At the cinema box office or the university restaurant till, many apprentices are still told that they "are not students". The vocational student card exists precisely to solve this problem — provided you know what it really does, and what it doesn't.
In short: the carte d'étudiant des métiers (vocational student card) is provided for by article L. 6222-36-1 of the French Labour Code for all apprentices, with no condition of age or contract length, and by article L. 6325-6-2 for employees on a professionalisation contract aged 16 to 25 who are preparing a qualification registered in the RNCP with a professionalisation programme lasting at least 12 months. It is issued by the training body within 30 days of enrolment (apprentices) or of the contract being signed (professionalisation contracts). It gives access to the price reductions granted to students by the organisations that offer them — including, since 4 May 2026, the €1 meal in Crous restaurants. It does not, however, confer grant-holding student status: a work-study trainee remains an employee.
What exactly is the vocational student card?
It is the national document proving your status as an apprentice (or eligible work-study trainee) at ticket offices, box offices and Crous services.
The "étudiant des métiers" wording was introduced by Act no. 2011-893 of 28 July 2011 on the development of work-study training, replacing the former apprentice card. Article L. 6222-36-1 is short and clear:
"A card bearing the words 'Etudiant des métiers' is issued to the apprentice by the body providing their training. This card allows the apprentice to assert, throughout the national territory, the specific nature of their status with third parties, in particular with a view to accessing price reductions identical to those enjoyed by higher education students." — article L. 6222-36-1 of the Labour Code (our translation)
The template is national. It is set by the order of 30 December 2011 on the vocational student card: 86 × 54 mm format (the size of a bank card), the holder's photo and the logo of the ministry responsible for vocational training. Article D. 6222-44 of the Labour Code lists the mandatory information:
- on the front: your photo, the start and end dates of the training, your surname, first name, date of birth and signature, the words "Carte d'étudiant des métiers" and "This card is strictly personal", and the ministry logo;
- on the back: the name, address and phone number of the training institution, and the surname, first name and signature of its director.
Who is entitled to the vocational student card in 2026?
The scope is often misrepresented. Here is what the texts actually say.
| Situation | Vocational student card? | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice on an apprenticeship contract (CAP, bac pro, BTS, bachelor's, master's, engineering…) | Yes, with no condition of age or length | Art. L. 6222-36-1 |
| Professionalisation contract, aged 16-25 inclusive, RNCP qualification, professionalisation programme of at least 12 months | Yes | Art. L. 6325-6-2 |
| Professionalisation contract signed at 26 or over (jobseeker, recipient of minimum social benefits) | No, this group is not covered | Art. L. 6325-6-2 and L. 6325-1 |
| Professionalisation contract aiming at a qualification not registered in the RNCP, or programme under 12 months | No | Art. L. 6325-6-2 |
| Intern on a work placement agreement | No (covered by their institution's card) | — |
Two common beliefs are therefore wrong. For apprentices, the law sets no minimum contract length: an apprentice on a one-year contract is entitled to it just as much as one on a six-month contract. And professionalisation contracts are not excluded: they are covered as soon as the three conditions of article L. 6325-6-2 are met.
A work-study trainee enrolled at a university or a school in addition to their CFA may also hold two cards: the vocational student card and their institution's card. There is no incompatibility. Just remember to protect them: a rigid RFID card holder saves you from finding a cracked card at the bottom of your bag.
Who issues the card, how quickly and at what cost?
The standard process
You have no formal application to submit: it is up to the training body to act.
- You sign your contract and the training body registers your enrolment.
- It will generally ask you for a passport-style photo (head uncovered, as the template requires): provide it quickly, as it is often what delays printing.
- It gives you the card within 30 days of enrolment if you are an apprentice (article D. 6222-42), or of the contract being signed if you are on a professionalisation contract (article D. 6325-29).
As for cost, you have nothing to pay. For professionalisation contracts, article D. 6325-29 states that the card is issued free of charge. For apprentices, the Labour Code lays down the principle that training is free for the apprentice (article L. 6211-1), and no text provides for any fee for the card.
Is there a digital version?
The regulatory template describes a physical card; any digital version depends on your institution. At the Crous, what matters most is your phone, since the student rate goes through the Izly app: a compact power bank stops you paying full price because your battery is flat.
How long is it valid?
The card is valid throughout France (article D. 6222-43) and shows the start and end dates of your training: that period is what counts, not the calendar year. Many institutions nevertheless reissue the card for each year of training. Check the printed dates at the start of each year: an expired card will understandably be refused.
What should you do if the CFA doesn't give you the card?
This is the most common situation, and the easiest to resolve:
- Email your CFA's student office, citing article L. 6222-36-1 of the Labour Code (or L. 6325-6-2 for a professionalisation contract) and the 30-day deadline. Something in writing is worth more than a word in the corridor.
- Follow up a week later, copying in the institution's management.
- Let your employer or apprenticeship supervisor know: they are in regular contact with the CFA and can back up your request.
- If the deadlock persists, you can report the situation to the DREETS for your region, whose departments oversee training bodies.
In the meantime, ask for an enrolment certificate stating your status. Some organisations accept it together with an identity document, but nothing obliges them to: it is a stopgap, not an equivalent of the card. Keep all your written exchanges.
