THE ART OF
BEING LOCAL
IN FRANCE
Starting a Business in France
Starting a business in France gives access to the second-largest economy in the EU and one of Europe’s most important consumer markets. InterGest France has supported foreign companies with this since 1972 and runs their subsidiary day to day, from its office in Sarreguemines in the Grand Est region.
What you need to know about starting a business in France
Short answer: most companies starting a business in France use the SAS (Société par actions simplifiée, the flexible simplified joint-stock company) or the SARL (Société à responsabilité limitée, the French equivalent of a limited liability company). Both offer limited liability and allow 100 % foreign ownership. There is no legal minimum capital; 1 euro is formally enough. Depending on the business plan, 15,000 to 25,000 euros is recommended. Company formation costs 4,500 to 5,000 euros and takes four to six weeks until the company is fully operational. The process runs through six steps, from choosing the name and registered office to the Kbis extract (the official trade-register extract that proves the company exists). A personal appearance is required, among other things for the bank appointment.
Interested in other countries where InterGest is present? You can find more about other countries on our overview page starting a business abroad. There, you will find a comparison table of the most common legal forms as well as regional overviews: for example, on starting a business in China, starting a business in India, starting a business in Mexico or starting a business in Hungary.
An overview of all InterGest services can be found on our services page.
Your contact for starting a business in France
Sébastien Feuerstein has served as Managing Director of InterGest France since April 1, 2026. Prior to this appointment, he had been the company’s Finance Director since 2018. Before joining InterGest, he spent 13 years in a variety of roles within the Banque Populaire Group, including seven years as a branch manager.
Today, he oversees the company’s strategic and operational development, drawing on his extensive experience in the financial sector to further enhance its services and foster long-term client relationships.
Christian Quirin has played a defining role in shaping InterGest France over many years as Managing Director. As part of a planned succession, he handed over the management of the company to Sébastien Feuerstein on April 1, 2026. He will continue to support the business until his retirement at the end of 2027.
Thanks to his in-depth understanding of the company’s internal structures and their evolution, Christian Quirin has consistently responded to client needs with precision while also making a significant contribution to the development of internal processes and the expansion of the company’s service offering.
What are the advantages of starting a business in France?
The advantages of doing business in France start with access to the second-largest market in the EU. Seven points matter most in practice:
- Market size: France has around 68 million inhabitants and is one of the highest-spending consumer markets in Europe.
- Central location: from France, you can reach Western and Southern Europe via a dense network of ports, airports, and high-speed railways, including direct neighboring markets like Belgium, where starting a business in Belgium simultaneously opens access to the Benelux region.
- Your own strategy: with your own company you choose your projects, clients and partners and set your own market strategy.
- Local credibility: a French company builds trust with customers, suppliers and in public tenders.
- Separation of liability: the subsidiary is legally separate from the parent in terms of liability.
- Talent and infrastructure: France offers well-trained professionals, a strong industrial base and reliable infrastructure.
- Location incentives: programmes such as Bpifrance and regional funding support investment and research.
Even so, getting started is not trivial. Bureaucracy, the social-security and tax system, employment law and language can each slow a project down if they land on the table too late. InterGest France provides the local team to set your company up cleanly and keep the known hurdles from becoming a problem.
Which legal form is right for starting a business in France?
For starting a business in France, you can pick from several company types, and foreign investors most often choose the SAS (Société par actions simplifiée) or the SARL (Société à responsabilité limitée). The SARL is the French equivalent of a limited liability company. Both offer limited liability and can be held 100 % by foreign shareholders, so you can set up a company in France under full foreign ownership.
The SAS is especially flexible: a president runs it, there is no upper limit on shareholders, and it is easy to bring in further investors. The SARL is managed by one or more managers (gérants) and is capped at 100 shareholders. French law also provides other forms: the SA (Société anonyme) for large, capital-market structures and the SNC as a partnership. If you would rather not form a company, a foreign company can open a branch (succursale), a dependent unit without separate legal personality for which the parent is liable.
Good to know: foreign investors are treated equally in France in principle, and only a few sensitive sectors face investment screening.
| Legal form | Minimum capital | Typical use | Suitability for foreign investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAS (Société par actions simplifiée France, the simplified joint-stock company) | No legal minimum (1 euro formally) | Subsidiary, flexible governance, holding | Very suitable, 100 % foreign ownership, easy share transfers |
| SARL (limited liability company) | No legal minimum (1 euro formally) | Smaller subsidiary, family or partner-run; equivalent to a GmbH | Suitable, up to 100 shareholders |
| SA (public limited company) | 37,000 euros | Large structures, capital market | Only for special cases |
| Branch (succursale) | No share capital | Extension of the parent without separate legal personality | Possible, limited scope, parent is liable |
Advantage: the SAS gives the parent full control and is quick to act. It can hire staff, sign contracts and acquire property, with great freedom in drafting the articles.
