{"id":2114870,"date":"2026-09-01T18:03:50","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T16:03:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/2026\/09\/01\/foreign-founder-company-formation-documents-apostille-translation-inpi-kbis-checklist\/"},"modified":"2026-09-01T18:03:50","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T16:03:50","slug":"foreign-founder-company-formation-documents-apostille-translation-inpi-kbis-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/01\/foreign-founder-company-formation-documents-apostille-translation-inpi-kbis-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"What Documents Does a Foreign Founder Need to Set Up a Company in France? Apostille, Translation, Kbis and INPI Checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"chapeau\">What documents does a foreign founder need to set up a company in France? The answer depends on the chosen legal form, the identity of the director, the presence of a foreign corporate shareholder and the way control is exercised. A passport alone is not a formation file. Before opening the online application, the founder should assemble a coherent set of articles of association, appointment evidence, registered-office proof, capital evidence, identity documents, declarations, corporate extracts and beneficial-owner information. The documents must also be signed by the right people, translated when the receiving authority requires French, and presented in a form that can be matched across the entire application. The French <em>guichet unique<\/em>\u2014the one-stop business formalities portal operated through the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI)\u2014then transmits the file to the relevant bodies. The result is recorded in the National Register of Enterprises (RNE) and, for a commercial company, in the Trade and Companies Register (RCS). The Kbis, an official extract evidencing the company\u2019s commercial registration, comes after that process; it does not replace the formation documents. This guide sets out the practical document matrix, the translation and authentication decisions, and the steps to take if INPI or the registry requests a correction.<\/p>\n<h2>I. What documents does a foreign founder need before filing a French company?<\/h2>\n<h3>A. Which company and shareholder documents are required for a French SAS, SASU, SARL or EURL?<\/h3>\n<p>The first task is to define the legal entity that will be registered. A foreign founder may create a <em>soci\u00e9t\u00e9 par actions simplifi\u00e9e<\/em> (SAS, simplified joint-stock company), a SASU when there is one shareholder, a <em>soci\u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e0 responsabilit\u00e9 limit\u00e9e<\/em> (SARL, private limited-liability company), or an EURL when the SARL has one shareholder. A branch is different: it is an establishment of the foreign company, not a new French legal person. The documents, translation route and continuing filing obligations must therefore be separated from the beginning.<\/p>\n<p>The legal form is not a decorative label on the Kbis. It determines the constitutional documents, the organs to be named, the way authority is proved and the information that must be declared. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/id\/LEGIARTI000019291777\/\" class=\"kohen-legifrance-popup-link\" data-kohen-legifrance-url=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/id\/LEGIARTI000019291777\" data-kohen-legifrance-title=\"Texte officiel Legifrance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article L227-1 of the French <em>Code de commerce<\/em><\/a> states that <q lang=\"fr\">Une soci\u00e9t\u00e9 par actions simplifi\u00e9e peut \u00eatre institu\u00e9e par une ou plusieurs personnes<\/q> and that those persons bear losses only up to their contribution. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/id\/LEGISCTA000006146044\/\" class=\"kohen-legifrance-popup-link\" data-kohen-legifrance-url=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/id\/LEGISCTA000006146044\" data-kohen-legifrance-title=\"Texte officiel Legifrance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article L223-1 of the same Code<\/a> uses the corresponding rule for a SARL: <q lang=\"fr\">La soci\u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e0 responsabilit\u00e9 limit\u00e9e est institu\u00e9e par une ou plusieurs personnes<\/q>. These provisions explain why the application must identify the shareholders, their contributions and the company\u2019s form, but they do not answer every question about governance. Those details belong in the articles of association and the appointment documents.<\/p>\n<p>For a French subsidiary, prepare one clean corporate file containing the following core items:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>the draft articles of association, dated and signed, showing the company name, legal form, registered office, corporate purpose, duration, share capital, share or unit allocation, management rules and financial year;<\/li>\n<li>the act appointing the president, managing director or <em>g\u00e9rant<\/em> when that appointment is not already included in the articles;<\/li>\n<li>proof of the registered office, such as a lease, domiciliation contract or other document that clearly identifies the address and the right to use it;<\/li>\n<li>the certificate showing that the cash capital was deposited, together with the subscribers\u2019 list where the form and filing require it;<\/li>\n<li>the certificate of publication of the incorporation notice in an authorised legal-announcement medium;<\/li>\n<li>any report or decision required for an in-kind contribution, and any authorisation, diploma or professional title required for a regulated activity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This list reflects the company documents described by the official <a href=\"https:\/\/entreprendre.service-public.fr\/vosdroits\/F35934\">Service Public Entreprendre registration guidance<\/a>. It should be treated as a starting matrix rather than a promise that every French company has the same attachments. For example, an ordinary consulting company with cash contributions will not have the same file as a business contributing machinery, intellectual property or a regulated professional qualification. An application is stronger when each attachment is labelled by its legal purpose and tied to a specific field in the online form.