Opening a business on Sunday: what regulations?
Verified 22 August 2022 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
Traditionally, the sunday is intended for the weekly rest of employees (Sunday rest). Opening a business on Sundays is therefore, in principle, forbidden. However, some permissions allow you to open your business on Sundays. These alternative permissions depend on your number of employees, of the nature of your business or your location.
General case
A shop can open on Sundays if the employment of employees is not required. You can open without prior authorization and no time restriction, regardless of the nature of your business (food, non-food, retail, etc.).
Example :
The manager of a clothing shop can open on Sundays if he's the only one working that day. The employees, who are employed during the week, must have Sunday rest.
However, a prefectural order may prohibit opening some shops on Sundays. Inquire with your local prefecture.
Retail food trade
Food retailers are allowed to open on Sundays until 1 pm.
Please note
in establishments with a sales area greater than 400 m², employees working on Sundays shall be entitled to increased remuneration at least 30%.
Non-food retail trade
Open trade for public needs
Some of the establishments are open made necessary for the needs of the public, can open on Sundays no time restriction.
These include:
- Tobacco flows
- Newsstands
- Pharmacies
- DIY shops (retail)
- Gardeners and florists
- Furniture shops (retail)
- Distribution of motor vehicle fuels and lubricants
- Casinos and gambling establishments
- Funeral services
- Cultural, sports and recreational centers
The full list of establishments authorized to open on this basis is available on Legifrance.
Other businesses
In principle, other retail businesses cannot open on Sundays.
However, it does exist 3 exceptions allowing all retail businesses to open on Sundays.
"Mayor's Sunday"
The mayor may authorize the collective opening of shops in his commune until 12 Sundays a year.
The list of Sundays shall be decided and made public before 1 January of the year concerned. If a change occurs, it must be made at least 2 months before the first Sunday affected by this change.
Please note
if a trade in more than 400 m² opens public holidays (except on 1st May), the mayor deducts them from the authorized Sundays up to a limit of 3.
The employee must be voluntary to work on sundays, you must to obtain his written consent.
In addition, you must pay him or her at least double the remuneration normally due and grant him compensatory rest.
Company Convention or Agreement
The collective agreement (or the company agreement to which the trade is linked) may provide for the obligation to open on sundays.
You can consult your collective agreement:
Search for a collective agreement
Individual Prefectural Derogation
You can make a request for derogation to your prefecture. In the event of acceptance, the derogation shall be granted for 3 years maximum.
You must build a folder by providing, among other things, next items :
- Identity of the company: name, legal form, address of the establishment, activity, etc.
- Existence or non-existence of collective agreement if yes, attach a copy to your application
- Grounds for derogation from Sunday rest: public need, closure detrimental to trade
- Hours and number of employees required to work on Sunday
- Planned weekly rest: other day than Sunday for all staff, from Sunday afternoon to Monday noon, by rotation for all or part of the staff, etc.
- Compensation granted to employees: remuneration increase, compensatory rest
- Written agreements of employees required to work on Sundays
To find out how to send the request, ask your prefecture:
In Paris, there's a specific form :
Request for derogation from Sunday rest for employees in Paris
Hotel, cafe, restaurant
Hotels, cafes and restaurants are allowed to open on Sundays, with no time restrictions, to meet public needs.
FYI
the employee's employment contract must mention the obligation to work on Sundays.
You can open on Sundays, no time restriction, if your business is located in one of the following areas :
- International Tourism Zone (ITZ)
- Simple tourist area
- Main station
- Commercial Area
Warning
in these areas, food retailing can open on Sundays. However, they must close from 1 pm.
International tourist area
International tourist areas stand out for their international reach and theexceptional affluence foreigner tourists they generate.
Region | Department | International tourist areas |
|---|---|---|
Île-de-France | Paris (75) | Saint-Honoré-Vendôme (1er back.) Les Halles (1er back.) The Marais (3e back.) Rennes Saint Sulpice (6e back.) Saint-Germain (7e back.) Champs Élysées-Montaigne (8e back.) Haussmann (8e back.) Beaugrenelle (15e back.) Convention Center (17e back.) Montmartre (18e back.) |
Hauts-de-Seine (92) | Paris La Défense | |
Val-de-Marne (94) | Serris-Val d'Europe | |
Normandy | Calvados (14) | Deauville |
Pays de la Loire | Loire-Atlantique (44) | La Baule-Escoublac |
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur | Alpes-Maritimes (06) | Antibes Cagnes-sur-Mer Cannes Nice Saint-Laurent-du-Var |
Example :
A clothing shop is located at Deauville. The manager wants to open his shop on Sunday but he needs to 3 employees to help her. This opening is authorized because Deauville is an international tourist zone.
Simple tourist area
The tourist areas welcome, during certain periods of the year, a significant additional population because of their natural, artistic, cultural or historical characteristics or the existence of recreational or thermal facilities.
Tourist areas are defined by Prefectural Decree. Ask your local prefecture.
Main station
If your business is located in one of the following major stations, you can open on Sundays:
- Paris Saint-Lazare, Paris Gare du Nord, Paris Gare de l'Est, Paris Montparnasse, Paris Gare de Lyon, Paris Austerlitz)
- Avignon-TGV
- Bordeaux Saint Jean
- Lyon Part-Dieu
- Marseille Saint-Charles
- Montpellier Saint-Roch
- Nice-Ville
Example :
A clothing shop is located at Paris Saint-Lazare. The manager wants to open his shop on Sunday but he needs to 3 employees to help her. This opening is authorized because Paris Saint-Lazare is a large train station.
Commercial Area
Trade zones are a collection of businesses. They are characterized by particularly high demand and commercial supply.
These areas must meet the following conditions:
- Area greater than 20,000 m²
- Number of customers per year greater than 2 million
- Accessible by individual and collective transport
Please note
if the trade area is located within 30 km of a competing area established in a border country, the required area shall be reduced to 2,000 m² and the number of customers at 200,000 per year.
Commercial areas are defined by Prefectural Decree. Ask your local prefecture.
Please note
the employee must be voluntary to work on Sundays. You must to obtain his written consent.
Alsace-Moselle
The departments of Haut-Rhin, Bas-Rhin and Moselle are not subject to the same legislation than the other French departments.
Shops open on Sundays and public holidays forbidden.
However, derogations are planned to meet the needs of the population and the development of tourism in the department.
Thus, the following shops can open on Sundays and public holidays (no time restriction):
- Tobacco flows
- Newsstands
- Florists
- Bakeries
- Pastry and ice cream makers
- Petrol stations and emergency troubleshooting services
- Dealers, antique dealers and booksellers
- Souvenirs and local handicraft shops
- Craft shops and art galleries
- Rental of vehicles and cycles
- Shops in train stations
- Internet cafes
- Sandwich shops and take-out outlets
General grocery stores with an area of 200 m² or less may open for up to 13 hours.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
Derogations for public purposes
Derogations for food retailers
Individual Prefectural Derogations
Derogations on a geographical basis
Derogations "Mayor's Sundays"
Derogations from Sunday rest (without prior authorization and by convention)
