Mobile Gendarmerie Musicians Competition: 14 positions open

The Ministry of the Interior authorizes the opening of a recruitment competition for gendarmerie non-commissioned officers in the field of music for the 2026-2027 session. The decree of September 3, 2026, referenced NOR INTJ2622735A, is published in the Official Journal of the French Republic No. 0207 of September 5, 2026. A maximum of fourteen positions are offered to candidates who can justify at least three years of professional experience as a musician.

This competition, provided for in paragraph 3 of Article 13-1 of Decree No. 2008-952 of September 12, 2008, as amended, concerning the special status of the gendarmerie non-commissioned officer corps, constitutes an atypical recruitment route. It is aimed at professional musicians whose experience, whether continuous or not, must total at least three years by the registration closing date and must be proven by a professional experience recognition file.

Seven instrumental specialties

The competition is open in seven instrumental specialties, each with a specific practical test program:

• Bugle/cavalry trumpet
• Clarinet
• Flute
• Oboe
• Drum
• Trumpet
• Tuba

Registration and required documents

Registration is carried out electronically on the gendarmerie recruitment site at espacecandidat.gendarmerie.interieur.gouv.fr, under the section “non-commissioned officer of the mobile gendarmerie music.” The registration period runs from October 5 to November 6, 2026, inclusive.

The application file must notably include:

• a double-sided photocopy of a valid identity document;
• a full copy of the birth certificate extract dated within the last three months;
• the certificate of participation in the Defense and Citizenship Day (JDC) for those under 25;
• the professional experience recognition file.

Documents must be submitted or sent before midnight on November 6, 2026, by mail to the Commandement des écoles de la gendarmerie nationale (2, rue Toufaire, BP 90050, 17302 Rochefort Cedex), electronically, or in person against a receipt.

Competition process

The competition consists of an eligibility phase, consisting of a pre-selection of the experience recognition files, followed by an admission phase. The latter includes a practical professional aptitude test with a maximum duration of 15 minutes, based on a mandatory program per instrument, as well as a 20-minute interview aimed at assessing the candidate’s skills, personality, and motivation.

The tests will take place at the Lieutenant LENFANT barracks, 2, rue du professeur Calmette, in Ivry-sur-Seine: the eligibility phase from December 2 to 4, 2026, and the admission phase from January 19 to 20, 2027. Candidates are subject to an initial medical expert examination, and military candidates must inform their hierarchy when submitting their application.

An opportunity for professional musicians

This competition offers professional musicians an original path to achieving the status of a gendarmerie non-commissioned officer, within the mobile gendarmerie music service. For selected candidates, this represents integration into a uniformed corps combining instrumental practice and a military career, with demanding tests and a tight schedule between autumn 2026 and winter 2027.

Official source: Decree of September 3, 2026 authorizing the opening of the competition provided for in 3° of Article 13-1 of Decree No. 2008-952 of September 12, 2008, as amended, NOR INTJ2622735A, published in the Official Journal of the French Republic No. 0207 of September 5, 2026.