<\/p>\n<p>The articles must be internally consistent. The company name in the articles must match the name entered on the portal and the name used in the legal announcement. The capital table must match the subscribers\u2019 list and the capital-deposit evidence. The registered-office address must match the domiciliation document, including building number, postal code, municipality and any suite or floor reference. The corporate purpose should be wide enough for the intended business but not so vague that it fails to describe the activity. The date of the financial year-end should be deliberate, especially where the foreign parent\u2019s reporting calendar is different. A translation cannot repair a contradiction in the original file.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/section_lc\/LEGITEXT000005634379\/LEGISCTA000006199017\/2026-05-28\/\" class=\"kohen-legifrance-popup-link\" data-kohen-legifrance-url=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/section_lc\/LEGITEXT000005634379\/LEGISCTA000006199017\/2026-05-28\" data-kohen-legifrance-title=\"Texte officiel Legifrance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article R123-53 of the <em>Code de commerce<\/em><\/a> requires the company\u2019s registration declaration to state, among other matters, <q lang=\"fr\">Le montant de son capital social<\/q>, the address of its registered office, its main activities, its duration and, where relevant, the closing date of its financial year. This is a useful pre-filing test: compare each of those fields against the articles, the application preview and the legal-announcement text before signing. If one document says \u201cParis\u201d and another identifies a different municipality, the registry may treat the discrepancy as a substantive irregularity rather than a typographical detail.<\/p>\n<p>The timing of the acts is equally important. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000042959600\/2026-05-07\" class=\"kohen-legifrance-popup-link\" data-kohen-legifrance-url=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000042959600\/2026-05-07\" data-kohen-legifrance-title=\"Texte officiel Legifrance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article R123-103<\/a> provides that the constitutive acts of a legal person whose registered office is in France are filed <q lang=\"fr\">au plus tard en m\u00eame temps que la demande d&#8217;immatriculation<\/q>. The provision also identifies the articles and appointment acts, and, for a company limited by shares, the certificate of deposit and subscribers\u2019 list. Do not upload a preliminary draft merely because the shareholders have approved its commercial idea. The file should contain the executed version that the company intends to make the basis of its registration.<\/p>\n<p>For an SAS or SASU, the appointment document should state the appointed person\u2019s exact identity and the scope of the office under the articles. If a corporate director is contemplated, do not use a generic \u201cgroup representative\u201d letter. Identify the foreign legal entity, the person who represents it in France when required, and the evidence that the foreign board or authorised organ approved the appointment. If the French company has several directors or special signing powers, prepare the relevant resolutions and a clear authority chart. The registry and the bank should be able to see who may bind the company without reconstructing the group structure from informal emails.<\/p>\n<p>For a SARL or EURL, identify the <em>g\u00e9rant<\/em> and check the specific rules in the articles. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/id\/LEGISCTA000006146044\/\" class=\"kohen-legifrance-popup-link\" data-kohen-legifrance-url=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/id\/LEGISCTA000006146044\" data-kohen-legifrance-title=\"Texte officiel Legifrance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article L223-6 of the <em>Code de commerce<\/em><\/a> states that all shareholders must participate in the constitutive act either personally or through a representative holding a special power. That rule is especially relevant where a foreign shareholder cannot travel to France. The power should identify the company, the formation act, the person authorised to sign and the date or transaction covered. A loose email saying that an adviser \u201ccan handle the formation\u201d may not be enough to prove a special power.<\/p>\n<p>Capital evidence should be assembled before the final signature. The bank or depositary may issue a certificate in French or another language, and it may ask for the draft articles, shareholder identities, source-of-funds information and a group resolution before accepting the deposit. Those bank checks are not identical to the INPI registration requirements. Keep both files separate: the deposit certificate proves the capital event; the bank\u2019s broader compliance questions prove nothing about whether the application is complete. Where a bank refuses to open the account, the founder may need a different depositary or a carefully documented alternative route, but should not replace the capital certificate with a bank email that merely says that an account is being reviewed.<\/p>\n<p>The incorporation notice must also match the final corporate file. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000041564093\" class=\"kohen-legifrance-popup-link\" data-kohen-legifrance-url=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000041564093\" data-kohen-legifrance-title=\"Texte officiel Legifrance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article R210-3<\/a> states that, once the other incorporation formalities have been completed, <q lang=\"fr\">un avis est ins\u00e9r\u00e9 dans un support habilit\u00e9 \u00e0 recevoir les annonces l\u00e9gales<\/q> in the department of the registered office. In practice, retain the full publication certificate and compare the notice with the articles. An incorrect legal form, capital amount, registered office or management name can create an avoidable correction request. The publication fee and registry fee are separate from the capital itself; check the current amount shown by the portal before payment because administrative tariffs may change.<\/p>\n<p>A foreign parent should decide early whether it is merely a shareholder, the French company\u2019s director, or both. The document pack is different in each situation. A parent that is only a shareholder still has to be identified in the beneficial-owner and corporate-shareholder information. A parent appointed as director or member of a governing body may trigger a request for a current foreign registry extract, its constitutional documents and evidence of the natural person authorised to represent it. A parent funding the French company may also be asked by the bank for a board resolution, a loan or contribution agreement and proof of the source of funds. Do not assume that a French registry request and a bank compliance request have the same scope.