Compared to other EU countries, France has a comparatively simple corporate formation process. France is the only country in the EU where establishing a firm itself is favored over private-sector investment, making it the top choice for investors and business owners. The French government provides a variety of perks and incentives to help the business succeed. The nation is a signatory to agreements like the TRIPS Agreement, which offers substantial protection for foreign intellectual property rights when it comes to intellectual property protection. The skilled labor force in France directly lowers the cost of manufacturing goods. In addition, the nation provides adequate infrastructure and facilities for initiatives including energy, roads, railroads, ports, and other things. France is one of the friendliest countries for launching a business because of all these alluring benefits. Investors should therefore go through the French company registration process.
French company registration procedures
A potential applicant must adhere to the following procedure to register a corporation in France:
- Choose the Proper Structure.
- Verify the name on the Commercial Court Registry and the French Patent and Trademark Office websites.
- Create a corporate bank account to deposit the stock capital of the company.
- Take a look at the stockholders and guarantors (PSC).
- Prepare the necessary paperwork.
- Register the business.
Choose the appropriate organizational structure
The applicant for a French company registration must first select an acceptable business structure or vehicle. This would depend on the applicant’s business requirements. The French LLC would be a good choice if the applicant wanted to launch a business.
Verify the name on the commercial court registry and the French patent and trademark office websites
The applicant must then verify that the name is distinctive on the websites of the Commercial Court Registry and the French Patent and Trademark Office (INPI). The company name must not be insulting and must not conflict with any other names already used by French companies.
Create a corporate bank account to deposit the stock capital of the company
The applicant must open a business bank account at the following stage. There are various kinds of banks that offer banking services to businesses, including BNP Paribas, HSBC, and Societe Generale. It is advised to compare the services provided by all banks before deciding on a suitable bank.
Register at the center for enterprise formalities
The applicant would need to register with the Centre de Formalities des Enterprises in order to register a company in France after creating a corporate bank account. Through this organization, all additional business and tax compliances would be handled.
The organization to obtain registration from is the Chambre des Métiers et de l’Artisanat for various types of enterprises, such as those relating to trades or artisans and for independent or freelance professions (CMA). In a similar vein, the Chambre d’Agriculture is the proper place to register a corporation if the business is related to agriculture (CA).
Legal notice of incorporation published on JAL
The applicant then has to publish a legal notice of the incorporation in the local newspaper JAL. It formally and publicly introduces the company to the business world, this procedure is required.
Obtaining the identification number
This information will be given to the Register Nationale des Entreprises after the Centre de Formalities des Entreprises has received the required paperwork.
After that, the business would get its SIRET, NAF, and SIRENE (Systeme Informatique pour le Repertoire des Enterprises) numbers.
Documents required for French company registration
For the purpose of forming a corporation in France, the following papers are necessary:
- Information on the company’s founders, such as their addresses, passport numbers, and other pertinent data.
- Translation and notarization are required for the shareholders’ identification documents.
- Information on the company’s managers, including copies of their identification documents and letters of appointment.
- Document appointing a manager.
- Application for fees and registration.
- A declaration that the manager has never been convicted of a crime.
- Articles of Association and the Memorandum of Association, both of which need to be notarized.
- Board Decision ( If required).
- The announcement of the company’s opening in the National Gazette.