What happens to the card if the contract is terminated?
The card follows the contract. If the apprenticeship contract is terminated, article D. 6222-42 provides that it is handed back to the training institution, which destroys it; the same rule applies to professionalisation contracts (article D. 6325-29). If you then sign a new contract, a new card must be issued to you within the same 30-day deadline. To find out about your other rights in this situation, see our guide to terminating an apprenticeship contract.
Which discounts does the card really give in 2026?
One essential point first: the card does not create any discount by itself. It proves your status to organisations that offer a student rate. Where such a rate exists, you can ask for it; where it doesn't, the card changes nothing.
| Area | What applies with the card | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Crous restaurants and cafeterias | €1 meal since 4 May 2026 (main course + up to 2 sides) | Active Izly account required, one €1 meal per service |
| Crous residences | Access possible for apprentices | Subject to availability |
| Urban and regional transport | "Student" or "youth" fares specific to each network | Some fares depend on age alone |
| Cinema, theatre, concerts, museums | Student rate wherever it is offered | Free entry and discounts are sometimes age-based, not status-based |
| Sport and leisure | Student rates at facilities that offer them | Fares set by each town or club |
| Software and online services | "Education" offers from some publishers | Eligibility conditions specific to each offer |
The Crous: the €1 meal open to apprentices
This is the most tangible benefit in 2026. Since 4 May 2026, the €1 meal has been offered to all students in Crous restaurants, and the information published by the Crous network and Service-Public.fr expressly names holders of a vocational student card (apprentices and work-study trainees). The meal includes a main course and at most two sides (starter, cheese, dessert, fruit…), once per service. Essential condition: an activated Izly account, otherwise your status is not recognised at the till and the normal rate applies.
On company days, the university restaurant is often too far away. As an employee, an apprentice receives meal vouchers if the company gives them to its staff. Failing that, an insulated lunch box remains the cheapest option.
Transport: rules set locally
Each network and each region sets its own fares: some reduced fares are reserved for students and pupils (the card then serves as proof), others depend solely on age. Check with your network before buying a pass. The reduction can be combined with the employer's mandatory 50% contribution towards your public transport pass (articles L. 3261-2 and R. 3261-1 of the Labour Code), calculated on the price actually paid. The topic is covered in our guide to travel costs during work-study training.
Culture, sport and study tools
Show the card at cinemas, theatres and sports facilities that display a student rate, and for software "education" offers. If your course requires a specific tool — a graphing calculator, an office suite — look for an education rate before ordering.
Vocational student card or student status: what's the difference?
This is the most common misunderstanding. A work-study trainee is an employee: they have an employment contract, earn a wage (estimate yours with the pay calculator) and are covered by social security as an employee. The card opens up student rates, not the aid reserved for students. In practice:
- No Crous grant: an apprentice or work-study trainee cannot receive the means-tested grant, the annual specific allowance or one-off specific aid.
- The CVEC may be due: apprentices enrolled in initial training at a higher education institution must pay this student and campus life contribution (€105 for 2026-2027); professionalisation contracts, which fall under continuing education, are not concerned.
- Housing goes through other schemes: CAF housing benefit (APL) subject to means testing, the Visale guarantee, and Action Logement's Mobili-Jeune aid — €10 to €100 per month, capped at €1,100 per training year, for under-30s employed by a private-sector, non-agricultural company and earning no more than 120% of the SMIC, to be requested between 3 months before and 5 months after the contract starts. Everything is explained in our article on apprentice housing.
- The €500 driving licence grant no longer exists: it was abolished by the 2026 Finance Act, with effect from 21 February 2026. See the alternatives for funding your licence.
To review the schemes you are actually entitled to, see our financial aid page and our guide to the work-study budget.
Which mistakes should you avoid with your vocational student card?
- Not checking the dates. The card shows your training dates: if it has expired or your institution reissues it every year, ask for the new one at the start of term.
- Forgetting to activate Izly. Without an active Izly account, no €1 meal at the Crous, even with the card in hand.
- Thinking it replaces an identity document. For an exam, an identity check or an administrative procedure, your identity card remains essential.
- Not showing it. Discounts are rarely automatic: it is up to you to show it. If the person doesn't know the scheme, one sentence is enough: "This is the national vocational student card provided for by the Labour Code."
- Keeping it after a termination. It must be returned to the training institution.
- Neglecting the paper trail. If the CFA is slow, keep your emails: they are your only evidence.
On the organisational side, between weeks at the company and weeks in training, a weekly student planner helps you keep track: start of term, photo to provide, follow-ups, validity dates.
Key takeaways
The vocational student card is a right provided for by the Labour Code for all apprentices and for some professionalisation contracts, issued by the training body within 30 days, free of charge. In 2026, its most tangible benefit is access to the €1 Crous meal; beyond that, it lets you ask for the student rate wherever one exists. Claim it at the start of term if nobody mentions it.
And if you are still looking for a contract, browse the work-study vacancies available, updated continuously.
Official sources: Légifrance (Labour Code, articles L. 6222-36-1, L. 6325-6-2, L. 6211-1, D. 6222-42 to D. 6222-44, D. 6325-29; order of 30 December 2011); Service-Public.fr; Crous network; etudiant.gouv.fr (CVEC FAQ); Action Logement.