<\/p>\n<p>The formal difference between a subsidiary and a branch should be visible in the checklist. A subsidiary has its own French articles, capital, management and beneficial-owner declaration. A branch or first French establishment of a foreign company generally files the foreign company\u2019s current statutes and other foreign corporate records. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000043292321\/2026-04-20\" class=\"kohen-legifrance-popup-link\" data-kohen-legifrance-url=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000043292321\/2026-04-20\" data-kohen-legifrance-title=\"Texte officiel Legifrance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article R123-112<\/a> addresses a foreign company opening a first establishment in France and requires a copy of its current statutes to be filed with the registration request, with continuing accounting-document deposits. If the project is actually a branch, forcing it into a subsidiary checklist may produce the wrong legal file; if the project is a subsidiary, submitting only the parent\u2019s documents will not create the French legal person.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, retain a version-controlled folder. Use a file name that states the document, issuing entity, date and language. Keep the original, the translation, the certification or apostille, and the final uploaded PDF together. A simple index should state which document supports which field. This matters if the portal asks for one replacement attachment: the founder must be able to replace the defective item without accidentally uploading an outdated version of the articles or a translation based on a previous shareholder list.<\/p>\n<h3>B. Which identity, foreign-company and beneficial-owner documents must be prepared?<\/h3>\n<p>The individual founder\u2019s identity file usually starts with a valid passport or national identity document, but the registry also needs information that is not printed on the passport\u2019s photo page. For a natural-person director, prepare the identity copy, full civil-status details, residential address and the dated and signed declaration of non-conviction and parentage required by the filing route. \u201cParentage\u201d here means the information used to identify the person\u2019s parents in the declaration; it is not a request for a family-law document from every shareholder. Use the official model when the portal or registry provides one, and do not sign a blank form for later completion.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000054032138\/2026-05-22\" class=\"kohen-legifrance-popup-link\" data-kohen-legifrance-url=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000054032138\/2026-05-22\" data-kohen-legifrance-title=\"Texte officiel Legifrance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article R123-54 of the <em>Code de commerce<\/em><\/a> lists, depending on the legal form, <q lang=\"fr\">Les nom, nom d&#8217;usage, pseudonyme, pr\u00e9noms, date et lieu de naissance, domicile personnel et nationalit\u00e9<\/q> for relevant natural persons. The practical lesson is to check spelling and order, not to translate names creatively. The name in the passport, the declaration, the power of attorney and the portal should be the same legal identity. If a passport uses a transliteration that differs from a birth certificate or corporate resolution, explain the difference with supporting evidence rather than silently selecting a new spelling.<\/p>\n<p>An address problem is common when the director lives outside France. A foreign residential address should be written in a form that can be verified: country, city, postal code, street and number, with an official proof of address if the requested formalities or the bank requires it. A French registered office is not the director\u2019s home address. The domiciliation contract or lease proves the company\u2019s headquarters; the identity file proves where the natural person lives. Merging those two documents can cause both privacy and registration errors.<\/p>\n<p>French rules now provide mechanisms for limiting the public display of some personal address information, but privacy protection is not a reason to omit the address from the confidential filing. The official registration guidance explains that certain directors and other natural persons may request that their personal address be hidden from public documents, and it refers to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000054030125\" class=\"kohen-legifrance-popup-link\" data-kohen-legifrance-url=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000054030125\" data-kohen-legifrance-title=\"Texte officiel Legifrance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article R123-102-1<\/a> for limited extracts of constitutive or amending acts. Decide the privacy request at the time of filing and keep the complete address in the confidential file when the authority requires it. Do not redact a passport or declaration so heavily that the validator cannot connect it to the person named in the articles.<\/p>\n<p>Where the shareholder or director is a foreign legal person, prepare a separate corporate identity bundle. It should normally include a recent official extract or certificate of existence, the entity\u2019s legal name and form, registered office, registration number, current directors or authorised officers, and the constitutional document that shows its powers. If the foreign company is not yet registered, obtain an official document proving its existence and legal capacity. A commercial website, an unsigned group chart or a certificate from an accountant may help explain the structure, but none should be assumed to replace an official extract when the portal asks for one.<\/p>\n<p>The appointment chain must be visible. If \u201cGlobal Parent Ltd\u201d is the shareholder, \u201cGlobal Parent Ltd\u201d should approve the investment or appoint the representative through the organ authorised by its own law and articles. If \u201cGlobal Parent Ltd\u201d is itself controlled by another company, record that chain for the beneficial-owner declaration and for bank checks. If a natural person signs for the parent, prepare the board resolution, delegation or power showing why that person can bind the parent. A French company\u2019s president cannot cure a missing corporate authority document by writing a statement that the group \u201cconsents\u201d; the foreign entity\u2019s own authority must be evidenced.