Disadvantage: every company carries ongoing duties: annual accounts, an audit where required, and a social-security and tax system that is hard to track without local support.
Location and infrastructure for starting a business in France
For starting a business in France, the region you choose often shapes success more than the legal form: salaries, industry clusters and funding differ sharply between regions. Weigh up these five criteria:
- Industry clusters: administration, finance and tech around Paris (Île-de-France), industry and engineering in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes around Lyon, aerospace around Toulouse, logistics in Hauts-de-France, and industry and cross-border trade in the Grand Est.
- Transport links: ports such as Le Havre and Marseille, a dense high-speed rail network and motorways connect France with the whole of Europe.
- Talent: France trains strongly in engineering, IT and administration; availability varies by region and sector.
- Cost level: rents and salaries differ significantly between Paris and the regions.
- Proximity to authorities and banks: registrations and bank meetings move faster over short distances.
InterGest France is based in Sarreguemines in the Grand Est, right on the German border. From there the team serves clients across France and advises on the right location, including logistics and tax.
How company formation in France works
Registering a company in France runs through six steps, from the idea to the Kbis extract:
- Choose the company name and registered office: you pick the company name and the address of the registered office (siège social). You can check name availability in advance with INPI (Institut national de la propriété industrielle, the national trademark and patent office).
- Draft the articles: the articles of association (statuts) set out capital, bodies and voting rights. Careful drafting is decisive, because this is where most later problems arise.
- Pay in the share capital: the capital is paid into a French account, and the bank issues a deposit certificate (attestation de dépôt des fonds).
- Publish the legal notice: the formation is published in an official legal gazette (journal d’annonces légales).
- File via the Guichet unique: the application runs through the Guichet unique, the central INPI online portal for all company formalities. You receive the Kbis trade-register extract (the official proof that the company exists), together with the SIREN (the nine-digit company identifier), the SIRET (the fourteen-digit establishment identifier) and the VAT number.
- Start trading: with the Kbis and a bank account the company is ready to operate. InterGest can prepare the applications, check the foreign documents in advance and handle communication with the bank and authorities.
In all, setting up a company in France leaves you fully operational within four to six weeks.
What does starting a business in France cost and how long does it take?
What starting a business in France costs depends on the legal form: between 4,500 and 5,000 euros. That covers drafting the articles, the legal notice and the filing via the Guichet unique (the central INPI online portal for all company formalities). Four to six weeks later the company is fully operational.
| Item | Duration | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Articles and document preparation | 1–2 weeks | Approx. €1,000–2,000 (advice, translation) |
| Share-capital deposit and bank confirmation | A few days | From €1 (recommended €15,000–25,000) |
| Legal notice (journal d'annonces légales) | A few days | Approx. €150–200 |
| Filing via the Guichet unique and Kbis extract | 1–2 weeks | Approx. €40–250 (registry/greffe fees) |
| Advice and support | Throughout the project | Approx. €2,000–3,000 (flat fee) |
| Typical total | 4–6 weeks to operational | Approx. €4,500–5,000 (depending on legal form) |
Share capital: there is no legal minimum capital for the SAS or SARL, and 1 euro is formally enough. More important than the minimum is the practical figure: bring in enough to cover the first months of operating costs, social charges and start-up expenses, which is 15,000 to 25,000 euros depending on the business plan.
Corporate tax France: corporate income tax (impôt sur les sociétés) has a standard rate of 25 %, with a reduced rate of 15 % on the first 42,500 euros of profit for small companies. VAT (TVA) is 20 %, with reduced rates for specific goods and services: 10 % for restaurants, hotels and passenger transport, 5.5 % for food, books and medicines, and 2.1 % for the press and certain pharmaceuticals. Dividends paid abroad generally carry a 25 % withholding tax, which the double-taxation treaty between Germany and France can reduce.
Which documents do I need for starting a business in France?
For starting a business in France, the register requires the documents below before it enters your French company:
For the company:
- Fixed company name and address of the registered office
- Articles of association (statuts)
- Certificate of the share-capital deposit (attestation de dépôt) issued by the French bank
- Proof of the legal notice (annonce légale)
- Declaration of beneficial owners (déclaration des bénéficiaires effectifs)
For managers and shareholders:
- Identity document of the manager(s)
- Proof of address no older than three months
- For a foreign manager, certified and translated documents where applicable
If a foreign company acts as shareholder:
- Recent trade-register extract of the parent company, certified and apostilled where required
- Resolution to form the subsidiary
InterGest can coordinate gathering, certification and filing in the right order, so that business registration in France goes through on the first attempt. You will find more guidance in our FAQs.
