Senior modeling agencies in France
There are 68 verified modeling agencies in France, 68 of them holding a state licence or a professional-association membership. Below: every agency with its boards, founding year and application route, a comparison table, and what international models need to know before applying.
In France a model agency must hold a state licence (licence d'agence de mannequins) and a financial guarantee, and every model booking is an employment contract with regulated minimum pay. The two professional bodies, SYNAM and FFAM, admit licensed agencies only; every agency below is a member of one of them.
Where the agencies are in France
The agencies
Sindy Bop
Works with: women, men, kids, senior models
Sindy Bop is a modeling agency based in Bordeaux, France, founded in 1987. It holds the state licence required to place models in its country and is a member of FFAM.
FFAMOnline applicationHourra Models
Works with: women, men, kids, senior models, talent
Hourra Models is a modeling agency based in Lyon, France, founded in 1989. It holds the state licence required to place models in its country and is a member of SYNAM.
SYNAMOnline applicationMasters Models
Works with: senior models
Masters Models is a modeling agency based in Paris, France, founded in 2007. It holds the state licence required to place models in its country and is a member of FFAM.
FFAMEmily Models
Works with: women, men, senior models, athletes, talent
Emily Models is a modeling agency based in Boulogne-Billancourt, France. It holds the state licence required to place models in its country and is a member of FFAM.
FFAMOnline applicationSilver
Works with: senior models
Silver is a modeling agency based in Paris, France. It holds the state licence required to place models in its country and is a member of FFAM.
FFAMOnline applicationSmith & Smith
Works with: women, senior models
Smith & Smith is a modeling agency based in Paris, France. It holds the state licence required to place models in its country and is a member of SYNAM.
SYNAM
Compare at a glance
| Agency | City | Boards | Founded | Membership | Apply online |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sindy Bop | Bordeaux | Women, Men, Kids, Senior | 1987 | FFAM | Yes |
| Hourra Models | Lyon | Women, Men, Kids, Senior, Talent | 1989 | SYNAM | Yes |
| Masters Models | Paris | Senior | 2007 | FFAM | |
| Emily Models | Boulogne-Billancourt | Women, Men, Senior, Sport, Talent | FFAM | Yes | |
| Silver | Paris | Senior | FFAM | Yes | |
| Smith & Smith | Paris | Women, Senior | SYNAM |
France for international models
- Every job you do in France is formal employment. The agency must sign a written contract with you and, before each booking, show you the booking contract with the fee the client is paying. Anyone offering work 'without paperwork' is not an agency.
- A real agency holds a state licence and a bank guarantee. The guarantee means your wages get paid even if the agency goes bust. Operating without a licence is a criminal offence in France, so licensed agencies are happy to show theirs – just ask.
- You receive at least a third of what the client pays the agency: 33% for magazine editorials, 36% for every other job. The rest is the agency's commission and taxes. Your share can never fall below the minimum rates, whatever the client pays.
- Minimum rates for 2025, the floor you negotiate up from: fittings at a designer €81 an hour or €405 a day; shoots, shows and advertising from €112 an hour and €559 a day for a beginner to €218 an hour and €1,092 a day for an established model. Magazine editorials pay least (€40–101 an hour) because they build your book, not your income. Holiday pay of 10% is added on top of everything. A show is paid for at least 3 hours: 2 hours of show and 1 hour of fitting.
- Nobody may ask you for money upfront. Advice about becoming a model is free by law in France. If the agency has paid for your test shoot or comp cards, it may only recover that gradually from your future pay – at most 20% of each payment. An invoice 'for registration' or 'for your book' before your first job is a clear warning sign.
- Before you start you will need a medical certificate confirming that your health (your BMI is one of the things assessed) is compatible with modelling – a law since 2016 meant to protect models from pressure to lose weight. And if your figure is digitally altered in an advert, the image must carry the words « Photographie retouchée ».