<\/p>\n<p>The beneficial owner is the natural person who ultimately owns or controls the company, or who must be identified under the applicable rules when ownership cannot be established in the ordinary way. \u201cUBO\u201d is the common English abbreviation for ultimate beneficial owner. Map direct and indirect shareholdings, voting rights, special control rights, veto rights and the identity of any person exercising control through another arrangement. The percentages in that map should agree with the articles and shareholder register. If no natural person is identified through ownership or control, follow the statutory fallback rules and explain the basis in the filing rather than leaving the field empty.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000051559441\" class=\"kohen-legifrance-popup-link\" data-kohen-legifrance-url=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000051559441\" data-kohen-legifrance-title=\"Texte officiel Legifrance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article L561-46 of the French <em>Code mon\u00e9taire et financier<\/em><\/a> requires companies to declare <q lang=\"fr\">les informations relatives aux b\u00e9n\u00e9ficiaires effectifs<\/q> through the body referred to in the company-formality rules. The text covers identification, personal address and the way control is exercised. For a foreign group, this means that the formation file should contain a control chart, supporting registry extracts and a written explanation of indirect ownership. The chart may be confidential, but it must be precise enough for the filing agent to complete the official declaration accurately.<\/p>\n<p>Do not confuse the beneficial-owner declaration with a \u201cproof of funds\u201d package. The first describes who ultimately controls the company. The second explains where the capital or anticipated financing comes from and is generally driven by the bank\u2019s anti-money-laundering checks. A bank may ask for tax returns, audited accounts, sale agreements, investment statements or a parent-company resolution. The INPI file may not require all of those items, but a refusal to provide them can still prevent the capital deposit. Keep a checklist column labelled \u201cregistry\u201d, \u201cbank\u201d, \u201ctax\u201d or \u201cinternal governance\u201d so that the founder knows who requested each document.<\/p>\n<p>The company\u2019s main activity must also be documented if it is regulated. A licence, professional qualification, prior authorisation or registration with an order may be required before the company can lawfully exercise the activity. This is separate from the founder\u2019s immigration status. A person may be able to form a French company while living abroad, but personally moving to France or carrying out the activity there can trigger separate residence and work requirements. Those immigration questions should not be hidden inside the corporate-formation checklist. The company file should simply identify any authorisation that the activity itself requires.<\/p>\n<p>The official rules do not make a French residence address a universal condition for company formation. The current Service Public guidance distinguishes the right to create a company from the right to reside and work in France. A non-resident founder should therefore prepare a reliable foreign identity and address file, a French registered-office document and, where relevant, evidence concerning the person who will actually manage or perform the activity in France. The absence of a French home address is not itself a reason to invent one in the application.<\/p>\n<p>After registration, several identifiers will be issued or confirmed. The Siren is the nine-digit identifier of the French enterprise; the Siret is the fourteen-digit identifier of a particular establishment. The RNE is the National Register of Enterprises, while the RCS is the Trade and Companies Register maintained for commercial registration. The <em>greffe<\/em> is the registry office attached to the competent commercial court. The Kbis is the official commercial-registration extract issued after registration; it is evidence of the registered company, not a substitute for its articles, resolutions or beneficial-owner documentation. These terms should be used accurately in instructions to banks, customers and foreign group companies.<\/p>\n<p>Before moving to the portal, run a five-way reconciliation:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>compare every personal name, date of birth and nationality against the identity document;<\/li>\n<li>compare the foreign company\u2019s name, legal form, registration number and registered office against its current official extract;<\/li>\n<li>compare the French company\u2019s name, address, form, capital and activities across the articles, legal notice, bank certificate and application;<\/li>\n<li>compare the shareholder and control chart against the beneficial-owner information; and<\/li>\n<li>compare each signature and power of attorney against the person or entity that is legally authorised to sign.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>This reconciliation catches the errors that are most expensive to repair: an old parent-company extract, an address translated into a different municipality, a director\u2019s name abbreviated in one document, or a capital table that does not match the bank certificate. It also creates an evidence trail if the registry asks why a document was replaced.<\/p>\n<h2>II. How should foreign company-formation documents be translated, signed and filed with INPI?<\/h2>\n<h3>A. When are translation, apostille, legalisation and certification required?<\/h3>\n<p>Translation should be decided document by document. The first question is not \u201cIs the founder foreign?\u201d but \u201cWhat is the issuing country, what is the document, who will receive it, and what does that authority require?\u201d A French subsidiary\u2019s articles are drafted for the French company and should normally be prepared in French or in a bilingual form that produces a reliable French filing. A foreign parent\u2019s registry extract, statutes or board resolution may need French translation because the registry must understand the entity\u2019s legal form and authority. A bank may apply a different standard from INPI. A tax office may publish a limited translation rule that does not automatically govern commercial registration.<\/p>\n<p>The most reliable workflow is to identify the original, verify whether it is a public act or private corporate document, check the issuing country\u2019s authentication route, and then obtain the translation and certification requested by the receiving authority. \u201cCertification\u201d can mean a certified copy, a certification by the representative, a sworn translation or another formal attestation. Those are not interchangeable. The file index should state precisely which one was obtained. If a portal asks for a copy certified by the legal representative, do not upload an informal translation stamped by a translator and assume the condition has been met.