Which legal aspects apply when starting a business in France?
The legal framework for starting a business in France is clearly organised. Once you know which body handles what, you move through it quickly.
The foundation is the Code de commerce, the French commercial code that sets out company law in France. It governs company incorporation in France along with the company bodies, capital and ongoing duties. Since 2023 the formation runs electronically through the INPI Guichet unique, which bundles name reservation, registration and several filings into one process and enters them in the national business register.
The French trade register (RCS), the backbone of France company registration, is kept by the registries of the commercial courts and issues the Kbis extract, the company’s identity card. INPI runs the central formation portal and keeps the French trademark register. The statistics office INSEE assigns the SIREN and the SIRET, URSSAF collects social-security contributions, and the tax administration DGFiP handles corporate income tax and VAT. Anyone moving goods within the EU also files the Intrastat return.
These authorities and laws accompany every company formation in France:
| Legal basis / authority | Function |
|---|---|
| Code de commerce | French commercial code; governs formation, bodies, capital and the ongoing duties of companies. |
| INPI – Guichet unique | Central online portal for all formation formalities and the national business register (RNE); also handles trademark registration. |
| INSEE | Issues the SIREN (company identifier) and SIRET (establishment identifier). |
| Registry / Infogreffe | Keeps the French trade register (RCS), the official France business registry, and issues the Kbis extract. |
| URSSAF | Collects social-security contributions and registers employers. |
| DGFiP (impots.gouv.fr) | Tax administration: corporate income tax, VAT, VAT number. |
| Intrastat | Reporting of intra-EU movements of goods for statistics. |
You will find the central portal for company formalities at INPI on inpi.fr; general information on the authorities is collected at service-public.gouv.fr.
What financing options are there for starting a business in France?
There are several ways to finance starting a business in France:
- Equity from the home country: the standard route. The contribution flows into the company as share capital, and a buffer for the first months of operating costs and social charges is recommended.
- Shareholder loans: loans from the parent are common and flexible. Document the contract and a market interest rate so that later repayment and the deduction of expenses hold up.
- Local bank loans: French banks finance established business models but require collateral and a track record. In the start-up phase, equity is the more reliable route.
- Funding programmes: the state development bank Bpifrance and regional programmes offer grants, guarantees and innovation funding. They are tied to evidence such as a solid business plan, planned jobs or investment amounts, an innovation or research angle, and filed annual accounts.
The right blend follows from your sector, capital needs and timeline; clients usually combine equity with a shareholder loan. InterGest France reviews the capital structure and makes sure it does not block later profit repatriation.
Choosing the wrong legal form
Picking the legal form on gut feeling costs later: a rigid SARL slows down bringing in new investors, while an SA adds unnecessary duties. The form should fit the shareholder base, capital and growth plan.
We derive the form and the articles with the parent from the business model, before anything is signed.
Neglecting the articles of association
Articles thrown together quickly come back to bite you: unclear distribution of power and missing rules on decisions and share transfers lead to disputes and costly amendments later.
We draft the articles so that governance, voting rights and exit are cleanly settled from the start.
Underestimating starting liquidity
Many founders think only of the share capital and forget social and tax charges, customer payment terms and start-up costs. After a few weeks the money for day-to-day operations runs short.
We derive the realistic capital need from the business plan and monitor liquidity from the start.
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What services does InterGest offer for yourmarket entry in France?
Short answer: since 1972, InterGest France has taken company formation, fiduciary administration, accounting, HR and reporting off the hands of foreign companies. The Sarreguemines team works in German, French and English and reports figures to headquarters in the format they know from Europe.
InterGest France is led by Christian Quirin, and Finance Director Sébastien Feuerstein heads accounting. For foreign parents, the team closes one gap above all: the one between French administrative and banking practice and the home reporting standard. You get company formation in France and ongoing administration from a single source, across the whole life of the subsidiary.
- Formation: InterGest guides your formation from name and registered office to the Kbis extract, prepares the articles and applications and handles the filing via the Guichet unique.
- Strategy advice: before the first application, we clarify location, legal form and route to market together, so your market entry in France succeeds.
- Accounting and bookkeeping: our team handles your bookkeeping in France on the ground, so you never send receipts to France or touch the French ledger. It records the transactions, prepares monthly and annual accounts and sets up reporting for headquarters. Our accounting services in France include English-speaking accountants in France and an expert-comptable as your dedicated accountant France for sign-off.
- Tax advice: your dedicated tax advisor France keeps tax compliance in France on track and answers the day-to-day questions on corporate income tax, VAT and dividend withholding tax.
