Sub-subparagraph 1: Declarations for registration purposes.

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Article R123-53

French Commercial codeIn force
Ask for lawyer reviewed or certified translation

Updated 6 Nov 2023

In its application for registration, the company declares, as regards the legal entity:

1° Its corporate name or denomination followed, where applicable, by its acronym;

2° Its legal form specifying, where applicable, the fact that the company has a single shareholder and, where applicable, an indication of the special legal status to which the company is subject;

3° The amount of its share capital; if the capital is variable, the amount below which it may not be reduced;

4° The address of its registered office;

5° Where applicable, that the legal entity, whose legal representative has set up the registered office at his domicile, is exercising the option opened by the provisions of the second paragraph of Article L. 123-11-1 ;

6° Its principal activities;

7° Its duration as set out in the articles of association;

8° In the case of a company subject to disclosure of its annual accounts and balance sheets, the closing date of the financial year;

9° The references of any secondary registrations that may have been subscribed and, where applicable, of any principal or secondary establishments located and registered in another Member State of the European Community or party to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. In addition, the legal entity may declare information relating to the address and principal activity of these establishments on presentation of the supporting documents defined by the order provided for in article R. 123-166;

10° Where applicable, that it is the beneficiary of a business project support contract for the creation or takeover of an economic activity concluded under the conditions provided for in Chapter VII of Title II of this Book, specifying the corporate name of the legal entity responsible for the support, the address of its registered office and, if it is registered in a public register, the place of registration and the unique identification number ;

11° Where applicable, if it is a commercial company, its status as a social economy company;

12° Where applicable, its status as a company with a mission.

It may also declare the domain name of its website(s).

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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