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CDI and CDD: The Two Contract Types Explained
Read the employment relationship, not just the acronym
Two letters near the end of a French job advertisement can change the questions you need to ask. A CDI and a CDD are not simply “a good job” and “a less good job,” nor do they tell you everything about hours, pay or working conditions. They describe different structures for the employment relationship.
This introduction concerns ordinary private-sector employment in France. Public-service contracts, self-employment, agency arrangements and specialised contracts need their own guidance. It explains the vocabulary and offers a practical reading method; it does not decide whether an individual contract is lawful or tell someone how to end it.
L’Atelier d’Éline in Saint-Maurice-de-Beynost, photographed on 5 March 2022. A workplace’s appearance does not identify anyone’s contract type; this image supplies a setting, not evidence of the business’s employment arrangements. Photograph: Benoît Prieur, original photograph, CC0 1.0, unaltered. Incidental branding is not an endorsement.
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CDI: no predetermined end, not a promise of employment forever
A contrat à durée indéterminée is an employment contract without a predetermined duration. Service Public describes the CDI as the normal form of recruitment unless an employer can justify using another permitted arrangement. It can nevertheless end through legally regulated routes, including resignation, dismissal or an agreed termination mechanism where applicable. “Indeterminate” therefore refers to duration, not an absence of rules or a guarantee that nothing can change.
For a reader comparing offers, the useful question is not merely “Is it a CDI?” It is also: which role, working time, pay, location and applicable collective agreement are actually proposed? A contract label cannot answer those questions for you.
CDD: a temporary purpose matters as well as a finishing point
A contrat à durée déterminée is a fixed-term employment arrangement. The current official CDD guidance says it must serve a precise, temporary task and state the reason for its use. Examples of authorised situations include replacing an absent employee, a temporary increase in activity or seasonal work. It must not be used to fill a permanent role in the employer’s normal continuing activity merely by repeatedly calling it temporary.
“Fixed-term” does not always mean that one calendar date supplies the whole answer. INSEE’s definition distinguishes a precise end date from an event-based end in certain circumstances, such as replacing an absent employee, with a minimum duration in that latter case. Read the actual end condition rather than filling in a date from assumption.
That distinction is practical. If a document refers to a replacement, ask where the reason, minimum duration and relevant ending condition are recorded. If it gives a date, distinguish that date from any separate renewal wording. An informal hope of continuation is not the same thing as a confirmed arrangement.
Written documents: a common oversimplification
It is tempting to say that every employment contract follows the same paperwork rule. The official explanation of written contracts is more specific: a CDD must be written; a part-time CDI must also be written. A full-time CDI generally does not require a written contract, although a collective agreement can require one. That does not make written terms unimportant or remove other employer information obligations. Ask for clear documentation instead of interpreting the absence of one particular sheet as the answer to every question.
Keep the distinction between what was advertised, what was said in conversation and what the actual employment documents provide. If the versions differ, preserve them and ask a precise question before relying on the more favourable wording.
A five-question reading card
The following is an original reading aid, not a legal checklist that certifies a contract. Use it to organise a conversation with an employer or adviser.
| Read for | What to record | A useful question when unclear | |---|---|---| | Contract structure | CDI, CDD or another named arrangement | Which legal arrangement is being proposed? | | Work itself | Role, place and working-time description | Which document contains the agreed details? | | Duration | Start; end date or event if relevant | What exactly determines the end or continuation? | | CDD purpose, if applicable | The stated temporary reason | Where is the reason and relevant condition recorded? | | Applicable terms | Pay basis, trial-period wording and collective agreement reference | Which provisions should I read alongside this document? |
Do not invent an answer in a blank cell. “Not yet supplied” is more useful than a guess. Keep gross and net pay descriptions separate, and do not treat a monthly figure as comparable until you understand the working-time basis.
The card also prevents a different mistake: assuming that CDI means full-time, or that CDD necessarily means a few hours a week. Duration and working time are different questions. Read both rather than letting the acronym stand in for the whole offer.
Leaving is not the same procedure in both cases
A CDD is not simply a CDI with a date attached. Service Public’s end-of-CDD guidance explains that early termination outside a trial period is restricted to specified situations, including agreement between the parties or a qualifying move to a CDI, among others. Applicable formalities and notice can matter. Do not assume an ordinary resignation letter is the correct route for a CDD.
The same guidance explains that an end-of-contract payment has exceptions; it should not be treated as automatic income in every case. If departure, renewal or a proposed CDI is under discussion, obtain advice based on the actual documents rather than relying on a slogan about the contract type. This article does not calculate compensation, notice or unemployment entitlement.
Two fictional situations, two different next questions
Nora sees “CDI” in an advertisement but cannot identify the working-time arrangement in the offer. Her next question is about the hours and terms, not about inventing an end date. She saves the advertisement and asks where the agreed details will be recorded. The indefinite duration does not resolve a missing schedule or unclear pay basis.
Samir receives a CDD described as covering an absence. His next question is where the replacement reason, minimum duration and ending condition appear. He should not substitute a colleague’s prediction of a return date for the contract’s actual terms. If he later receives another job offer, he needs to check the relevant departure rules before promising a start date elsewhere.
Neither example proves a contract valid or invalid. The point is to turn a vague impression into a question linked to a document.
Keep a small, accurate evidence set
Retain the offer, signed documents and amendments, relevant correspondence and pay records securely. Mark your own notes as notes. Record the date of an oral explanation without presenting your recollection as an agreed written clause. Avoid sharing unrelated personal information when asking for advice.
If something seems inconsistent, a useful question is: “This document says X, while the offer says Y; which term applies, and where is it confirmed?” That is clearer than asking whether all CDDs or all CDIs are “safe.” For an actual dispute or a proposed termination, consult an appropriate qualified adviser; the official pages below are a starting point, not a personalised decision.
CDI and CDD are therefore best understood as the first branch in reading a job offer. After that branch come the details that determine everyday working life: what work, under which terms, for what duration, and with which documented next steps.
Sources and scope
Official Service Public pages F1906, F36, F15635 and F40, and INSEE’s definition, checked remotely on 29 October 2026. INSEE’s older definition is used only for the precise-term/event-based-term distinction, not current renewal limits or maximum duration. No numerical deadline, compensation or benefit calculation is supplied. The reading card and fictional examples are original editorial tools, not official forms or legal advice.