<\/p>\n<p>For a French subsidiary whose shareholder or director is a non-EU legal person, the Service Public registration page specifically lists a copy of the foreign company\u2019s statutes translated into French and certified by its permanent representative, together with a current extract or proof of existence and the representative\u2019s identity and non-conviction declaration. This is a targeted rule for the role described on that page, not a universal statement that every page of every foreign founder\u2019s passport must be translated. Read the form\u2019s role-based questions carefully: a foreign legal-person director creates a different evidence path from a natural-person shareholder who is not a director.<\/p>\n<p>For a branch or first French establishment, the rule is more direct. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000043292321\/2026-04-20\" class=\"kohen-legifrance-popup-link\" data-kohen-legifrance-url=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000043292321\/2026-04-20\" data-kohen-legifrance-title=\"Texte officiel Legifrance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article R123-112<\/a> states that the foreign company files its current statutes and that <q lang=\"fr\">Les pi\u00e8ces d\u00e9pos\u00e9es sont le cas \u00e9ch\u00e9ant traduites en langue fran\u00e7aise<\/q>; the copies must also be certified by the legal representative or by the person authorised to bind the company in France. That article concerns a foreign company\u2019s establishment. It should not be copied mechanically into the checklist for a newly incorporated French subsidiary, but it is important when the founder is deciding between the two structures.<\/p>\n<p>The tax administration publishes a narrower practical answer for one situation. Its official <a href=\"https:\/\/www.impots.gouv.fr\/international-professionnel\/questions\/puis-je-produire-mes-statuts-sans-traduction-en-francais\">guidance on foreign-company statutes<\/a> says that a free French translation of the principal elements may be accepted for a company established in a non-EU country when the original statutes are written in the language of an EU Member State; otherwise, it states that a sworn translation is required. That page is marked as updated in 2018 and addresses the tax context. It should not be treated as a blanket exemption from the current INPI or registry requirements. If the filing authority requests a sworn translation, follow that request even if a tax page describes a more flexible practice.<\/p>\n<p>An apostille authenticates the origin of a public document by confirming the signature, seal or authority attached to it. It does not certify that every statement in the document is true, that the foreign company is solvent, or that the document satisfies French company law. Legalisation is another authentication route, often involving consular or diplomatic steps. Whether an apostille, legalisation or no authentication is required depends on the document, the issuing country, any applicable treaty and the receiving authority. Obtain that answer before ordering a translation, and keep the apostille or legalisation attached to the document to which it relates.<\/p>\n<p>Do not apply the same authentication assumption to every attachment. A foreign public registry extract may have a formal authentication route. A board resolution may be a private document whose authority is proved through the parent\u2019s articles, a certificate or a certified copy. A utility bill may need no apostille but may need a recent date and a visible address. A passport may need a clear copy, not a legalisation. A French bank certificate is a French document, but the bank may still insist on its own format. The receiving authority, not the document\u2019s country of origin alone, determines the practical checklist.<\/p>\n<p>Translation quality is a legal-control issue, not only a language issue. Preserve the company name exactly, including punctuation and suffix. Translate the legal form in a way that identifies the original form, rather than silently converting a foreign \u201cLtd\u201d into a French SARL. Translate registered-office fields consistently. Preserve registration numbers, dates, capital amounts and percentages without changing decimal conventions. If the foreign document uses a different calendar or a local concept with no direct French equivalent, add a short explanatory note in the translation rather than choosing an apparently similar French institution.<\/p>\n<p>Names and dates require a second review after translation. A translator may place a family name before a given name, remove a middle name or use a French date order. The translation should remain traceable to the original. Prepare a name key where the passport, foreign extract, articles, resolution and portal use different conventions. For example, record the exact passport spelling and state that the order was adapted for the French form, if that is what occurred. Do not use a translation to hide a material discrepancy in identity.<\/p>\n<p>Electronic signing has its own legal and technical conditions. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000032042456\/2026-06-30\" class=\"kohen-legifrance-popup-link\" data-kohen-legifrance-url=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000032042456\/2026-06-30\" data-kohen-legifrance-title=\"Texte officiel Legifrance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article 1367 of the <em>Code civil<\/em><\/a> provides: <q lang=\"fr\">La signature n\u00e9cessaire \u00e0 la perfection d&#8217;un acte juridique identifie son auteur.<\/q> It adds that an electronic signature uses a reliable identification process linked to the act. The INPI guidance explains that an advanced electronic-signature certificate based on a qualified certificate may be used, and that FranceConnect+ can replace that advanced-signature requirement in the described workflow. The certificate may be held by a legal person, but the person who signs must be a natural person.<\/p>\n<p>A foreign founder signing remotely should therefore decide whether to sign personally, use FranceConnect+ if eligible, obtain the accepted electronic certificate, or appoint a representative through a special power. The choice should be made before the articles and resolutions are circulated. A scanned signature pasted into a PDF may be accepted in some private dealings but is not automatically the signature method accepted by the one-stop portal. Keep the signature evidence, signing certificate or authentication record with the executed document. If several shareholders sign separately, verify that the platform preserves the complete signed version and the signing order.