French Paid Leave Request Letter — Employee Template
Template letter for an employee to formally request paid leave from their employer in France, kept as written proof of the request.
How many paid leave days am I entitled to take in 2026?
Under art. L3141-3 of the Code du travail, you accrue 2.5 jours ouvrables (working days on a six-day week) per month of effective work — 30 working days (five weeks) for a full reference period, generally 1 June to 31 May or the calendar year depending on your company agreement. The main continuous block cannot exceed 24 jours ouvrables taken at once (art. L3141-17 C. trav.); your fifth week must be taken separately.
Source: Service-public.fr — Paid leave: accrual and entitlements (conges payes du salarie) · updated 2026
About this form
A demande de congés payés (paid annual leave request letter) is the written document through which an employee formally asks their employer for permission to take accrued paid leave. Under French labour law (Code du travail, art. L3141-3), every employee accrues 2.5 jours ouvrables — working days counted on a six-day week, Monday to Saturday — per month of effective work, totalling 30 working days (five weeks) for a full reference year. The employer controls the order and scheduling of departures and may refuse or postpone a request for operational reasons. A written request submitted by email with acknowledgement of receipt, or delivered against a signed receipt, creates a dated paper trail proving both the request and the employer's response. The main holiday block, up to 24 jours ouvrables, must ordinarily fall between 1 May and 31 October (art. L3141-13 C. trav.), unless a collective agreement (convention collective) or company-level agreement provides otherwise.
Worked example
Camille, a sales assistant hired on 1 June 2025, has completed 11 full months of work by 30 April 2026: 11 x 2.5 = 27.5, rounded up to 28 jours ouvrables accrued (art. L3141-3 C. trav.). On 15 March 2026, she emails her manager with acknowledgement of receipt: 'Paid Leave Request — I am requesting 12 jours ouvrables from Monday 3 August to Monday 17 August 2026 inclusive.' Note: 15 August (Assumption, a statutory public holiday observed in the workplace) is not counted as a leave day (art. L3141-26 C. trav.), so the period from 3 to 17 August represents exactly 12 effective jours ouvrables, with a return to work on Tuesday 18 August. Her manager replies by email on 20 March — the dated exchange constitutes proof of agreement and secures Camille's departure without any risk of disciplinary consequence.
How to fill out the form
- Check your accrued leave balance on your most recent pay slip (the 'conges payes' line) and count the jours ouvrables available before fixing your dates.
- Review the departure schedule, the main leave window (1 May to 31 October), and the notice period required by your collective agreement (convention collective) or company agreement.
- Draft the written request: your name, job title and department; the subject; precise dates (from... to... inclusive); the number of jours ouvrables; and a request for written confirmation of approval.
- Submit the request via a traceable method — email with acknowledgement of receipt or a letter delivered against a signed receipt — to create dated, verifiable proof.
- Wait for written approval before booking travel; if your employer refuses or postpones, ask for the reason in writing and keep all correspondence in case of a later dispute.
Good to know
- Never leave without written approval. Taking leave without your employer's confirmed sign-off counts as unauthorised absence, which can lead to disciplinary action or even dismissal for misconduct — regardless of how many days you have accrued.
- Fractionnement bonus (art. L3141-19 C. trav.): if you take part of your main leave between 1 November and 30 April, you may earn extra days — 2 bonus days for 6+ working days outside the main window, 1 bonus day for 3 to 5 days — unless waived by agreement.
- Know the day-count rule: France counts leave in jours ouvrables (6-day week, Mon-Sat). A Saturday within your leave period counts as a leave day, but statutory public holidays that are non-working days in your workplace are never deducted as leave days (art. L3141-26 C. trav.), even on a Saturday.
Frequently asked questions
How many paid leave days am I entitled to take in 2026?
Under art. L3141-3 of the Code du travail, you accrue 2.5 jours ouvrables (working days on a six-day week) per month of effective work — 30 working days (five weeks) for a full reference period, generally 1 June to 31 May or the calendar year depending on your company agreement. The main continuous block cannot exceed 24 jours ouvrables taken at once (art. L3141-17 C. trav.); your fifth week must be taken separately.
Can my employer refuse my paid leave request?
Yes. Your employer sets the schedule and order of departures and may refuse or postpone a request for operational reasons, provided the refusal is not abusive or discriminatory. Outside exceptional circumstances, the employer cannot modify agreed dates less than one month before the planned departure (art. L3141-16 C. trav.). Always request a written response — if refused, ask for the stated reason in writing and keep the full correspondence.
How far in advance must I submit my paid leave request?
French law sets no single statutory notice period for employees; you must follow the timeline set by your collective agreement (convention collective), company agreement, or established practice — typically one month. The employer, however, must communicate the departure schedule at least one month before leave begins (art. L3141-16 C. trav.). Submitting a written request well in advance protects you if a dispute arises later.
Do I accrue paid leave while on sick leave?
Yes, since Law no. 2024-364 of 22 April 2024 (art. L3141-5-1 C. trav.). During absence due to non-occupational illness, you accrue 2 jours ouvrables per month of absence, capped at 24 jours ouvrables per year. For a workplace accident or occupational illness, accrual remains the full 2.5 jours ouvrables per month with no annual cap (art. L3141-5 C. trav.).
What happens to unused paid leave at 31 May 2026?
As a general rule, leave not taken by the end of the reference period is forfeited. Exceptions include carry-over agreed by a company-level agreement, carry-over linked to sick leave or maternity leave, or situations where the employer prevented you from taking your leave. Keep written proof of all requests: if the employer blocked your leave, they may be required to pay financial compensation instead.
What should a paid leave request letter contain?
Keep it brief. Include your full name, job title and department; the subject line 'Paid Leave Request'; the requested dates (from... to... inclusive); the number of jours ouvrables; a request for written confirmation; the date and your signature. Send it by email with acknowledgement of receipt or hand-deliver it against a signed receipt to create a dated, traceable record.
Official sources
Updated on 2026-06-27
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