Subsection 2: National identification system and register of companies and their establishments.

Articles in this section · 19

Article R123-222

French Commercial codeIn force

Updated 6 Nov 2023

The following identification information is entered in the register:

1° For each legal unit:

a) For the natural persons mentioned in article R. 123-220 : the surname and, where applicable, the used name and pseudonym, the first names, the address of the legal unit with an indication, where applicable, that it corresponds to the address of the natural person's personal residence, the sex, nationality, date and place of birth, legal category, the activities carried out and their nature, the website address, the contact e-mail address and the contact telephone number, the objection to the data concerning him or her being made available and, if applicable, the date of death as well as the date of cessation of activity ;

b) For private legal entities and unincorporated private legal groupings mentioned in article R. 123-220 :

- the corporate name or name and, if applicable, the commercial name and acronym, the legal category, the activities carried out and their nature, the website address, the objection to the making available of data concerning it, the registered office with the indication, where applicable, that its address corresponds to the address of the personal residence of a director of the legal entity or grouping and, where applicable, its status as a company in the social economy, its number in the national register of associations or its status as a company with a mission ;

- the identity of the legal representative(s) including, in the case of a natural person, the surname, usual name and, if applicable, pseudonym, forenames, address, gender, nationality, date and place of birth and date of death of the legal representative(s), as well as the name of the contact person(s) with the authorities among the legal representatives, their contact email address and contact telephone number; in the case of a legal entity, its name, registered office, legal category, location and unique identification number;

c) For legal entities governed by public law and the institutions and departments mentioned in 5° of Article R. 123-220 : the name, if applicable the acronym, the legal category, the activities carried out and their nature as well as the address of the main place of activity;

2° For each establishment, the usual name, the address, an indication, where applicable, that the address of the establishment is the address of the personal domicile of the natural person or of a manager of the legal unit, an indication of the category depending on whether it is a registered office, a principal establishment or a secondary establishment, the activities carried out and their nature, any objection to the data concerning it being made available and, if applicable, the date and origin of its creation, as well as, if applicable, the sign, trade name and website address of the establishment ;

3° In all cases, the identification number in the register and an indication of the status of the legal unit, depending on whether it is active, dormant, dissolved or ceased, or, for an establishment, active or closed. In the case of a legal unit in formation, this processing status is mentioned until it is validated or refused by an authority mentioned in sub-section 2 of section 4 of this chapter;

4° The effective dates of changes to the indications mentioned in 1° to 3°.

An order of the minister responsible for the economy specifies the cases in which several establishments of a legal unit may be identified at the same address.

Mariela Petrova

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Common Questions

Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

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Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

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