<\/p>\n<p>A power of attorney should be specific enough to answer four questions: who grants the power, who receives it, which French company is concerned, and which acts may be signed or submitted. It should identify the formation, the articles or resolution, the filing and any ability to correct a deficiency. If the grantor is a foreign company, attach the evidence that the person signing the power can bind that company. If the grantor is a natural person, match the signature to the identity document. If the power is translated, retain the original, translation and authentication in one bundle.<\/p>\n<p>Use a simple translation matrix before filing:<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Document<\/th>\n<th>Typical source<\/th>\n<th>Questions before upload<\/th>\n<th>Frequent failure<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>French articles<\/td>\n<td>Founder, lawyer or incorporation provider<\/td>\n<td>Are the form, capital, address, purpose and signatories final?<\/td>\n<td>Uploading a draft that differs from the legal notice or bank certificate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Foreign corporate extract<\/td>\n<td>Foreign commercial or company registry<\/td>\n<td>Is it current, readable and sufficient to prove existence and authority?<\/td>\n<td>Using a website printout or an expired extract<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Foreign statutes<\/td>\n<td>Foreign parent or corporate director<\/td>\n<td>Does the role require a French translation and representative certification?<\/td>\n<td>Using an unofficial summary or translating the legal form inaccurately<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Identity document<\/td>\n<td>Director, representative or shareholder<\/td>\n<td>Does the copy show the full identity and match every other document?<\/td>\n<td>Different transliteration, missing page or unreadable scan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Public certificate<\/td>\n<td>Foreign public authority<\/td>\n<td>Is an apostille or legalisation required for this country and recipient?<\/td>\n<td>Authenticating the wrong document or separating the apostille from it<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Power or resolution<\/td>\n<td>Shareholder or foreign parent<\/td>\n<td>Does it identify the signer, representative and exact transaction?<\/td>\n<td>Generic delegation with no special authority<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>The matrix should be completed before the final PDF pack is produced. It is better to discover that a foreign extract needs a new date or authentication while the shareholders are still available than after the French application is waiting for regularisation. It also prevents over-translation: the founder can order a sworn translation for the documents that need it rather than paying for a complete group archive that the filing body will not inspect.<\/p>\n<h3>B. How do you submit the file, obtain the Kbis and correct an INPI rejection?<\/h3>\n<p>The legal filing route is now centralised. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000038595879\" class=\"kohen-legifrance-popup-link\" data-kohen-legifrance-url=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000038595879\" data-kohen-legifrance-title=\"Texte officiel Legifrance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article L123-33 of the <em>Code de commerce<\/em><\/a> states that the company declares its creation through one file and that <q lang=\"fr\">Ce dossier est d\u00e9pos\u00e9 par voie \u00e9lectronique aupr\u00e8s d&#8217;un organisme unique d\u00e9sign\u00e9 \u00e0 cet effet<\/q>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000043292222\" class=\"kohen-legifrance-popup-link\" data-kohen-legifrance-url=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000043292222\" data-kohen-legifrance-title=\"Texte officiel Legifrance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article R123-1<\/a> describes the one-stop body as enabling businesses to complete the formalities needed to access and exercise their activity, including creation and beneficial-owner information. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000046073350\" class=\"kohen-legifrance-popup-link\" data-kohen-legifrance-url=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000046073350\" data-kohen-legifrance-title=\"Texte officiel Legifrance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article R123-2<\/a> names the service the <q lang=\"fr\">guichet unique \u00e9lectronique des formalit\u00e9s d&#8217;entreprises<\/q> and provides for a single file, transmission to the relevant bodies, additional information and tracking of the expected processing time.<\/p>\n<p>In practical terms, the founder should create the application only after the document index is stable. Select the correct legal form, answer every role-based question, upload the document that answers each requested item, and read the generated summary before signing. The portal may ask for additional information depending on the activity, number of establishments, shareholder status, director status and regulated-profession answers. A foreign founder should save the application reference, the receipt, the final uploaded PDFs and the exact date of signing. Those items are essential if the application later moves from validation to a request for additional evidence.<\/p>\n<p>Check the file in the order in which a reviewer is likely to read it:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>French company identity: name, form, address, purpose, duration, capital and financial year;<\/li>\n<li>constitutional acts: signed articles, appointment act, capital certificate and subscribers\u2019 list;<\/li>\n<li>publication and address evidence: legal-announcement certificate and registered-office proof;<\/li>\n<li>natural-person evidence: identity, address where requested, non-conviction and parentage declaration;<\/li>\n<li>corporate-person evidence: foreign extract, statutes, representative and authority chain;<\/li>\n<li>control evidence: shareholder table, indirect-control chart and beneficial-owner information; and<\/li>\n<li>special evidence: regulated-activity authorisation, in-kind contribution report or other document requested by the portal.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>The one-stop process does not mean that every authority approves the file at the same moment. