You're starting an apprenticeship at the 2026 back-to-school? One mandatory step awaits you before (or just after) your first day at the company: the hiring medical visit. The good news is that you are not an employee like the others: the law protects you more. Here is the step-by-step guide.
In short: every apprentice, whether adult or minor, must take a medical visit before or shortly after being hired. For an adult on a position without specific risks, it is a VIP (Visite d'Information et de Prévention) to be completed within 2 months. For a minor or a night worker, the VIP takes place before being assigned to the position. For a position with specific risks or regulated work, it is a fitness-for-work exam with the occupational physician, before starting work. The employer covers everything: paid visit time, travel costs covered, visit paid through the SPST contribution. Since decree no. 2026-503 of 12 June 2026, the return-to-work visit after a sick leave is no longer required if a pre-return visit took place within the 30 days before the return and concluded that no accommodation was needed.
Who is concerned by the hiring medical visit?
Every apprentice, without exception, takes at least one visit before the end of their second month of contract execution. The Labour Code distinguishes two regimes:
- The standard rule: the VIP (Visite d'Information et de Prévention), to be completed within 2 months of being hired for an apprentice. It is conducted by an occupational health professional (physician, nurse, intern). If you are a minor or a night worker, it must take place before you are assigned to your position.
- The reinforced regime: the fitness-for-work medical exam (suivi
individuel renforcé, SIR), to be taken before starting the position. It
is mandatory if:
- you are a minor apprentice assigned to regulated work (under exemption);
- you hold a position with specific risks (asbestos, lead, carcinogenic agents, ionising radiation, erecting and dismantling scaffolding, etc.).
The fitness-for-work exam must be carried out by the occupational physician — not by a nurse. To learn more, the official Service-Public.fr page on the apprenticeship contract details the apprentice's medical visits.
What deadlines must be met for the 2026 back-to-school?
| Apprentice situation | Legal deadline | Type of visit |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, position without specific risk | Within 2 months of being hired | VIP |
| Minor or night worker, no position with specific risks | Before starting the position | VIP |
| Position with specific risks or regulated work (minor) | Before starting the position | Fitness-for-work exam (SIR) |
| Regular employee (reminder) | 3 months | VIP |
The shortened 2-month deadline for adult apprentices is a stronger protection compared to the standard rule (3 months for a regular employee). It is a specific apprenticeship rule, often overlooked.
For contracts starting in September 2026, this means concretely that the VIP must take place no later than the end of October 2026. Many employers prefer to schedule it in the first weeks, alongside the onboarding, so they don't forget about it.
Who pays for and organises the visit?
The employer is responsible for organising it. In practice:
- As soon as you are hired, the employer contacts your SPST (Service de Prévention et de Santé au Travail), formerly called the "occupational medicine service", so that the visit takes place within the legal deadline.
- The SPST summons the apprentice; the visit is carried out by the occupational physician or another health professional from the service.
- In areas where occupational physicians are in short supply, a médecin praticien correspondant (a local physician linked to the SPST by a protocol) can take part in the follow-up, except for reinforced medical follow-up.
- If you are in a situation of disability, you are referred to the occupational physician and receive adapted follow-up — feel free to consult our article on apprenticeship and disability (RQTH) to learn about your additional rights.
On the cost side, nothing is charged to you: the SPST contribution is fully paid by the employer, the visit time is taken during working hours with no deduction from pay (or paid as working time), and travel time and costs are covered by the employer. As a reminder, you can also find all the financial aid you are entitled to as an apprentice on financial aid.
What is checked during the visit?
The VIP is not an old-fashioned "hiring exam". The goal is to inform you about the risks of your position, spot any potential health issues and guide you if needed. In practice, the health professional:
- reviews your medical history and vaccinations;
- assesses your state of health in relation to the job;
- informs you about occupational risks (noise, chemicals, postures, screens, RPS, etc.);
- raises your awareness about good practices (movements and postures, PPE, hydration, right of withdrawal);
- can refer you to the occupational physician if more in-depth follow-up is needed.
The fitness-for-work exam, more thorough, additionally includes complementary examinations (audiometry, spirometry, vision, etc.) based on the risks of the position. For apprentices in CAP cuisine, BTP (construction), industry or healthcare, for example, some of these exams may be prescribed.
💡 Tip: prepare for your visit by listing your up-to-date vaccinations (notably DTP, hepatitis B for healthcare jobs), your current treatments and your medical history. This speeds up the consultation.
What decree no. 2026-503 of 12 June 2026 changes
Decree no. 2026-503 of 12 June 2026, which sets out the rules for pre-return and return-to-work visits, went relatively unnoticed, but it directly concerns apprentices in case of sick leave. It applies to sick notes issued since 15 June 2026 and avoids, in some cases, a double visit:
- The principle does not change: the return-to-work visit remains mandatory after an absence of at least 30 days due to a work accident or at least 60 days due to illness or a non-work-related accident (as well as after an occupational disease or maternity leave).
- New: if the employee had a pre-return visit within the 30 days before returning to work and the occupational physician concluded that no accommodation was needed, the return-to-work visit is no longer required — unless the occupational physician, the employer or the employee requests it.
In practice, for an apprentice returning after a long sick leave, it means one less formality and a smoother return to work. The periodic follow-up is unchanged: the VIP is renewed every 5 years maximum (3 years maximum for disabled workers and night workers); under reinforced follow-up, the fitness-for-work exam is renewed at least every 4 years, with an intermediate visit no later than 2 years after.
What to do if the visit is not scheduled?
If you notice, after being hired, that the medical visit is not planned within the deadline:
- Follow up with your employer (by email, to keep a record). The employer is the one who must contact the SPST.
- Contact the SPST directly, with your apprenticeship contract.
- Refer yourself to the occupational physician on your own initiative: the law allows you to request a visit at any time, without having to justify your request.
- As a last resort, alert the labour inspectorate or your CFA: an employer who fails to meet the visit obligation is liable to a sanction, and the CFA has every interest in seeing the formal requirement fulfilled.
⚠️ The absence of a medical visit does not prevent you from working, but it puts your employer in breach. Keep a record of it.
In short: your rights at a glance
- The VIP is mandatory within 2 months for an adult apprentice on a position without specific risk.
- For minors and night workers, the VIP takes place before being assigned to the position.
- The fitness-for-work exam is mandatory before starting the position for positions with specific risks and regulated work.
- Everything is covered by the employer: paid visit time, travel costs covered, free visit.
- You can request one yourself at any time with the occupational physician.
- For sick notes issued since 15 June 2026 (decree no. 2026-503 of 12 June 2026), the return-to-work visit is no longer required if a pre-return visit with no accommodation took place within the 30 days before the return.
To go further, also prepare your company search and your salary simulator in parallel: the medical visit is only one step among others in the 2026 back-to-school.