Section 2: Integration contract

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Article R413-4

French Code governing the entry and residence of foreign nationals and the right of asylumIn force

Updated 7 Nov 2023

The republican integration contract is concluded for a period of one year.
This contract is respected as long as the training courses it provides for have been followed assiduously and seriously and the foreign national has not shown any rejection of the essential values of French society and the Republic. Where the prescribed language training lasts for more than one year, the Prefect will assess compliance with the attendance and seriousness requirements at the end of the first year, in the light of the opinion of the Office français de l'immigration et de l'intégration (French Immigration and Integration Office). Subject to the second paragraph, the contract is terminated in the month following the end of the prescribed training period.
When the civic and linguistic training courses prescribed and duly completed are in progress at the end of the contract, the Prefect may, for a legitimate reason and on the recommendation of the Office and subject to the foreign national's lawful residence status, extend the Republican Integration Contract by up to a further year.

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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