France Hospitality and Tourism Jobs With Visa Assistance

Bonjour et Bienvenue! France is the most visited country in the world, and it is not only beautiful there but the Hospitality and Tourism industry of this giant employs the highest-paid jobs throughout the year that are in great demand.

This guide exposes the precise positions that they are seeking, the required visa routes (seasonal to permanent), and the steps that really matter in ensuring that your Work Authorization is approved by the French administration.

Hospitality High-Demand Roles (2025)

Hospitality and construction jobs are expressly listed on the Shortage Occupations List in the French government, and this has simplified the process of hiring a non-EU worker immensely since employers do not need to complete the Labour Market Test in the process.

Culinary & Kitchen

The market demand is always strong in this case as France has a reputation as a gastronomic destination.

Chef de Cuisine / Sous Chef: Must have proven experience and good portfolio.
Commis Chef / Line Cooks: These are entry-level professional kitchen positions, which are best suited to obtaining first work permits.

Front-of-House/Hotel Operations.

These are vital positions in Paris Hospitality and the French Riviera Hotels where the service is required to be multi-lingual.

Chef DE Rang (Head Waiter) / Sommer: Must be skilled in high level service and have a command of the language.
(Receptionist) / Front Office Manager: In this case, there is no bargaining with multilingual qualifications (English, French, third language).
Concierge / Guest Relations: In particular, demanded in Luxury Hotels and Palace Hotels.

Seasonal & Regional Demand

Seasonal employment such as the French Alps (Ski Resort Jobs) in the winter season, and the Cote d Azur in the summer seasons generates huge demand of the Seasonal Worker contracts.

Seasonal Worker: The perfect place to start at short term work, temporary employment contracts.
Resort Manager / Event Coordinator: The opportunity would be in large tourist destinations and events such as the Paris Olympics legacy.

Getting to the bottom of the Work Visa Pathways in France

In the case of non-EU citizens, there are two main elements of the visa procedure, the Work Authorization (which is secured by the employer) and the Long-Stay Visa The Standard Work Visas

Contracts exceeding three months long will be a V LS-TS similar to a residence permit, which will be validated online with the OFII at the time of arrival.3

V LS-TS Salary (Employee): The issue is issued concerning Permanent Contract CDI ). This is the most preferable route to long term residency and is usually more difficult to the employer to acquire as there are rigid Labor Market Test conditions (unless it is on the shortage list).
(Temporary Worker): Issued in Fixed-Term Contracts that are more than three months but not more than 12 months.

The Employer plays a very important role (Visa Assistance)

In the non-EU/EEA cases the responsibility of the first Work Permit Application (Authorization DE Travail) is wholly on the French Employer.

Proving Necessity

In the case of standard visas, the employer should demonstrate that he or she has made and failed to hire locally through the Labour Market Test.

Exemption Insight: Hospitality and Tourism jobs are mostly on the Shortage Occupations List and so the French Employer is frequently not required to take this time-consuming test, which cuts the visa process short by a huge margin.

Administration Approval

The employer sends that contract and application to the local labour authority (DIRECCTE, now frequently part of DREETS).8 and then to the French consulate in your home country, and you can now apply to the VLS.
E-A-T Tip: Find large international franchises such as Ac cor, IHG or even recognize large-scale employers such as Disneyland Paris. These Sponsoring Companies have set up HR units which are conversant with complicated DIRECCTE (DREETS) and OFII processes.

Location, Location, Location

The strategy you use to find a job must also correspond to the demand in season and the places and locations with high traffic:

Paris and Major Cities: Hotel Manager and specialized positions such as Revenue Manager or Sommer that are in luxury hotels. It takes the utmost French and professional finishing.
The Alps & Resorts: Search jobs Seasonal contracts (winter season) begin in October/November or (summer season) begin in May/June. This is the group of employers most familiar with the Derailleur Samsonite visa process that tend to include basic Accommodation in the offering.
The South (Riviera): F&B and Guest Relations will be in demand during the high spring/summer season.

FAQs

Am I required to speak French in order to have a hospitality job?

Yes, generally. Although Paris Tourism Jobs in large international hotels may allow you to speak fluent English as a Concierge or Front Office Manager, you have to speak at least a conversational level of French (B1/B2) to interact with the DIRECCTE and Préfecture to get your Residence Permit renewed and to otherwise conduct your daily life.

What is the VLS-TS?

The VLS-TS ( Visa de Long Séjour valant Title de Séjour ) is a Long-Stay Visa which is your Residence Permit in the first year.9 You need not visit the local Préfecture in the first year.10 You need to validate it online with the OFII.

Does seasonal contract result in a permanent visa?

A Travailleur Sai Sonnier visa does not necessarily lead to an EU long-term residence permit.11 But, should your employer want to continue to employ you, they may re-nominate you on a different visa after a year or two and begin the process of leading you toward a long-term residence permit.

Your Next Move

France has simplified the immigration procedure to specifically to the workers in Hospitality and Tourism industry.12 By specifically targeting positions in the Shortage Occupations List, and concentrating on big employers under Sponsoring Companies, you greatly raise your prospects of obtaining the all-important Visa Assistance.

Disclaimer: It is an informational and educational article. The immigration and labor regulations in France are prone to change on regular basis.13 It is highly recommendable that all applicants ensure that they confirm the information, fees and requirements (particularly in terms of the Shortage Occupations List and the DIRECCTE/DREETS work permit procedure) via the official France-Visas, or the portal of the OFII, or seek the advice of a registered immigration legal practitioner before making any migration decision.