France: losing your job, what to do step by step
From the end of the contract to unemployment benefit: what to collect, ask for and watch, with the deadlines that matter.
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Time: from the end of the contract to the first payment
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End of contract
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You have 12 months at most after the contract ends to register with France Travail.
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The employer must have them available for you as soon as the contract ends, but does not have to send them (Service Public).
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Service Public offers a template letter for claiming end-of-contract documents.
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The receipt for final settlement can be disputed within six months of signing it (Labor Code, art. L1234-20).
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The calculation depends on seniority and the reference salary: it is on the site.
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The employer hands it over at the end of the contract when the scheme exists in the company (Service Public).
Registration
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The 7-day waiting period runs from registration, after any deferrals (Unédic).
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France Travail: section “Mon inscription et mes allocations”, service “Gérer mes demandes d’allocations”.
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The elements for calculating the benefit are on the employer’s certificate, sent through the nominative social declaration (Unédic).
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It is done within a month of the notification of the orientation decision (Unédic).
Your benefit
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For €2,500 gross a month: €46.85 a day, €1,405.50 a month, 548 days at most before age 55.
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Paid-leave deferral: 30 days at most; specific deferral: 150 days at most, 75 days for an economic dismissal.
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Unless this period has already been applied in the last 12 months (Unédic).
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The CSG and CRDS apply when the benefit exceeds €61 a day, with exemptions depending on your income (Unédic).
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It does not go below €92.57 a day; a training course entered in the engagement contract suspends the count (Unédic).
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From age 55, you can ask France Travail for an extension (Unédic).
Job search
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Refusing two reasonable offers, missing an appointment or making no effort can lead to removal from the register or a cut in the benefit (Unédic).
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This is the condition for the training to suspend the period before degressivity (Unédic).
Health
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It lasts 12 months at most after the contract ends, without exceeding the length of the last contract (France Travail, art. L911-8).
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The former employer must inform the insurer that the contract has ended; you must prove your benefit coverage.
Budget
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The site’s emergency fund calculator helps put a number on it.
First ARE payment
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Good to know
- This list applies to a private-sector employee who loses their job without wanting to: dismissal, end of a fixed-term contract or assignment, conventional termination. For a resignation, the right to the ARE is in principle closed, except for a legitimate resignation or a retraining project.
- The deadlines are not the same: 12 months to register with France Travail, 7 days of waiting before the first payment, 6 months to dispute the receipt for final settlement.
- The unemployment insurance rules come from Unédic (agreement of November 15, 2024 and its amendment of April 10, 2026); they change: check the date of the sheet on unedic.org.
- To challenge a dismissal, or if you have doubts about the final settlement, see a union, an employment lawyer or the labor court (conseil de prud’hommes): there are deadlines to respect.
Frequently asked questions
Which documents must the employer hand over at the end of the contract?
A work certificate, a final settlement, a France Travail certificate and, if the company has an employee savings plan, a summary statement. They must be available to you as soon as the contract ends, with no obligation to send them (Service Public).
Within what time must I register with France Travail?
Within the 12 months after the employment contract ends. The sooner the better: the 7-day waiting period starts from registration, after any deferrals.
Can I dispute the final settlement?
Yes: the receipt for final settlement can be disputed within six months of signing it (Labor Code, art. L1234-20); after that, it releases the employer for the sums listed in it.
Do I keep the company mutuelle after leaving?
Yes, for up to 12 months, if you were a member, if the termination is not for gross misconduct and if France Travail pays you benefit; this is portability of rights (Social Security Code, art. L911-8).
When does the benefit start?
After any deferrals (unused paid leave, termination payments above the legal amount) and 7 days of waiting, from registration. It is paid every month, on a 30-day basis.
Next step
I’m not an accountant or a financial advisor. This is an estimate, for information only. Check with a professional before you decide.
- The calculatorFrance unemployment benefit (ARE) calculator
- The calculatorFrance statutory dismissal compensation (indemnité de licenciement) calculator
- The guideFrance: who qualifies for ARE unemployment benefit and how to register
Sources
- Unédic — Return-to-work allowance (ARE): conditions, calculation, length, deferrals, degressivity (sheet updated 5 October 2026) (in French)
- Unédic — Unemployment insurance: what changes on 1 September 2026 (conventional termination) (in French)
- France Travail — Am I entitled to unemployment benefit (ARE)?: registration within 12 months (in French)
- France Travail — Supplementary social protection: portability of rights (in French)
- Service Public — End of contract: documents to hand to the employee (in French)
To challenge a dismissal, check a final settlement or a special case (part-time, several employers), see a union, an employment lawyer or a France Travail adviser.