Find Out How to Get a Job and Work in Cannes

Employment in Cannes

Local Economy

Cannes local economy is based primarily on the service sector. As the historic location of the world renowned Cannes Film Festival, the city has become a hotspot for tourism on the French Riviera, and this is now integral to its economy. The Cannes Film Festival has also had an impact on other areas of the city’s economy, too, and Cannes is now home to an annual Television Festival, and is the base for many French and international film production companies. Cannes’ economy is also reliant on the nearby Sophia Antipolis, a technology park located just outside the city. Sophia Antipolis is home to many of the world’s best technology companies, including Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Nvidia, and Orange Mobile, as well as a number of research and development institutions, most notably the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) and the European Research Consortium for Informatics and Mathematics (ERCIM). Expatriates working in Cannes tend to be employed in tourism, the film industry, or by one of the technology companies located in Sophia Antipolis.

Work Permits for Cannes

As France is a member of the European Union, citizens of the EU, European Economic Area (EEA), and Switzerland will not need a permit to work in Cannes. However, for citizens of non-EU/EEA countries and Switzerland, it can be difficult to obtain a work permit, as in 2011 France introduced tougher regulations on the granting of work permits to foreigners. As a result, in order to be granted a long stay work visa, expatriates and foreigners must first secure work in Cannes, and then their prospective employer must be able to demonstrate that no French national, or citizen of any EU/EEA country or Switzerland, is able to fill the job role in question. The prospective employer must also send the contract of employment to the French Ministry of Labour for approval before the application can be submitted. The length of long stay work visas varies depending on the expatriate and job in question.

Income Taxation in Cannes

Expatriates working in Cannes will be required to pay income tax on their earnings. Like many countries, the income on which you will be required to pay income tax at French rates will be determined by your residency status for tax purposes. If you live and work in Cannes for over 183 days in a year, then you are classed a resident for tax purposes and will pay income tax at French rates on your worldwide income. If you live and work in Cannes for less than 183 days in a year, you will pay income tax at French rates on your French income only.

France has a sliding scale tax system, which means that your total yearly earnings will determine the amount of income tax that you will be required to pay. The income taxation rates for expatriates and foreigners working in Cannes in 2015 are as follows:

Up to and including 5,963 EUR – no income tax payable

Between 5,964 EUR and 11,896 EUR — 5.5%

Between 11,897 EUR and 26,420 EUR — 14%

Between 26,421 EUR and 70,830 EUR — 30%

In excess of 70,830 EUR — 41%

Expatriates working in Cannes should also be aware that France does not have a PAYE system. This means that instead of your income tax being deducted periodically throughout the year, you will have to submit a tax return at the end of the fiscal year, after which you will make your income tax payment.