Internships in Paris: Questions & Answers

For a professional internship, you should have French at an Upper-intermediate level or higher — especially a good grasp of professional terminology.

As part of the program application, you’ll have a Skype interview with the program sponsor. The interview is used to assess your French language level, your motivation for joining the program, and your expectations. If your French level is insufficient, the sponsor may require you to take a mandatory French course before the internship begins. You’ll be required to complete that course upon arrival in France, before starting the internship.

After signing the agreement at IEC, you’ll need to pay a registration fee of €330 within 7 calendar days. The second installment of the program fee is due within 14 calendar days after your sponsor finds an internship placement and you confirm the job offer.

As part of the internship program, you can stay in France for 2 to 6 months.

In France, you’ll need about €200 per week on average for food and other expenses, and €600–700 per month for housing (depending on the type of accommodation and the length of your stay).

Yes, it’s required. We recommend having at least €1,000 to cover expenses in France.

Accommodation is not included in the program fee. If needed, your program sponsor can help you find housing. You can stay with a host family, in a student dormitory, or in private apartments. A representative of IEC will provide pricing information.

The program sponsor may schedule French language courses, or participants can take them if they wish. Courses are available in Paris, Montpellier, or Nice. The program sponsor sets the course location and duration. Course fees start at €270 per week plus a €250 registration fee.

You can apply with a friend, but the sponsor can’t guarantee you’ll be placed together. When you apply, you’ll need to provide the friend’s first and last name.

The minimum wage in France is €10.03 per hour (about €1,521.22 per month before taxes or €1,227.39 per month after taxes). However, program participants can expect to earn around €600 per month for internships longer than two months.

Under French law, mandatory taxes withheld from salary are not refundable.

Depending on the position and employer, participants work full-time, about 35 hours per week.

You can only travel to the country after you receive your visa. You must send your flight details to the program sponsor as soon as possible, but no later than one month before departure.