- If you are not an EU citizen: with a collaboration agreement from a licensed French agency, a stay of up to 3 months only needs a normal short-stay visa – no separate work permit. For longer, the agency applies for your work permit and you receive a long-stay visa of up to 12 months. The visa file includes the agency's licence document and your contract. Working on a tourist visa without a contract is not allowed and puts both you and the agency at risk.
- If you are under 16: only an agency with a special approval may work with children. You will need a doctor's opinion, working hours are limited, and part of your earnings goes into a state-held account released when you turn 18 – your parents receive only the share the commission allows. Children's minimum rates for 2025: €76 an hour for shoots and shows, €94 an hour for commercials.
- When to come: Paris Fashion Weeks run in late February–early March and late September–early October (women's collections), January and June (men's), January and July (haute couture). Agencies book show castings weeks ahead and usually arrange a season's placements months in advance – so apply in autumn for spring and in spring for autumn, not the week before fashion week.
Sources: Code du travail, L7123-1 à L7123-32 (Légifrance) · Code du travail, R7123 (retenues, licence) · Convention collective IDCC 3252, annexe V art. 3.4 (pourcentages) · Avenant n° 2 du 22 janvier 2025 – salaires minimaux mannequins · France-Visas – mannequin, collaboration avec une agence française · Code de la santé publique L2133-2 – « Photographie retouchée » · Caisse des Dépôts – enfants du spectacle et du mannequinat
How to spot a real model agency
- A real agency never charges for applying, “registration” or a place in its book. It earns a commission when the model gets paid work.
- It does not push you into an expensive shoot with “its” photographer. Simple, unretouched digitals (polaroids) are all a first test needs.
- You can take the contract home; it states the commission and the term clearly.
- It represents real models who work for known clients, which you can check in their portfolios and on social media.
- Minors are only ever spoken to with their parents present.
How to apply to any of these agencies
- Take 4–6 simple photos in daylight: face front, profile, half and full length. No make-up, fitted dark clothes.
- Measure your height, bust, waist and hips, and note your shoe size.
- Use the agency's own form where it has one; otherwise e-mail your digitals and measurements. Never pay to apply.
Frequently asked
Other places
How this list is made
Each agency is checked against public company registers, state licence requirements and professional-association member lists, then against its own website. Only agencies confirmed as operating are published. No agency pays to be listed and there are no rankings or reviews. Last verified: 2026-10-02.
01How many modeling agencies are there in France?
This catalogue lists 68 verified agencies in France, including Enjoy, Agence Di, Elite Paris and Karin. Only agencies with a current licence or professional-association membership, or confirmed by at least two independent sources, are included.
02How much are models paid in Paris?
You get at least a third of what the client pays the agency – 33% for magazine editorials, 36% for other work – and never less than the minimum rates: from about €112 an hour or €559 a day for shoots, shows and advertising in 2025, plus 10% holiday pay. Established models negotiate well above that. Editorials pay least (€40–101 an hour) because they build your book rather than your income.
03Do I have to pay a modeling agency in France?
No. Advice about becoming a model is free by law, and a licensed agency earns from the client's fee, not from you. If it pays for your tests or comp cards, it can only recover that from your future earnings, at most 20% of each payment. A 'registration', 'book' or 'casting' fee asked upfront means you are not dealing with a licensed agency.
04Can I model in Paris on a tourist visa?
Not without a contract. If a licensed French agency gives you a collaboration agreement, a stay of up to 3 months needs only a short-stay visa and no work permit; for longer, the agency applies for a work permit and you get a long-stay visa of up to 12 months. EU and EEA citizens need neither a visa nor a permit.
05How do I check that a French agency is licensed?
Ask to see its licence – every licensed agency has an official licence order and a bank guarantee, and will show them. It must also give you a written contract and a copy of each booking contract before you accept a job. The quickest check is membership of SYNAM or FFAM, which admit licensed agencies only; every agency in this catalogue is a member of one of them.
06Can children model in France?
Yes, but only through an agency with a special approval for children under 16. A doctor's opinion is needed, working hours are limited, and part of the earnings is kept in a state-held account until the child turns 18. Children's minimum rates in 2025 are €76 an hour for shoots and shows and €94 an hour for commercials.