START A COMPANY / EUROPE

How to register a company in France

Since 2023 every French business is registered online through the INPI-run guichet unique. Micro-entrepreneurs pay nothing; SAS and SARL founders pay about €53 in fees plus a legal notice, and must deposit capital with a bank or notary first.

REGISTRY: Guichet unique des formalités d'entreprises (one-stop business formalities portal run by INPI), feeding the RCS / Registre national des entreprises
ONLINE: Fully online
FROM: €0 (≈ £1)
STRUCTURES HERE: 3

Go to the official registry

Setting up from abroad

Non-residents can create a French company or hold shares; no permit is needed for stays under 90 days in 180. Non-EU founders who live and work in France need a suitable permit (for example a Talent Passport). You need a French registered office, capital deposited with a bank or notary, and ID.

PRIVATE LIMITED COMPANY

SAS / SASU: Société par actions simplifiée (simplified joint-stock company); SASU if there is one shareholder

Start-ups and investor-backed ventures wanting flexible governance and easy share issuance.

Liability: Limited to what you put in
You need: SAS: 2 shareholders and a président (SASU: 1 shareholder, who can also be the président)
Minimum capital: No legal minimum (from €1); at least half of cash contributions paid in at registration, the rest within 5 years
Time: About 1 to 3 weeks: the deposit, signature and legal notice take days; registration usually follows within days of a complete file.

Steps

Choose a name, a registered office (own premises or a domiciliation company) and the corporate purpose, then draft the statuts (articles of association).
Deposit at least half of the cash capital with a bank or notary and obtain the certificate of deposit of funds (the Caisse des dépôts no longer takes new deposits).
Sign the statuts (electronic signature is accepted) and appoint the président and any directeur général.
Publish a notice of incorporation (annonce légale) in an authorised outlet; the 2026 flat price is €199 excl. VAT for an SAS and €142 for an SASU.
Create an account on formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr, upload the file (statuts, deposit certificate, notice, IDs, proof of address, beneficial-owner declaration) and pay the fees online.
The commercial court registry (greffe) registers the company; you receive the Kbis extract and SIREN/SIRET, and the tax and social bodies are notified automatically.
Release the capital from the blocked account with proof of registration, open the business bank account and register with URSSAF if you hire.

Documents

Signed statuts
Certificate of deposit of funds
Proof of registered office (lease, title deed or domiciliation contract)
Proof of publication of the legal notice
Passport or ID, with a declaration of non-conviction and filiation, for each officer
Beneficial-owner declaration (part of the online file)

Official fees

Registration €33.83 + beneficial-owner declaration €19.33 (total €53.16, 2026 tariffs) + legal notice €199 excl. VAT (SAS) or €142 (SASU). Notary only if you choose one; bank deposit fees vary.

Budget

How	About	What it covers
Do it yourself	€292≈ £250	DIY: €53.16 registration fees + €199 legal notice plus VAT (about €239); share capital excluded
With an accountant or agent	€900≈ £770	About €600 to €1,200: online legal platform or accountant drafts statuts and handles the filing and notice
Full service	€2,500≈ £2,100	About €1,500 to €3,500: lawyer-drafted statuts and shareholder pact, domiciliation, bank-account help

Every year

Approve the annual accounts within 6 months of year-end and file them with the RCS through the guichet unique
File the corporate tax return and pay corporate tax (15% on the first €42,500 of profit for qualifying small companies, 25% otherwise)
File VAT returns (monthly or quarterly; an annual simplified regime exists for small businesses)
Pay the CFE local business contribution each December, and payroll declarations (DSN) if you pay salaries

Good to know. Legal-notice prices from the 2026 service-public flat-rate table (HT, so add 20% VAT). Unverified: corporate tax rates, accounts deadlines, timeline, agent and lawyer costs (market estimates).

PRIVATE LIMITED COMPANY

SARL / EURL: Société à responsabilité limitée (limited liability company); EURL if there is one partner

Family and small trading businesses wanting a simple, well-known structure run by a gérant (manager).

Liability: Limited to what you put in
You need: SARL: 2 to 100 partners and a gérant (EURL: 1 partner)
Minimum capital: No legal minimum (from €1); at least 20% of cash contributions paid in at registration, the rest within 5 years
Time: About 1 to 3 weeks: the deposit, signature and legal notice take days; registration usually follows within days of a complete file.

Steps

Choose a name, a registered office and the corporate purpose, then draft the statuts including the gérant's powers and the capital split.
Deposit at least 20% of the cash capital with a bank or notary and obtain the certificate of deposit of funds.
Sign the statuts and appoint the gérant (one or more; they need not be partners).
Publish a notice of incorporation (annonce légale); the 2026 flat price is €148 excl. VAT for a SARL and €124 for an EURL.
Create an account on formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr, upload the file and pay the registration and beneficial-owner fees online.
Receive the Kbis extract and SIREN/SIRET from the greffe, then release the capital and open the business bank account.
Register with URSSAF if you hire; a gérant holding more than half the shares is self-employed (TNS) for social security.

