Section 2: Withdrawal of residence permits

Articles in this section · 3

Article R432-4

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

Updated 7 Nov 2023

Without prejudice to the provisions of articles R. 421-41, R. 422-7, R. 423-2 and R. 426-1, the residence permit may be withdrawn in the following cases:
1° The foreign national, holder of a temporary residence permit or a multi-annual residence permit, has committed acts that expose him/her to one of the convictions provided for in articles 222-34 to 222-40, 224-1-A to 224-1-C, 225-4-1 to 225-4-4, 225-4-7, 225-5 to 225-11, 225-12-1 and 225-12-2, 225-12-5 to 225-12-7, 225-13 to 225-15, 7° of article 311-4 and articles 312-12-1 and 321-6-1 of the Criminal Code; 2° The foreign national, holder of a temporary residence permit or a multi-annual residence permit, has employed a foreign worker in breach of the provisions of article L. 5221-8 of the Labour Code or has disregarded the provisions of article L. 5221-5 of the same code or has carried out a self-employed activity without authorisation;
3° A foreign national authorised to reside in France for family reunification purposes is no longer living in the same household as the spouse he or she has come to join within three years of the entry visa being issued by the diplomatic or consular authority, except in the cases mentioned in the third and fourth paragraphs of article L. 4° Subject to the provisions of articles L. 611-3, L. 631-2 and L. 631-3, if the foreign national has brought his or her spouse or children to France outside the family reunification procedure, unless he or she holds a residence permit bearing the words "long-term resident-EU" as provided for in articles L. 421-12, L. 421-25, L. 424-5, L. 424-14 or L. 426-17 granted by France;
5° A foreign national who has been admitted to reside in France in order to work as an employee has their work permit withdrawn on the grounds that they have not complied with the obligation to produce the medical certificate provided for in article L. 5221-5 of the Labour Code;
6° A foreign national holding a temporary residence permit or a multi-annual residence permit constitutes a threat to public order;
7° A foreign national holding a residence permit obstructs the checks required to verify that the conditions for the issue of their residence permit are being maintained, or fails to comply with summonses to attend;
8° A foreign national holding a temporary residence permit or a multi-annual residence permit constitutes a threat to public order;
9° A foreign national holding a residence permit obstructs the checks required to verify that the conditions for the issue of their residence permit are being maintained, or fails to comply with summonses to attend; 8° A foreign national holding a residence permit marked "long-term resident-EU" in another Member State, authorised to reside in France pursuant to article L. 426-11, engages, within twelve months of the issue of the temporary residence permit provided for in articles L. 421-1, L. 421-3 or L. 421-5, in paid employment other than that for which he/she was granted the right to reside in France; 9° A foreign national holding a residence permit has employed a foreign worker in breach of the provisions of article L. 5221-8 of the Labour Code;
10° A foreign national, holder of a residence permit bearing the wording "long-term resident-EU" provided for in articles L. 424-5, L. 424-14 or L. 426-17, issued by France, loses refugee status or the benefit of subsidiary protection in the cases mentioned in articles L. 424-8 and L. 424-17.

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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