- Payroll and HR: our payroll services France run salaries under French law, file social charges with URSSAF and support recruitment, HR France, HR outsourcing in France and the day-to-day human resource management in France, from the search to the contract.
- Controlling: we consolidate the figures monthly and deliver cross-border reporting.
- Receivables management: we issue your invoices, monitor payments and chase late customers.
- Administration: on request we manage your company on a fiduciary basis and review contracts before you sign.
For the global picture, see our page with all InterGest services, which takes foreign companies overseas, for example when starting a business in Mexico or starting a business in India.
Ready to open business in France?
When will you start?
Do I need to be physically present in France to start a business?
Yes. Unlike in some countries, starting a business in France usually requires a personal appearance, above all for the bank appointment to open the capital account and verify identity.
With good preparation, much of this can be bundled into a single visit. InterGest arranges the process so that you only travel once.
InterGest handles the rest of the communication with the bank and authorities. The details are clarified in a consultation.
How much does it cost to set up a business in France?
Formation costs run from around 4,500 to 5,000 euros depending on the legal form, covering the articles, the legal notice and the filing.
On top comes the capital itself: 1 euro is legally enough, but in practice 15,000 to 25,000 euros is sensible depending on the business plan. The money is not lost; it works as operating capital inside the company.
An overview is in the Costs & duration section above.
How to register a company in France?
In six steps: choose the name and registered office, draft the articles, pay the share capital into a French account, publish the legal notice, file via the INPI Guichet unique (the central INPI online portal for all company formalities) and start trading.
You receive the Kbis extract (the official trade-register extract that proves the company exists) together with the SIREN (the nine-digit company identifier), the SIRET (the fourteen-digit establishment identifier) and the VAT number. The company is fully operational within four to six weeks.
The detailed description is in the Steps section above; InterGest can manage the entire procedure for you.
What is the difference between an SAS and a SARL in France?
Both are limited liability companies suitable for foreign investors. The SAS is more flexible on governance and share transfers and suits subsidiaries and holdings; the SARL fits smaller, partner-run structures.
Which form works depends on the shareholder base, capital and growth plan. InterGest derives the right form from your project rather than recommending one across the board.
A side-by-side comparison is in the Legal form section above.
How are companies taxed in France?
Corporate income tax (impot sur les societes) is 25 %; a reduced rate of 15 % applies to the first 42,500 euros of profit for small companies.
VAT (TVA) is 20 %; reduced rates apply to specific goods and services: 10 % for restaurants, hotels and passenger transport, 5.5 % for food, books and medicines, and 2.1 % for the press and certain pharmaceuticals. Dividends paid abroad are generally subject to 25 % withholding tax, which the double taxation treaty with Germany can reduce.
InterGest France handles the ongoing bookkeeping and tax returns in full on request.
What are the advantages of doing business in France?
The main ones: the second-largest market in the EU with around 68 million inhabitants, a central location in Western Europe, well-trained professionals and strong infrastructure.
Add to that state location incentives through Bpifrance and the legal separation of liability between subsidiary and parent.
The detailed list is in the Advantages section above.
What are the challenges of doing business in France?
Four themes come up again and again in practice: dense social-security and tax law, comparatively strict employment law, high non-wage labour costs and French as the administrative language.
None of these argues against market entry; they simply require preparation and a partner on the ground who knows the practice.
That is exactly what InterGest France has been there for since 1972: we know the hurdles and clear them before they slow the project down.
What is the Kbis extract?
The Kbis extract (extrait Kbis) is the business registration certificate France issues, the official extract from the French trade register (RCS), and serves as proof that the company exists.
It carries your company’s core data: name, legal form, capital, registered office, management and the SIREN (the nine-digit company identifier) and SIRET (the fourteen-digit establishment identifier) numbers. Banks, customers and authorities ask for it regularly.
You receive the Kbis after registration via the Guichet unique. Which documents you file for the formation is set out in the Documents section above.
How do I open a business bank account in France?
Opening a business bank account in France requires an appointment at the bank, where the shareholders and managers are identified.
Before the formation, a capital account is opened into which the share capital is paid; the bank issues the deposit certificate for this. After registration it becomes the operating account.
InterGest prepares the documents and accompanies the appointment so that everything fits the first time.
Why should I choose InterGest when starting a business in France?
The difference from a pure registration agency: InterGest does not stop after the Kbis. Every client has a personal contact who covers formation, accounting, tax, payroll, HR and reporting, with no interfaces between several providers.
On the ground this is led by Christian Quirin, who runs InterGest France in Sarreguemines on the German border.
Add to that the network: InterGest has been active in over 50 countries since 1972. Anyone expanding to France can later use the same structure in Germany, China or India. See all InterGest services.