FRA9 · 01/09/2026 · Business & work
Mutual termination and unemployment benefits in France in 2026
The new ARE duration after mutual termination, eligibility, calculation, waiting periods and France Travail registration.
The new ARE duration after mutual termination, eligibility, calculation, waiting periods and France Travail registration.
Find the actual contract-end date first
The new maximum depends on when the contract ends, not when the agreement is signed.
Earlier duration rules
A contract ending before 1 September keeps the previous age ceilings.
Maximum 15 months
Mainland ceiling; the work record may produce a shorter right.
Maximum 20.5 months
Mainland ceiling; collective mutual termination is excluded.
Calculate before signing
- 01Actual contract-end date
- 02Statutory and extra severance
- 03Leave and specific deferrals
- 04France Travail employer certificate
- 05Residence and health effects
Most asked questions
Who is affected by the 1 September 2026 change?
It covers new or reloaded ARE rights after an individual mutual termination whose contract actually ends on or after 1 September 2026 in mainland France. Collective mutual-termination schemes are outside this rule.
How long can ARE last after mutual termination?
The mainland maximum is 15 months below age 55 and 20.5 months from age 55. In overseas territories other than Mayotte the respective maxima are 20 and 30 months; an individual record can produce a shorter entitlement.
Does the signature date or contract-end date decide the rule?
The decisive date is the actual contract-end date written in the agreement, not the signature or approval date. A contract ending before 1 September 2026 remains under the earlier duration rules.
Does ARE start immediately after mutual termination?
Not necessarily. A specific deferral for above-statutory severance, a paid-leave deferral and the seven-day waiting period can apply in sequence. They postpone the first payment without consuming entitlement days.
Does unemployment benefit extend a foreign worker’s residence permit?
No. ARE entitlement does not automatically renew a residence permit. A foreign worker must separately check the validity, renewal conditions and effect of job loss for the exact status through ANEF or Service Public.
What changed on 1 September 2026?
The maximum ARE period after an individual mutual termination was shortened in mainland France from 1 September 2026. The rule turns on the date the employment contract actually ends, not the day the agreement is signed or approved. A contract ending before that date remains under the earlier durations; one ending on or after it uses the new limits. Collective mutual-termination schemes are excluded, and the maximum is not an automatic award for every claimant.
New maximum duration by age and territory
In mainland France, the maximum for a contract ending on or after 1 September 2026 is 15 months below age 55 and 20.5 months from age 55. In overseas territories other than Mayotte, the respective caps are 20 and 30 months. Under the previous mainland arrangement, ages 55–56 could reach 22.5 months and age 57 or over 27 months. These are ceilings: actual insured work, age and the circumstances in which rights open can produce a shorter entitlement.
Three elements that did not change
Mutual termination is a jointly agreed route for ending a permanent CDI and normally requires administrative approval; once valid it can count as involuntary job loss for unemployment insurance. Unédic states that the 1 September reform does not alter the ARE calculation method or the mechanisms that delay the first payment. The main change is the maximum duration. Eligibility, reference-pay calculations and France Travail controls still apply to the individual file.
Work-history and registration conditions
The general entry condition is at least six months of insured work in the relevant reference period; since 1 April 2026 the threshold can be five months for a genuine first-time claimant. The reference window is normally the previous 24 months below age 55 and 36 months from age 55. The claimant must also meet conditions on involuntary job loss, ability and availability for work, active search, residence in France and France Travail registration. Use the employer certificate for an individual simulation rather than assuming entitlement.
How the daily allowance is calculated
France Travail first establishes the salaire journalier de référence, or SJR, from insured gross pay and the calendar span between the first and last contract in the reference period. ARE is calculated from that daily reference under statutory formulas, floors and caps; since 2025 monthly payment is based on a fixed 30 compensable days. Special salary reconstruction can apply to sickness, maternity and certain reduced-pay periods. Only the official simulator and award notice can settle a personal amount.
Why the first payment can be delayed
Payment need not start the day the contract ends. Above-statutory severance can create a specific deferral, calculated in 2026 by dividing the relevant amount by 111.8 and generally capped at 150 days. A separate paid-leave deferral can add up to 30 days, followed by the seven-day waiting period when it has not already applied in the previous 12 months. The delays may run in sequence and move the first payment date, but they do not consume the awarded entitlement days.
Registration order and documents to retain
Registration with France Travail can begin the day after the contract ends and should normally be completed within 12 months. Keep the employer certificate, identity and bank details, social-security information, payslips, termination agreement and approval trace. Registration opens the allowance claim, but it does not make payment automatic. Complete the monthly status update in the stated 28th-to-15th window and declare every new job, sickness period, training course or business activity.
Residence and work rights for a foreign employee
ARE entitlement and immigration status are separate files. Unemployment benefit does not automatically extend a VLS-TS or residence permit, and a document may carry employer, occupation or status conditions. After job loss, check the permit expiry, renewal route and whether a future employer needs a new work authorisation through ANEF and Service Public. Retain contracts, permit decisions, payslips, France Travail records and evidence of active job search together.
Returning to work, other income and the next decision
A short or lower-paid return to work can, within the applicable limits, be combined with part of ARE; accurate declarations matter for both payment and possible reloading of rights. Someone starting a micro-business should distinguish continued monthly ARE from the ARCE capital option. Do not sign a mutual termination on a duration figure alone: compare severance, first payable date, health and residence consequences, realistic re-employment prospects and the actual household budget in one decision table.
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