Resignation letter for a French permanent contract (CDI): notice, template, mailing

Quick answer

To resign from a French permanent contract (CDI), no legal form is required — resignation can even be verbal. In practice, though, you need a clear resignation letter, ideally sent by registered letter with return receipt (LRAR). It is the date of receipt by the employer that starts the notice period (often 1 to 3 months depending on the collective agreement and seniority). The letter needs no reason: it must express a clear and unequivocal intent to end the contract.

Resigning is a right: you don't have to justify your decision or get the employer's agreement. But a poorly notified resignation can create disputes over the contract end date, the final pay or the notice period. Here is the procedure.

1. Check your notice period

The notice period is the time worked between notifying your resignation and the effective end of the contract. Its length is not set by the Labour Code for most employees: it depends on:

• the collective agreement applicable to your company;
• your employment contract;
• the custom of the profession or company.

It is generally 1 month for an employee and 3 months for a manager, but always check your agreement. The notice period starts the day the employer receives your resignation — hence the importance of dating it precisely.

2. Why put it in writing and use registered mail

A verbal resignation is valid but impossible to prove. Without proof, the employer can dispute the date, or even reclassify your absence as job abandonment. The LRAR:

• proves the notification date (first presentation), which starts the notice period;
• sets the contract end date beyond dispute;
• secures your final pay, your work certificate and your France Travail statement.

Hand delivery against a dated, signed receipt is an acceptable alternative, but the LRAR remains the safest, especially from a distance.

3. Resignation letter template

Keep it plain: a clear intent, a date, no controversy.

Subject: Resignation

Dear Sir or Madam,

I hereby inform you of my decision to resign from my position as [job title], which I have held since [start date] within [company name].

In accordance with my employment contract and the applicable collective agreement, I will serve a notice period of [duration], starting from the first presentation of this letter. My contract will therefore end on [date].

I would be grateful if you would provide me, on that date, with my work certificate, my final pay and my statement for France Travail.

Yours faithfully,

[Date — Signature]

Do not state a reason: it is not required and can be used against you in a dispute.

4. Requesting a waiver of the notice period

You can ask to be released from all or part of the notice period:

• At your initiative: if the employer agrees, you leave earlier but without compensation for the notice period.
• At the employer's initiative: they release you but must then pay the compensation matching the notice not served.

Always formalise the agreement in writing to avoid any later dispute over the departure date.

5. Cases of resignation without notice

Certain situations allow you to leave without notice:

• pregnancy or raising a child (under legal conditions);
• starting or taking over a business;
• resignation during the trial period (reduced notice);
• journalist or employee benefiting from a conscience clause.

Outside these cases, notice not served can expose you to paying compensation to the employer.

Abroad or travelling when it's time to resign? MaisonMail can print and send your resignation letter by registered mail with return receipt to your employer. The origin market, delivery times, tracking and the return receipt are confirmed before payment.

6. Common mistakes

• Resigning verbally with no trace: the date becomes disputable.
• Miscalculating the notice: check the collective agreement, not just the contract.
• Stating a reason: unnecessary and risky in a conflict.
• Confusing resignation and mutual termination: the latter opens rights to unemployment benefits and severance. See our guide on the mutual termination (rupture conventionnelle).
• Forgetting to claim the work certificate, final pay and France Travail statement.

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In short: resigning from a CDI is free and reason-free, but it must be clear and datable. A registered letter with return receipt sets the notification date, hence the start of the notice period and the end of the contract. It is that date of receipt that makes your departure indisputable and secures your end-of-contract documents.