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000046073339\" class=\"kohen-legifrance-popup-link\" data-kohen-legifrance-url=\"https:\/\/www.legifrance.gouv.fr\/codes\/article_lc\/LEGIARTI000046073339\" data-kohen-legifrance-title=\"Texte officiel Legifrance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Article R123-7<\/a> states that the receipt from the relevant bodies indicates whether the file is complete and gives the foreseeable processing time; it also provides for notifications of acceptance, rejection or a request for additional information. The registry office may therefore ask for a document even when the portal accepted the initial upload. A receipt proves that a filing was made; it does not necessarily prove that the company has already been registered.<\/p>\n<p>Once the registration is completed, the company is entered in the RNE and, where applicable, the RCS. The Kbis can then be used to show the commercial registration to a bank, landlord, customer or foreign parent. It should be checked for the legal name, form, registered office, activity, directors, registration number and any wording that differs from the approved articles. If a mistake appears on the Kbis, do not simply send the extract to third parties and hope that the underlying record will correct itself. Identify whether the error came from the application, the supporting document or the registry data, then use the appropriate correction route.<\/p>\n<p>Incomplete files require an organised response. The current official registration guidance states that the receipt for an incomplete application lists the missing items and gives a period of 15 working days from receipt to provide them. The exact deadline written in the notification controls the individual file. Download the notification, record when it was received, identify the authority requesting the item and create a response table. Do not upload a replacement without checking whether the portal expects an additional document, a corrected document or a new signed package.<\/p>\n<p>When INPI shows \u201cpending regularisation\u201d, read the notification literally. It may concern a missing foreign extract, an uncertified translation, an inconsistent address, an identity scan, a beneficial-owner field, a capital certificate, a power of attorney or a regulated-activity authorisation. The official <a href=\"https:\/\/www.inpi.fr\/realiser-demarches\/formalites-dentreprises\/deposer-actes\">INPI guidance on act deposits<\/a> explains that a regularisation status is used when the competent authority has notified an irregularity, such as missing attachments, and that the authority indicates the time allowed to respond. The response should address each numbered deficiency, not merely upload a new document with no explanation.<\/p>\n<p>A rejection is different from a pending request. The same INPI guidance identifies a \u201crejected\u201d status and states that, if the declarant wants to continue, a new act must be filed. This is why the founder should preserve the original application reference and the rejection reasons, then prepare a corrected submission. A rejected formation file is not proof that the business name, investment or commercial project is permanently forbidden. It is a procedural event that requires a new, coherent filing unless the notification provides another remedy. Do not create a second company with a similar name simply to escape a document problem; that can create duplicate names, capital and tax consequences.<\/p>\n<p>The correction package should contain four layers. First, include the notification or a precise list of its numbered reasons. Second, identify the document or field that caused each reason. Third, provide the corrected document, with a fresh date or authentication where necessary. Fourth, add a concise explanation that shows how the correction resolves the deficiency. If the company name, capital or registered office changed while the file was pending, revisit every related document rather than correcting only the one attachment named in the notification. A registry reviewer may reject a new mismatch even if the first issue has been cured.<\/p>\n<p>A translation-related rejection should be analysed without assuming that an apostille is the universal solution. Ask whether the authority required a French translation, a sworn translation, a certification by the representative, a certified copy, an apostille, legalisation or a combination. Check the issuing country and the type of document. If the defect is that an extract is too old, a new extract may be needed even if the old one was properly apostilled. If the defect is that the French translation omits the legal form or director details, the translator may need to issue a complete replacement. If the document is a private resolution, authentication of a public signature may not solve the authority problem.<\/p>\n<p>Re-signing must be controlled. A corrected articles document should show the same final company data as the bank certificate, announcement and application. If several shareholders sign a new version, retain proof that the new version supersedes the old one. If a representative signs after a power was issued, check that the power still covers the new date and the corrected act. If a corporate shareholder changed its board or registered office during the process, obtain a current authority document and update the control chart. A new signature is not a substitute for a current corporate extract.<\/p>\n<p>There is a crucial boundary between the pre-Kbis file and post-registration tasks. The pre-Kbis file proves that the French legal entity can be registered. The post-Kbis file activates or updates the company\u2019s bank account, tax registrations, payroll arrangements, insurance, invoicing, licences, customer contracts and internal registers. The Kbis is often needed for those steps, but it does not prove that the company has completed every tax or employment obligation. A founder who uploads a post-Kbis bank letter in response to a pre-registration request may still leave the constitutional defect unresolved.<\/p>\n<p>After receiving the Kbis, send the bank and key counterparties a controlled pack: the Kbis, final articles, appointment evidence, beneficial-owner confirmation where appropriate, bank certificate and a short note explaining the company\u2019s identity. Keep the original formation folder unchanged and store the Kbis as a later record. If the company is owned by a foreign parent, give the parent the French registration identifiers and the final shareholder or control records. If the company is a branch, follow the separate continuing deposit rules for the foreign entity\u2019s accounts and statutory changes.