French construction sites and mandatory BTP card : major change from 1 April 2024

On 1 April 2024, a major legislative change will come into force in France, which will have a significant impact on the obligation to apply for “BTP cards”, specifically in the context of seconded employees.

• Current regulations:

Currently, the known regulation in force requires that posted employees, active on French construction sites, must possess a professional identification card (the so-called BTP card) issued by the organization "Congés intempéries BTP - Union des caisses de France" by paying a contribution. This card is only valid for the site and the duration of the detachment as stated in the accompanying prior declaration (SIPSI declaration). The BTP card is therefore site- and time-bound, meaning that for each new posting, a new BTP card must be requested per posted employee.

• Regulations as of April 1, 2024:

From April 1, 2024, the validity period of the BTP card will be extended to five years. Between different periods of postings, the BTP card will be deactivated.

• Impact of legislative change:

From April 1, 2024, it will no longer be necessary to request a new BTP card for each new posting, which represents a significant administrative simplification for employers posting their staff to France. Thus, a BTP card will be valid for a period of 5 years and will need to be activated and deactivated for different postings. As a result, a new BTP card will not need to be requested each time.

• Practical:

The practical implementation of this legislative change still needs to be further defined by the relevant authorities. As soon as the details are known, we will inform you additionally about this.

The French "Ministry of Labor, Employment and Insertion" has updated document issued to be given to the employee, informing them of their rights during temporary employment in France. We can send you this on request to info@rfn.fr.