This guide is for internationals who have recently moved to France, earn a modest income from work and want to understand the prime d’activité (activity bonus), a monthly supplement to earnings. After reading it, you will know who can claim, which residence conditions apply to foreign nationals, how the amount is worked out and where the claim is made.
- Who can claim the activity bonus
- Conditions for foreign nationals
- How the amount is calculated
- Where and how to apply
- Payments, declarations and appeals
- FAQ
Who can claim the activity bonus
Service-Public, the French government’s official information site, describes the bonus as a supplement to professional income for people with modest resources. Three basic conditions apply to everyone: claimants must be 18 or older, have a professional activity and receive modest earnings. The Service-Public page covers employees and civil servants. Its conditions for foreign nationals cover work done as an employee or on another basis.
One group is excluded outright. A travailleur détaché (posted worker), meaning someone sent temporarily to France by an employer based abroad, has no right to the bonus. French nationals must live in France on a stable and effective basis. For foreign nationals, the residence rules are stricter and depend on nationality and status.
Conditions for foreign nationals
Service-Public sets out two separate sets of rules for foreigners. Nationals of European countries must meet the age and income conditions above. They must also have the right to reside in France and have lived there for at least 3 months at the time of the claim.
Other foreign nationals must meet the age and income conditions and also one of the following:
- holding, for at least 5 years, a titre de séjour (residence permit) that allows them to work in France;
- being a single parent with a dependent child under 3 and holding a residence permit;
- holding a carte de résident (long-term resident card);
- having refugee status;
- being recognised as stateless;
- benefiting from protection subsidiaire (subsidiary protection, a form of international protection).
The 5-year rule matters for most newcomers. A first permit does not open the right to the bonus by itself, even if it allows its holder to work. The paying body decides whether a particular permit counts, and from what date, when it examines the claim. Anyone with a question about their own residence status should contact the prefecture or a migration advice service.
How the amount is calculated
The starting point is the montant forfaitaire (flat-rate base amount), which depends on who is in the household. For a person living alone with no dependants it is €638.28. A couple with no dependants, or a single person with one, has €957.42. A couple with one dependant has €1,148.90, as does a single person with two. A couple with two dependants has €1,340.39. Each additional child or dependant adds €255.31.
Service-Public gives the formula as the flat-rate amount (possibly increased), plus 59.85% of the household’s professional income, plus individual bonuses, minus the household resources taken into account. The flat-rate amount is based on the montant net social (net social amount), a net income figure used for benefit purposes.
Each working member of the household may receive a bonification (individual bonus) based on their average monthly earnings over the last 3 months. It is due when average monthly pay is above €726.29 and rises with income. It reaches €240.63 when average pay is above €1,698.78 and does not rise any further.
Single parents can receive a majoration (increase). A single parent here means someone who is single, divorced, separated or widowed and has dependent children or is pregnant. The increased amount is 128.412% of the base amount, plus 42.804% of the base amount for each child. For a single parent with one child, it is €1,403.33. It can be paid for 12 months, continuous or not, within the 18 months after the triggering event, such as a birth or a separation. If the youngest child is under 3, it is paid until that child’s third birthday. Service-Public links to an online simulator that gives an estimate before applying.
Where and how to apply
The claim is made online through a service run by the Caf (Caisse d’allocations familiales, the family benefits office). People covered by the agricultural scheme apply through the MSA (Mutualité sociale agricole, the farm sector’s social security body) instead. The Service-Public page does not list any required supporting documents, so the Caf or MSA decides what it needs.
Once the Caf has examined and approved the claim, the claimant receives a notice granting the bonus for 3 months. The amount is based on the quarter before payment starts. It stays fixed for those 3 months, even if household resources change.
Payments, declarations and appeals
The bonus is paid from the first day of the month in which the claim was made. It is paid monthly in arrears, so the bonus for March arrives in April. It is not taxable, and amounts under €15 are not paid.
Since 1 March 2025, the déclaration trimestrielle de ressources (quarterly income declaration) comes prefilled with the household’s salaries and other income. Claimants must check and validate these figures and add any other income, such as maintenance payments. The calculation now uses income from two to four months earlier. For example, the March 2025 declaration covers November 2024 to January 2025.
Claimants must tell the Caf about a move or a change in family situation, work, income or assets. When the conditions are no longer met, payments stop from the first day of that month. If too much has been paid, the Caf can reclaim it for up to 2 years by deducting it from future payments.
A decision can be challenged before the Caf’s commission de recours amiable (amicable appeals board) within 2 months of receiving it. If that appeal fails, the case can be taken to the tribunal administratif (administrative court).
FAQ
Can I claim the activity bonus as soon as I arrive in France?
Not straight away. Nationals of European countries need the right to reside and at least 3 months of living in France. Other foreign nationals generally need a residence permit that allows work and that they have held for at least 5 years. The exceptions include refugees and resident card holders.
Are posted workers eligible?
No. Service-Public states that workers temporarily posted to France have no right to the activity bonus, whatever their income.
How much is the activity bonus?
There is no single figure. The amount starts from a flat-rate base, which is €638.28 for a person living alone with no dependants. It adds 59.85% of household earnings and any individual bonuses, then subtracts household resources. The Caf calculates the final amount, and an online simulator gives an estimate.
What happens if my income changes during the 3-month period?
The amount stays fixed for the 3 months covered by each notice. Income changes are picked up through the quarterly declaration. Changes in address, family situation, work or assets must be reported to the Caf promptly.
Sources: service-public.fr
Last verified: 25 October 2026 against the pages linked above. Rules and fees change; the responsible authority always has the final word.
This is general information, not legal or immigration advice. For your own situation, ask the prefecture of your département, a recognised migration advice service or a lawyer (avocat).
Sources
- service-public.fr: Prime d'activité : salarié ou fonctionnaire, accessed 25 October 2026
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