Between weeks at the company, classes at the CFA and exams, work-study students often wonder how much time off they can actually take. Good news: they get the same leave as any other employee, plus a few specific rights that few people know about.
In short: an apprentice earns 2.5 working days of paid leave per month, i.e. 30 working days (5 weeks) per year, CFA time included. The CFA's school holidays are not leave: you are expected at the company. On top of this come 5 paid working days to revise for the exam (to be taken in the month before the exams) and, for under-21s, the right to request 30 days of leave even without having earned them all — the extra days then being unpaid. Leave is taken during company periods, with the employer's agreement, and any leave left at the end of the contract is paid out.
How many days of paid leave does a work-study student earn?
An apprentice is a fully fledged employee (article L6222-23 of the French Labour Code). They therefore earn 2.5 working days of paid leave per month of actual work, up to 30 working days per year, i.e. 5 weeks (article L3141-3). The rule is identical on a professionalisation contract.
Four points make all the difference in the calculation:
- time spent at the CFA is actual working time (article L6222-24): it is paid and earns leave, just like the weeks at the company;
- working days (jours ouvrables) run from Monday to Saturday (excluding public holidays): a week's holiday therefore uses up 6 days, not 5;
- the reference period normally runs from 1 June to 31 May, unless a company or industry agreement says otherwise;
- leave can be taken from the start of employment (article L3141-12), without waiting a year, and a total that is not a whole number is rounded up to the next day (article L3141-7).
For a contract starting at the beginning of the academic year, here is what you will have earned by the following 31 May:
| Contract start | Months worked by 31 May | Working days earned |
|---|---|---|
| 1 September 2026 | 9 months | 23 days (22.5 rounded up) |
| 1 October 2026 | 8 months | 20 days |
| Full year | 12 months | 30 days |
Since the law of 22 April 2024, sick leave no longer wipes out all your rights: it earns 2 working days of leave per month (up to 24 days a year), and a workplace accident the usual 2.5 days.
To understand how your base salary is calculated according to your age and your year of contract, read our guide understanding your pay in an apprenticeship.
Are CFA holidays paid leave?
No, and this is the source of most misunderstandings. When the CFA closes for All Saints', Christmas or the winter break, you are not on holiday: you are expected at the company. The work-study rhythm is a teaching rhythm, not a leave calendar. Conversely, you never take leave on a day scheduled at the CFA: training is compulsory.
| Situation | Status | Paid? | Uses up leave? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week of classes at the CFA | Actual working time | Yes | No |
| CFA school holidays | Days at the company | Yes | No |
| Approved paid leave | Leave | Yes | Yes |
| 5 revision days (apprentice) | Special leave | Yes | No |
The 5-day leave to revise for your exams
This is the most valuable and least known right. Article L6222-35 of the Labour Code grants apprentices 5 additional working days of leave to prepare directly for the exams of the diploma or qualification covered by their contract. The rules:
- it falls in the month before the exams;
- the salary is maintained;
- it comes on top of paid leave, the under-21 leave and the training time set out in the contract;
- if the CFA organises specific preparation classes during this period, the apprentice must attend them;
- it is a right: the employer cannot refuse it, only the date is open to discussion.
Be careful: this leave is specific to the apprenticeship contract. On a professionalisation contract, it only exists if the collective agreement provides for it. Request it in writing, attaching your exam notice, and make real use of it. To plan your dates, see our updates on the BTS 2026 results and the bac 2026 dates.
Under 21: extended leave rights
Many apprentices start in September: by the following summer, they do not yet have their full 5 weeks. Article L3164-9 protects them: employees under 21 on 30 April of the previous year can, if they ask, take 30 working days of leave, even without having earned them. Days taken beyond the rights earned are not paid, but the employer cannot refuse the principle: they only keep control over the dates.
On top of this come 2 additional working days of leave per dependent child (article L3141-8) for under-21s; above that age, these days also exist, but within a limit of 30 days in total.
| Type of leave | Duration | Paid? |
|---|---|---|
| Paid leave (any work-study student) | 2.5 days/month, i.e. 30 working days/year | Yes |
| Exam revision (L6222-35) | 5 working days before the exams | Yes |
| Under-21 leave (L3164-9) | Up to 30 working days in total | Not beyond the rights earned |
| Dependent child (L3141-8) | 2 working days per child | Yes |
How do you book your leave properly on a work-study contract?
The employer sets the order of departures according to the collective agreement or, failing that, taking into account family situation and length of service in particular (article L3141-16). They announce the leave period at least two months before it opens and can no longer change your dates in the month before you leave, except in exceptional circumstances.
A few useful habits:
- Get the CFA calendar at the start of the year and go through it with your mentor: your leave fits into the company periods.
- Ask in writing (a dated email is enough) and as early as possible.
- Plan ahead for the annual closure: the employer can impose your leave during a summer or end-of-year shutdown. If your rights are not enough, read our article on the company's annual closure.
- Check your balance every month on your payslip (days earned, taken and remaining).
- Read your collective agreement: it may provide extra days. And if you take part of your main leave outside the 1 May to 31 October period, you may be entitled to 1 or 2 split-leave days (jours de fractionnement, article L3141-23).
Public holidays that are days off in the company are not deducted from your leave, and 1 May is a paid day off for everyone. Apprentices who are minors do not, in principle, work on public holidays, except in certain sectors (hotels and restaurants, bakeries…). Leave for family events (for example 4 days for a marriage or a PACS civil partnership, 3 days for a birth or the death of a parent, brother or sister) is paid and is not deducted from your paid leave either.
What if your employer refuses your leave?
A one-off, justified refusal of certain dates is legal; systematically preventing an employee from taking their leave is not. The steps to follow:
- Put your request in writing again, suggesting two alternative periods.
- Alert your contact at the CFA, the natural mediator in the relationship.
- Refer the matter to the apprenticeship mediator at the chamber of commerce or trade (CCI, chambre de métiers, chambre d'agriculture), a free remedy provided for by article L6222-39.
- As a last resort, contact the labour inspectorate (inspection du travail).
How much is a day of leave worth, and what happens to the balance at the end of the contract?
During your leave, the employer applies whichever method is more favourable: salary maintenance or the one-tenth rule (1/10 of the gross pay for the reference period). For a work-study student whose percentage of the SMIC (French minimum wage) rises during the year, the one-tenth rule is sometimes more advantageous.
At the end of the contract, whether it runs its full course or is terminated, leave earned but not taken gives rise to a payment in lieu of paid leave (indemnité compensatrice de congés payés, article L3141-28), paid with the final settlement. Check this line: it is regularly forgotten. Our article on terminating an apprenticeship contract covers the rest of the procedure, and our pay calculator helps you estimate your pay.
These rights are part of a broader set: also review the financial aid available, and if you are still looking for your contract, browse the work-study offers.
In short: an apprentice is no worse off than any other employee — quite the opposite. Five weeks of paid leave, five days dedicated to passing the exam and a safety net for under-21s: enough to catch your breath without putting your diploma at risk.