France Announces Recruitment Time for Foreigners to Join Army Without Citizenship

• The French Foreign Legion published official recruitment hours across its centres in France and overseas territories, with most posts open from 08:00
• While recruitment into the French Foreign Legion is technically open around the clock, candidates are advised to arrive from 08:00 to ease processing
• Two key centres operate on a 24/7 basis, while most information posts across France maintain weekday hours with earlier Friday closings

The French Foreign Legion has published the operating hours for its recruitment centres across France and its overseas territories, giving foreign nationals clear guidance on when to present themselves if they wish to join one of the world's most storied military units.

According to information on the Legion's official recruitment website, candidates may technically walk into a recruitment centre at any hour of the day, as the process never officially closes.

However, the Legion advises all prospective recruits to arrive from 08:00 to help streamline their processing and avoid unnecessary delays.

French Foreign Legion Recruitment Hours by Centre

Most of the Legion's information posts across metropolitan France operate on standard weekday schedules.

Posts in cities including Perpignan, Nantes, Strasbourg, and Nice are open Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 17:30. The Lyon and Toulouse posts stay open slightly later, closing at 18:00 on weekdays.

The Paris information post runs from 09:00 to 17:30 on Mondays through Thursdays, closing earlier at 16:00 on Fridays. The Bordeaux post mirrors this Friday pattern, shutting at 16:30 instead of the usual 17:30.

Two centres operate without any time restriction. The Northern Pre-selection Centre in Paris and the South Pre-selection and Selection and Incorporation Centre in Aubagne both run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, making them the most accessible entry points for candidates arriving outside normal business hours.

The Legion's digital information and recruitment unit, also based in Paris, keeps hours aligned with the Paris information post and can be reached via WhatsApp in addition to email.

How to Contact the French Foreign Legion

For those unable to visit a centre in person, the Legion directs candidates to its official website's FAQ section for general enquiries.

Those with specific questions can reach the recruitment team through WhatsApp or by email at recrutement@legion-etrangere.com.

The French Foreign Legion is one of the few military forces in the world that actively recruits foreign nationals, allowing men of almost any nationality to apply for service regardless of their country of origin.

France announces conditions for foreigners in army to become citizens

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that France's French Foreign Legion published the official conditions that foreign soldiers must meet before they can apply for French nationality.

The Legion's FAQ confirmed that citizenship is not automatic, with soldiers required to complete at least five years of service first.