Activity Bonus: What Cross-Border Workers Need to Know

To be eligible for the activity bonus as a cross-border worker, you must meet the following cumulative conditions:

• Be 18 years of age or older.
• Be French, a citizen of the European Economic Area or Switzerland, or hold a valid residence permit for at least 5 years.
• Engage in a professional activity (employee, self-employed, civil servant) or receive compensation under partial/technical unemployment in France.
• Have modest household income.
• Reside in France in a stable and regular manner, for at least 9 months of the year.

For cross-border workers, the fact that your employment contract is signed abroad and that your professional activity takes place there does not affect your eligibility for the activity bonus. What matters for calculating this bonus are the income earned abroad, which you must declare every three months.

Similarly, there is no issue if your taxes and social contributions are paid to a foreign system: this does not affect your eligibility.

Note: If you live abroad, you can also receive the activity bonus provided you have spent less than 3 months outside France during the calendar year. If your stay abroad exceeds 3 months, you can receive the activity bonus only for the full months spent in France.

Certain specific situations are subject to particular conditions:

• Workers temporarily posted to France are not eligible for the activity bonus.
• For students or apprentices, the net monthly work income must exceed €1,104.25 (2025 amount) to qualify for the bonus.

The amount of your activity bonus depends on several factors, including:

• The amount of your income and the total income of your household.
• The composition of your household.
• Income earned abroad from employment in a neighboring country is taken into account when calculating your income and that of your household.

For all eligible cross-border workers, the basic flat-rate amount of the activity bonus is €633.21 (in 2025) for a single person without dependent children. This amount can be increased depending on the factors mentioned above.

Additionally, note that the CAF provides an online simulator that allows cross-border workers to estimate their potential activity bonus:  https://wwwd.caf.fr/wps/portal/caffr/simulateurpa/

If you are a cross-border worker eligible for the activity bonus and already receive benefits, you can submit your application directly online on the CAF website: https://www.caf.fr/redirect/s/Redirect?page=monCompteFormulairePrimeDActivite

If you are not yet a beneficiary, you will first need to create your “Mon Compte” space via the Aides et démarches > Mes démarches section when submitting your benefit application. This step is mandatory, and you will be guided throughout the process.

Once your application is approved, you will receive an allocation notification specifying the amount of the bonus you will receive. This allocation is valid for 3 months, after which your situation will be reassessed to determine the amount for the following period.