Sub-subparagraph 1: Declarations for registration purposes

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Article R123-244

French Commercial codeIn force

Updated 6 Nov 2023

The following information relating to a natural person's main establishment on national territory and the activities carried out therein shall be entered in the National Register of Companies, upon declaration by the natural person at the time of registration:


1° An indication of the principal nature of the establishment and, where applicable, its name;


> Its address 2° Its address;



3° Where applicable, in the case of premises occupied jointly with one or more other companies, the existence of the domiciliation contract provided for in articles R. 123-167 and R. 123-168, the date on which it was signed, the name or corporate name of the domiciliary company, its unique identification number and any references to its registration in a public register, indicating the name and location of the register;



4° A description of its main activity and any secondary activities;


>
5° The corresponding date of commencement of the declared activities;


6° For each of the activities concerned, whether it is a start-up or a takeover, with, in the latter case, the unique identification number of the previous operator and, in the case of a natural person, their surname, usual name, pseudonym and forenames or, in the case of a legal entity, its name. In the case of undivided ownership of the business elements, the name, working name, pseudonym, forenames and home address of natural persons or the company name and registered office address of undivided legal entities must also be declared;


For each of the activities concerned, the name, working name, pseudonym and forenames or, in the case of a legal entity, its name. 7° For each of the activities concerned, an indication of the mode of operation;


8° For each of the activities concerned, where applicable, an indication of whether, in application of Article L. 526-6, a separate asset has been assigned to it, as well as the information declared, as provided for in 2°, 3°, 4° and 5° of Article R. 526-3. If there is no establishment, only the information mentioned in 4° to 8° shall be indicated by the natural person.

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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