Prior to registering your company at the Register of Commerce and Companies, it is necessary to accomplish some formalities. Supporting documents will be requested in order to complete your registration file.

Preliminary procedures before registering at the Register of Commerce
and Companies

Exercising a regulated activity :

If your company exercises a regulated activity (sale of alcoholic beverages, optician, transportation of goods and passengers, etc.), check that you fulfill the conditions required for this activity (diploma, personal qualifications, etc.) in order to obtain the agreement, or the necessary authorisation to be registered with the RCS.
Pour obtenir des renseignements, adressez-vous :

• the professional organizations and associations
• the services of the Préfecture de Paris
• the administrative supervisory authorities (e.g. for transportation, you should refer to DREIF - Direction Régionale de l’Equipement d’Ile de France)

Domiciliation : your official business address

Proof will be required by the Registry of the Commercial Court of the established occupancy of the company’s head office (e.g. copy of the commercial lease, the contract with a domiciliation company, recent electric bill (EDF) or telephone receipts, etc.).
At the time of formation, the trader (natural person) may declare the address of his place of residence and conduct business there, barring any legislative provision or contractual stipulation to the contrary. Natural persons who do not have business premises may declare their place of residence, solely for the purpose of providing a business address. Such a declaration does not give rise to any change of use or to application of the commercial lease regulations.

Further steps to be taken
Make sure that the name of the company is clearly indicated on your mailbox, or you will not receive the certificate of incorporation (“Kbis” extract) that will be sent by the Registry.
In order to comply with the regulations, you must buy the company books (minute books, etc.) and get them stamped and signed by the Registry.

Documents to include in your file for your registration at the Register of Commerce and Companies

For the sole member limited liability company,Two copies of the business-plan support contract for the creation or takeover of a business activity, certified true by the legal representative, if applicable.

A duly completed P0 application formTwo copies shall be deposited at the Registry and one copy at the Business Formalities Centre.

An original proxy from the sole trader if he has not personally signed the P0 application form.

Proof of the regular occupancy of the company’s head office (e.g.: a copy of the commercial lease, a contract with the domiciliation company, a recent electric bill (EDF) or telephone receipts, etc.) It is very important for your company to clearly identify your company’s address in order to allow the Registry to mail the certificate of incorporation (K extract) to you when there is a formality or for your partners to contact you.

A copy of the proof of publication in an authorised newspaper of the notice announcing the purchase of the business.

A copy of the sale contract of the business stamped and registered.

If the declared activity is regulated, then send a copy of the authorisation delivered by the administrative supervisory authorities, a copy of the diploma or title.

If the sole-trader is married, then send an original marriage license. If a prenuptial agreement has been established, send a certified true copy of it, dated and signed by the sole trader. If he is married under a regime of statutory or conventional community, enclose a declaration dated and signed by the spouse recognizing having been informed of the consequences of the debts contracted in the exercise of the profession on common property.
Click here to obtain an example of declaration.

If the sole trader is divorced, send an extract of the birth certificate or the marriage license mentioning the divorce.

A sworn statement indicating that you have no criminal record , dated and signed by the person concerned. This statement will later be checked by the judge responsible for overseeing the register with the criminal record service.

A certificate indicating the names and first names of the parents, except if this information appears in a relevant document already produced.

Written proofs to enclose with your file.

For the persons of foreign citizenship that are obliged to have a residency permit, send a copy (both sides) of the residency permit in force or a copy of the prefectural authorisation to exercise a commercial, craft or industrial activity, or, in the opposite case, any other official document proving the identity of the person (passport).

Fees

- Include a cheque with your file for€
- Include a cheque with your file for
- The cheques shall be made out to : Greffe du Tribunal de Paris and enclosed with your application.

Greffe’s fees : postage included for sending the extracts
INPI : Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle (National Institute for Industrial Property)
BODACC : Bulletin Officiel des Annonces Civiles et Commerciales (Official Bulletin of Civil and Commercial Notices)

prepare your file online on the secure website of the Commercial Court’s registry

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