further

Untaken holiday pay Mutual termination pay Unemployment benefit simulator Resigning Notice period Final pay settlement Company health cover

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to write a letter to resign?

No, the law imposes no form: a resignation can even be oral. But a recorded-delivery letter or one handed over against a receipt proves the date, and so the start of your notice. Some collective agreements require it in writing.

Can I resign without working my notice?

Yes, if your employer waives it, ideally in writing; if you asked, the time not worked is unpaid. Notice is also not required in some cases set by law, for example during a medically confirmed pregnancy.

Am I entitled to unemployment benefit after resigning?

In principle, no. France Travail pays benefit after a resignation it deems legitimate, for example to follow your partner when they move for work, or for a career-change project approved by Transitions Pro before you leave. Otherwise, after 121 days of unemployment, you can ask France Travail to review your situation. If your employer agrees, a mutually agreed termination does entitle you to benefit.

Can I take back my resignation?

A clear and unambiguous resignation is final: only the employer's agreement can cancel it. A resignation given in anger or under pressure can, however, be challenged before the employment tribunal.

Official sources

Rules checked on 27 October 2026 against the sources above. This page explains the procedure; it replaces neither the administration nor legal advice.

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At a glance

Who

Any employee on a permanent contract (CDI) who wants to leave, with no need to give a reason. On a fixed-term or temporary contract you cannot resign: the contract can only be ended early in specific cases.

When

At any time, even during sick leave or parental leave. The notice period starts on the day your employer is informed: when the post office first presents the recorded letter, or the day you hand it over.

Where

With your employer, by recorded-delivery letter or handed over in person against a signed receipt.

Cost

Free (the cost of a recorded-delivery letter if you post it).

How long

The notice period set by your collective agreement, your contract or local custom.

Step by step

Check how long your notice is. The Labour Code sets no general length: your collective agreement, your contract or, failing that, the custom of your profession gives it. The simulator on code.travail.gouv.fr finds it from your collective agreement.

Write a clear letter. Simply say that you are resigning, with no conditions or grievances: you do not have to give a reason, and an ambiguous resignation (written in anger or blaming the employer) can be challenged. Date and sign it. The template below is enough.

Hand it over with proof of the date. Send it by recorded delivery with acknowledgement of receipt, or hand it over in person and have the employer sign and date a copy. Keep the proof: by recorded delivery, your notice starts on the day the post office first presents the letter, even if the employer collects it later. You can also set a later start date in your letter.

Ask for a waiver if you want to leave earlier. Your employer can agree to waive all or part of your notice: get the agreement confirmed in writing. If the waiver is at your request, you are not paid for the time not worked; if it is at the employer's initiative, they owe you notice pay.

Work your notice. You work as normal until the end of your notice. The law grants no hours off to look for a job, but some collective agreements or company customs do: check yours. A workplace accident or occupational illness during the notice period suspends it.

Collect your documents and final pay. At the end of your notice, the employer must have your employment certificate, your final settlement receipt (last salary, unused paid leave, bonuses due) and your certificate for France Travail ready for you. Check the settlement before signing it: once signed, you only have 6 months to challenge the amounts on it.

Pitfalls to avoid

Resigning entitles you neither to unemployment benefit nor to keeping your company health cover free of charge, unless France Travail deems it legitimate, in particular for a career-change project approved by Transitions Pro before you resign.

Simply not turning up for work is not a safe way to leave: the employer can give you formal notice to return within at least 15 days; if you do not, you are treated as having resigned, with no unemployment benefit in principle.

A clear resignation is final: you can only take it back if your employer agrees.

Leaving without working your notice, without the employer's agreement, can make you liable to pay them compensation.

If you have a non-compete clause, check whether the employer waives it: otherwise it applies and entitles you to its compensation.