What Is the DPAE and Who Files It in Wage Portage?

Karim, a cybersecurity consultant, has just signed his first mission through a portage company. The client expects him on Monday morning. On Wednesday his advisor writes: "Your contract is ready, the DPAE goes out as soon as you sign." He nods, then types "what is DPAE" into Google. He's not alone.

The DPAE, or pre-hire declaration, is the form every employer sends to the French social security collector (Urssaf) before an employee starts work. In wage portage, the portage company, as the consultant's employer, files it, not the consultant and not the client company.

DPAE definition and purpose

The DPAE is a single declaration sent to Urssaf that reports a new employee before they start working for a company. It replaces several steps that used to be done one by one: registration with the general social security scheme, enrolment with an occupational health service, notification of France Travail (the employment agency), and reporting to state authorities.

Why does it exist? First, to protect the employee. A registered DPAE proves the hire is real, which secures access to sickness, work accident and pension rights from day one. It also helps fight undeclared work: the administration knows that a given person is supposed to work for a given employer on a given date.

One thing people often mix up: the DPAE isn't an employment contract. It goes with the contract, it doesn't replace it. And it doesn't replace the monthly social declaration that follows once pay is issued.

Who files the DPAE in wage portage?

In wage portage, the consultant's employer is the portage company, so it files the DPAE with Urssaf when the employment contract is concluded. The consultant signs an employment contract with the portage company, and a service agreement is signed between that company and the client. The client hires nobody, it buys a service. So it has no DPAE to file for you.

Here's who does what:

A useful nuance. The DPAE happens at hiring, so for each new employment contract. If you chain several missions under the same permanent contract, the declaration isn't redone for each new client. If your portage company has you sign a fixed-term contract, each new contract does trigger a new declaration. Ask your contact on signing day, the answer fits in one sentence.

To understand the full mechanics (three parties, two contracts, one salary), our guide Wage Portage: Definition, How It Works and Salary lays out the basics. And if you're still weighing the structure, the wage portage page at Weepo covers the legal framework and the guarantees.

DPAE deadlines and how to send it

The DPAE must be sent no earlier than eight days before the hiring date and no later than right before the employee starts work. Waiting until the first morning is allowed, but risky: one connection issue and you're out of time.

The declaration is made online on the Urssaf website or through net-entreprises.fr, and you get an acknowledgement of receipt. That receipt matters: it's the dated proof that the employer met its obligation. You can ask your portage company to forward it to you, which is common and perfectly legitimate.

To complete it, the employer needs precise details about the employee and the contract:

• full identity, date and place of birth, social security number;
• hiring date and time, contract type (permanent or fixed-term) and length of the trial period;
• employer details, activity code and the attached occupational health service.

A typo in the social security number is enough to block registration. Re-read your own details when they're requested. It takes thirty seconds.

What happens without a DPAE?

Without a DPAE, the employer faces a penalty of 300 times the guaranteed minimum per undeclared employee and, if the missing declaration counts as undeclared work, a lump-sum indemnity of six months' pay owed to the employee. With a guaranteed minimum of 4.25 euros on January 1, 2026, that comes to 1,275 euros per undeclared employee (2026 social security scales, worth rechecking every year since they're revalued).

The risk falls on the employer, not the consultant. But the employee feels the side effects: heavier paperwork to claim sick leave, correction delays, needless stress.

One simple habit. Before your first day on a mission, check three things: your contract is signed, your portage company confirmed that the DPAE went out, and you kept the receipt or the written confirmation. If one is missing, follow up. A polite reminder beats a dispute.

The declaration is only one link in a wider chain. Your social protection also depends on health insurance, covered in Mandatory Health Insurance Certificate in Wage Portage, and on minimum pay, explained in Minimum Salary in Wage Portage 2026: The Exact Amount.

Freelancer, auto-entrepreneur, SASU: does it apply to you?

A freelancer working directly, with no employees, has no DPAE to file for themselves: the obligation only arises when you hire someone. An auto-entrepreneur or self-employed worker is their own boss, not their own employee.

That changes if you recruit an assistant, a developer for extra capacity or an apprentice. At that point you become an employer and the DPAE is yours, with the same deadlines and the same penalties. It's one of the concrete differences between staying independent and using a structure that carries the employer role for you. If you're weighing it up, the page on wage portage and Urssaf (in French) explains how contributions are handled on the portage company's side, and the Weepo home page presents the support offered.

To check up-to-date rules, two sources are the reference: the Urssaf page on the DPAE and the Service Public Entreprendre sheet.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly is the DPAE?

It's the pre-hire declaration: an online form through which the employer tells Urssaf it will employ a person. It bundles several administrative formalities into one step.

Is the DPAE an employment contract?

No. It proves the hire was declared, but only the employment contract sets the terms (job, pay, duration). The two documents go together.

Do I file my own DPAE in wage portage?

No. Your employer is the portage company, so it files. Your part is to provide accurate details and ask for confirmation.

How can I tell my DPAE was filed?

Ask your portage company for the receipt or a written confirmation. You can also check that your employment contract is signed and dated before your first day on a mission.

What if the DPAE is filed late?

The employer is in breach as soon as the employee starts work without a prior declaration. Quick correction limits the damage, but the penalty remains possible.

Key takeaways

• The DPAE is a mandatory employer declaration to Urssaf, sent before the employee starts.
• In wage portage, the portage company is the employer: it files, not you and not the client.
• Deadline: no earlier than 8 days before hiring, no later than right before work begins.
• Without a DPAE, the employer risks a per-employee penalty and, in some cases, an undeclared work sanction.
• Keep the receipt or a written confirmation before your first mission.

Related articles

• Wage Portage: Definition, How It Works and Salary
• Mandatory Health Insurance Certificate in Wage Portage
• Minimum Salary in Wage Portage 2026: The Exact Amount