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Establishing a subsidiary company in France is preferable to setting up a branch; local clients, suppliers, and government authorities typically favour doing business with a locally incorporated company. A subsidiary is a limited liability company and must have its own name, which the parent company should arrange before registration. Naming the subsidiary is free and can be completed online.
The most common legal structure is a SARL (Société à Responsabilité Limitée – private limited liability company) or a SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée – simplified joint-stock company). These offer flexible governance and limited liability.
Yes. 100% foreign ownership is allowed in France. There are no mandatory local shareholder requirements, and directors can be non-residents (although tax residency and regulatory aspects may be considered in practice).
On average, it takes 7 to 15 working days to register a subsidiary company once all documents are in order. This includes name approval, notary processes, filing with the Centre de Formalités des Entreprises (CFE), and obtaining a company registration number (SIREN).
A registered address in France is required at the time of incorporation. This can be a physical, virtual, or serviced office depending on business needs.
For an SARL, there is no fixed minimum capital requirement, but commonly €1 is used as a symbolic amount. For SAS, the same applies. However, a realistic capital base is often recommended for credibility and banking.
Required documents include:
All documents must be translated into French by a sworn translator.