Documents

Signed statuts
Certificate of deposit of funds
Proof of registered office (lease, title deed or domiciliation contract)
Proof of publication of the legal notice
Passport or ID, with a declaration of non-conviction and filiation, for each gérant
Beneficial-owner declaration (part of the online file)

Official fees

Registration €33.83 + beneficial-owner declaration €19.33 (total €53.16, 2026 tariffs) + legal notice €148 excl. VAT (SARL) or €124 (EURL). Notary optional; bank deposit fees vary.

Budget

How	About	What it covers
Do it yourself	€231≈ £200	DIY: €53.16 registration fees + €148 legal notice plus VAT (about €178); share capital excluded
With an accountant or agent	€800≈ £690	About €500 to €1,100: online legal platform or accountant drafts statuts and handles the filing and notice
Full service	€2,200≈ £1,900	About €1,500 to €3,000: lawyer-drafted statuts, domiciliation and bank-account help

Every year

Approve the annual accounts within 6 months of year-end and file them with the RCS through the guichet unique
File the corporate tax return and pay corporate tax (15% on the first €42,500 of profit for qualifying small companies, 25% otherwise)
File VAT returns (monthly or quarterly; an annual simplified regime exists for small businesses)
Pay the CFE local business contribution each December, and payroll declarations (DSN) if you pay salaries

Good to know. Legal-notice prices from the 2026 service-public flat-rate table (HT, so add 20% VAT). Unverified: corporate tax rates, accounts deadlines, TNS social status, timeline, agent and lawyer costs (market estimates).

SOLE TRADER

Micro-entrepreneur: Micro-entrepreneur (entreprise individuelle under the micro-enterprise regime, formerly auto-entrepreneur)

Freelancers and small traders under the turnover ceilings who want free registration and contributions that follow turnover.

Liability: Limited to what you put in
You need: 1 individual (EU/EEA national, or non-EU with a permit allowing self-employment)
Minimum capital: None
Time: About 1 to 3 weeks for your SIRET (about 15 days on average); Social Security affiliation takes 4 to 10 weeks.

Steps

Check your activity qualifies and your turnover will stay under the 2026 ceilings (€203,100 for goods, €83,600 for services); regulated trades need qualifications or a professional card.
Create an account on formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr (free) and declare the start of activity as a micro-entrepreneur; choose the activity type and monthly or quarterly turnover declarations.
Upload ID, proof of address and, for non-EU nationals, a residence permit that allows self-employment.
Receive your SIREN/SIRET (about 15 days on average, per URSSAF) and later the Social Security affiliation notice (4 to 10 weeks); you can invoice once you have a SIRET.
Use autoentrepreneur.urssaf.fr to declare turnover and pay social contributions monthly or quarterly.
Open a business bank account (a dedicated account is compulsory once turnover exceeds €10,000 two years running) and put the SIRET and legal mentions on invoices.

Documents

Passport or ID card
Proof of address
Residence permit allowing self-employment (non-EU nationals)
Diplomas or professional card for regulated activities
Social Security number (or foreign number to be registered)

Official fees

No registration fee: micro-entrepreneurs are exempt from registry fees at the guichet unique. Small chamber and training levies are charged as a percentage of turnover with your contributions.

Budget

How	About	What it covers
Do it yourself	€0≈ £1	Free registration at the guichet unique; no official fees to start
With an accountant or agent	€100≈ £86	About €50 to €200: optional accountant or online platform advice and a business bank account
Full service	€400≈ £340	About €300 to €500: accountant or support package with domiciliation, insurance advice and first-year bookkeeping

Every year

Declare turnover every month or quarter (even if zero) and pay contributions, a percentage of turnover that depends on the activity
File the annual income tax return, declaring your micro-enterprise turnover
Pay the CFE local business tax (the first year is exempt)
Keep a sales ledger and invoices; charge VAT if you exceed the VAT franchise thresholds

Good to know. Liability shown as limited because, since May 2022, an entrepreneur's personal assets are legally separate from business assets (exceptions: personal guarantees, fraud). Unverified: 2026 contribution rates, VAT franchise thresholds, bank-account rule, CFE exemption, agent costs. Ceilings and SIRET timing from URSSAF.

After you register

Obtain your Kbis extract and SIREN/SIRET; the tax (SIE) and social (URSSAF) bodies are notified automatically through the guichet unique
Confirm your VAT regime with the business tax office (standard VAT rate is 20%)
Register as an employer with URSSAF and set up payroll declarations (DSN) before hiring
Open a business bank account and release the blocked capital with your Kbis
Keep the beneficial-owner declaration current; it is filed with the registration and updated on changes
Check sector rules: regulated trades need qualifications or a professional card, and food, health and finance have extra notifications
Register for the CFE local business tax (first year exempt)

Sources

Checked 1 Oct 2026 against:

Pound amounts use HMRC's exchange rates for 2026-10 and are a rough guide only.

Other countries in Europe

This guide is general information to help you plan, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Fees, forms and rules change: check the official registry before you file, and take professional advice for anything complex. Agent and lawyer costs are typical market prices, not quotes.

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