Why are so many jobs classed as ‘liberal professions’ in France?

Reader question: Why are some professions in France known as ‘liberal’ and why so wide ranging from doctors to ski instructors?

In France, it is very common to come across the term profession libérale, which can cover a wide range of occupations, from doctors and lawyers to consultants and even ski instructors.

These jobs may seem to have little in common, but “liberal profession” is not just about the job itself, it also refers to the way the activity is carried out.

France defines a liberal profession as an independent activity providing mainly intellectual, technical or care services. It covers activities that are not classed as commercial, industrial, agricultural or craft activities.

The category is therefore much broader than the traditional idea of a “liberal profession” might suggest.

There are, however, regulated and non-regulated liberal professions.

For regulated professions, specific qualifications or other conditions are required. These include doctors, dentists, pharmacists, lawyers, notaries, architects and accountants. They may also have to follow professional rules and register with an organisation such as a professional order.

URSSAF, the organisation responsible for collecting social security contributions from independent workers under Cipav, for example, specifically includes independent ski instructors among regulated liberal professions.

For non-regulated liberal professions, there is no official exhaustive list. Government examples include consultants, sports coaches, developers, trainers and writers.

This is also where some less obvious occupations come in. 

So a doctor and a ski instructor are not considered similar professions. Rather, French law places both within a much broader category of independent professional activities.