<\/p>\n<p>The following master checklist is designed for a final review before the submit button:<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>File group<\/th>\n<th>Minimum review<\/th>\n<th>Evidence to retain<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Legal form<\/td>\n<td>SAS, SASU, SARL, EURL or branch selected correctly<\/td>\n<td>Decision note explaining why the structure matches the project<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>French company<\/td>\n<td>Name, purpose, office, duration, capital, allocation and year-end agree everywhere<\/td>\n<td>Final signed articles and portal preview<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Management<\/td>\n<td>President, director or <em>g\u00e9rant<\/em> appointed and authority proved<\/td>\n<td>Appointment act, resolution and special power where relevant<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Registered office<\/td>\n<td>Address is clear, current and supported by a lease or domiciliation document<\/td>\n<td>Signed lease, domiciliation contract or accepted proof<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Capital<\/td>\n<td>Deposit evidence, subscribers and contributions match the articles<\/td>\n<td>Deposit certificate and subscribers\u2019 list<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Publication<\/td>\n<td>Legal notice reproduces the final company data<\/td>\n<td>Publication certificate and copy of notice<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Natural persons<\/td>\n<td>Identity, address, non-conviction and parentage details match<\/td>\n<td>Identity copy, signed declaration and privacy request if used<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Foreign legal persons<\/td>\n<td>Existence, legal form, office, directors and authority chain verified<\/td>\n<td>Current extract, statutes, resolution and representative identity<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Beneficial owners<\/td>\n<td>Direct and indirect ownership and control are mapped to natural persons<\/td>\n<td>Ownership chart and information supporting the declaration<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Language and authentication<\/td>\n<td>French translation, certification, apostille or legalisation decided per document<\/td>\n<td>Original, translation and authentication kept together<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Electronic filing<\/td>\n<td>Correct portal account, signatory, payment and upload version recorded<\/td>\n<td>Signed receipt, reference, notifications and uploaded PDFs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Regularisation<\/td>\n<td>Any request answered item by item before the stated deadline<\/td>\n<td>Response table, corrected attachments and submission proof<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>This checklist is deliberately wider than the short list displayed by a generic formation provider. It covers the points that most often make a foreign founder\u2019s file fragile: a parent company that is not properly evidenced, a translation that changes the corporate form, a registered-office document that does not identify the company\u2019s right to use the premises, a signatory whose authority is not documented, and a control chain that cannot be converted into a beneficial-owner declaration. The current <a href=\"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/exp-7\/\">French company formation and corporate advice page<\/a> can be used as the internal starting point for reviewing the structure and the filing strategy, but it does not replace the role-specific documents required by the portal and registry.<\/p>\n<p>The strongest response to a filing problem is therefore neither to send every document in the group archive nor to restart blindly. Identify the legal person, identify the exact deficiency, verify the authority and language requirement, replace only what is defective, and then reconcile the entire corrected pack. This approach preserves a clear record for the bank, the registry, the foreign parent and any later tax or contractual review.<\/p>\n<h2>Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>A foreign founder can set up a company in France without reducing the process to a passport, a translated template and a hope that the Kbis will solve the rest. The file should be built around the chosen legal form: final French articles, management appointments, registered-office proof, capital evidence, legal-announcement certificate, identity and non-conviction documents, foreign-company authority documents and a precise beneficial-owner map. Translation, certification, apostille and legalisation must be assessed for each document and receiving authority. The INPI one-stop filing then needs a final consistency review, a preserved receipt and an item-by-item response if the registry requests regularisation. If the application is rejected, retain the reasons and file a corrected new act with a coherent document set. The Kbis is the result of registration, not a substitute for the evidence that made registration possible.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Need a quick opinion on your case<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>You can arrange a telephone consultation within 48 hours with a lawyer from our firm to review your French company-formation file, foreign corporate documents, translation route or INPI notification.<\/p>\n<p>Call <a href=\"tel:+33646605822\">+33 6 46 60 58 22<\/a> (06 46 60 58 22 from France), or use <a href=\"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/formulaire-de-contact\/\">the contact form<\/a> to send the relevant documents and deadline.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A practical French company-formation document checklist for foreign founders: statutes, registered office, capital, director and parent-company evidence, beneficial-owner filings, translation, signature, INPI submission and rejection remedies.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":251031309,"featured_media":16322,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kj_source_type":"","_kj_official_id":"","_kj_official_url":"","_kj_judilibre_id":"","_kj_jur":"","_kj_lieu":"","_kj_chambre":"","_kj_rg":"","_kj_date":"","activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":4,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"federated","footnotes":""},"categories":[80314,80313],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2114870","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-decryptage","category-doing-business-in-france"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v28.2 (Yoast SEO v28.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Documents Does a Foreign Founder Need to Set Up a Company in France? 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