Section 3: Right of communication

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Article R811-5

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

Updated 7 Nov 2023

The authorities and private individuals mentioned in 1° to 8° of Article L. 811-4 transmit the following documents and information:
1° For authorities holding civil status certificates: authentication of the French civil status certificates they have issued;
2° For labour and employment authorities: documents establishing the existence and nature of the professional activity declared by the applicant;
3° For social security bodies and the institution mentioned in article L. 5312-1 of the Labour Code: the address declared by the applicant, the composition of his/her household, the family and social benefits received by the applicant and his/her dependents, the existence and nature of a professional activity and membership of a social security scheme;
4° For schools and higher education establishments:
a) for primary and secondary education establishments: a) for primary and secondary education establishments: proof of enrolment in the establishment of the applicant's dependent children and their attendance;
b) for higher education establishments: proof of enrolment of the applicant in their establishment, attendance in lessons and authentication of the transcripts produced by the applicant;
5° For energy suppliers and electronic communications services: the address declared by the applicant, authentication of contracts and invoices issued by these companies and a five-year history of contracts and subscriptions opened in the applicant's name;
6° For public and private health establishments: authentication of certificates and summonses produced by the applicant, proof of attendance at the establishment by the applicant;
7° For banking establishments and financial organisations: the address declared by the applicant, the existence of the applicant's account opened in their books as well as the name(s) of the account holder(s) and the statements for these accounts over the last two years;
8° For commercial court registries: the authentication of documents and information relating to the existence of a company run by or employing the applicant.

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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