How to register a business in France for a Russian citizen in 2023

Opening a business project in France in 2023 offers excellent prospects for reaching the international level and increasing the company's income.

Why France? For a long time, the Republic has held leading positions in economic indicators among other EU countries. The country's internal legislation actively encourages the attraction, registration, and development of promising business forms: there are incentives for enterprises of any ownership and scale, a simplified system for registering business ideas, and favorable financing conditions.

France is a member of the UN, OSCE, and the European Union, which also provides certain privileges for foreign investors and businessmen. The state takes an active position in the foreign economic sphere and produces many world-class brands.

France mustn't be saturated with foreign capital. A considerable territory and a large population create a stable environment for entrepreneurship development. Investments and goods coming from abroad often find new life, adapting to the local mentality.

Experts highlight the following advantages of doing business in France:

• Well-thought-out government regulation in the economic sphere.
• Residents and non-residents are equal in rights and obligations.
• Minimal level of corruption.
• Favorable taxation.
• Developed infrastructure network.
• Opportunity to open new sales channels in Europe.
• Qualified personnel.

Business Immigration to France in 2023

Running a business is closely related to the migration sphere, and one of the primary tasks is obtaining a temporary residence permit. Without a new status, there is no point in dealing with registration and further business conduct.

What residence permits can be applied for:

• Merchant card (Carte d’identite de Commercant). It can be obtained for 1 year by the company's founder. Subsequently, the status can be extended for up to 3 years. The company must conduct legal commercial activities, pay taxes, maintain accounting records, and enter into contracts. The status can be issued based on the purchase of a non-active company.
• Talent Passport Visa (Passeport Talent) – is ideal for non-EU citizens. The applicant must have specialized higher education, experience in business for more than 1 year, and submit a business plan to the French Ministry of Economy.

Depending on the type of activity, chosen taxation system, and many other factors, it is necessary to choose the form of the enterprise:

• Sole proprietorship. The founder is a natural person who is personally responsible for the company's obligations with personal property and finances.
• Limited Liability Company (LLC) – the liability of the company's participants is limited to the amounts of contributions to the authorized capital of the enterprise.
• Limited partnership. The company must have a minimum of 7 natural or legal persons as participants. 50% of the authorized capital is contributed before the company is registered, and the remaining 50% must be contributed within 5 years.
• Simplified joint-stock company. A single founder is allowed, whose liability is limited to the amount of the contribution to the share capital.

You can start a business in France in two ways:

• Create and register a company from scratch.
• Buy an already established local business.

Business in France: Registration Stages

To register a business in France, you need to know the main stages of the procedure. It is important to understand that each step requires professional legal support. Depending on the form of the company, its direction, and the presence of employees, some stages may change, but the general direction remains as follows:

• Development of the company's name and verification of its uniqueness.
• Notarization of all founding documents.
• Registration of a new company in the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
• Opening a bank account for a legal entity for internal and external settlements with counterparties.
• Registration of the company with tax authorities. After registration, the company receives an individual tax number.
• Submission of documents to companies responsible for social insurance.
• Publication of registration of a new legal entity in the state printed publication.

Registration usually takes no more than 1 month.

If you do not want to deal with company registration, and prefer to buy an existing business, be sure to consult with lawyers. Regardless of the decision made, the specialists of the migration agency GARANT.IN will help you with any issue – obtaining and receiving a residence permit, registration or re-registration of a company, searching for real estate for personal use or an office, drafting, checking, and concluding contracts, and other important documents.

Running a business in another country is a responsible and challenging task. Simplify it by using the help of our specialists.