How long can I stay and work in France after completing my master's degree with the Recherche d'Emploi ou Creation d'Entreprise (RECE) post-study work permit?

The RECE is often described loosely as a two-year window, but France's own regulations set it at a single, non-renewable 12-month period, which changes how tightly you need to plan your job search from day one.

What You Can Do During the 12 Months

• Remain in France for up to 12 months to search for a job or prepare and create a business connected to your field of study.
• Work as an employee without your employer needing separate work authorization, provided the role is related to your studies and pays more than 2,800.53 euros gross a month under the current threshold.
• Work without the standard 964-hour annual limit that applies to ordinary student residence permits, once your employment qualifies under RECE.

What Happens When the 12 Months End

The RECE itself cannot be renewed. If you secure qualifying employment before it expires, you switch to a professional residence permit matched to your situation: a salarie or travailleur temporaire permit for a study-related job at or above 2,800.53 euros gross a month, a Talent-salarie qualifie permit for a qualified role at or above 39,582 euros gross a year, an EU Blue Card route for higher salaries meeting Blue Card conditions, or an entrepreneur or Talent-porteur de projet route if you are launching a business.

This Information Is Also Available On

Service Public, official French government guidance on the RECE residence card; France Visas, Recherche d'emploi and creation d'entreprise programme page.

My Advice

Start applying for study-related roles the moment your RECE begins rather than treating the first few months as a buffer, since the 12-month clock does not pause and the salary threshold for switching permits is fixed regardless of when in the year you find a job. If a qualifying salary looks out of reach in your field, investigate the business-creation route early, since it requires its own preparation timeline that a late pivot will not accommodate.