France Travail (ex Pôle emploi) letter explained in English
Employment agency. Pays unemployment benefit (ARE) and helps you find work. It was called Pôle emploi until 2024.
Letters you may get
- Convocation — a required appointment with your adviser
- Notification de droits — how much unemployment benefit you get
- Demande de pièces — they need documents from you
- Trop-perçu — you were paid too much
What to do
- Do your monthly update (actualisation) on francetravail.fr, even if nothing changed. If you skip it, your payments can stop.
- If you can’t come to an appointment, tell your adviser before it, with a reason.
- Find the deadline. Look for “délai”, “avant le”, “au plus tard”.
- Write the reference number from the letter on everything you send back, and keep copies.
- If you disagree with a decision, object in writing before the deadline (“recours gracieux”, “recours administratif préalable obligatoire”, “recours amiable”, “réclamation”, “contestation”, “recours”). See the template.
Words you may see
- notification
- Official delivery of a decision. Deadlines often start from this day.
- convocation
- Official invitation to an appointment. You are expected to come.
- trop-perçu
- Overpayment. Money you got but were not entitled to.
- actualisation
- The monthly update you send to France Travail to keep getting paid.
Questions
What is the France Travail (ex Pôle emploi)?
Employment agency. Pays unemployment benefit (ARE) and helps you find work. It was called Pôle emploi until 2024.
How long do I have to answer a letter from the France Travail (ex Pôle emploi)?
It depends on the letter. Look for words like “délai”, “avant le”, “au plus tard” — they mark the deadline. In France, a deadline usually starts on the day you receive the letter — for a registered letter, often the day the post first tried to deliver it. The 3 days are only an estimate, so check the envelope or the delivery notice. To object, the letter usually names the way to do it (“recours gracieux”, “recours administratif préalable obligatoire”, “recours amiable”, “réclamation”, “contestation”, “recours”).
Can I read a France Travail (ex Pôle emploi) letter in English?
Yes. Take a photo of the letter with Briefly. It explains the letter in plain English, finds the deadline and the amount, and gives you ready-made replies in French. Your letter never leaves your device.
Other offices in France
Finances publiques (DGFiP) · Trésor public / Service de gestion comptable · Caisse d’allocations familiales (CAF) · Préfecture / ANEF · OFII · Assurance Maladie (CPAM) · Mutuelle / complémentaire santé · URSSAF