France Business Launch: From Statuts to First CDI Contract

Last verified: 2026-05-02

Launching a business in France in 2026 means navigating three distinct compliance machines in sequence: the Guichet Unique (INPI) for company registration, URSSAF / Skatteverket-equivalent for the social security regime, and the convention collective of the relevant industry sector. This guide walks the lifecycle from drafting statuts to signing a first CDI (contrat à durée indéterminée) contract.

Quick Answer (TL;DR)

Stage 1 — Pre-Formation Checks (Day 0–3)

Before drafting statuts, the founder must complete four checks:

1. Name availability. Search:

• INPI trademark database: https://data.inpi.fr
• Registre National des Entreprises (RNE): https://data.inpi.fr/registre-national-des-entreprises

A pure RCS name check does not protect against prior trademark conflict. Under Code de la propriété intellectuelle art. L.713-1, prior trademark rights prevail.

2. Domain name. Check .fr availability via Afnic.

3. NAF/APE code. Pre-determine the planned APE code for the activity. INSEE assigns the code post-creation, but the chosen activity drives the assignment.

4. Bénéficiaire effectif (BO). Identify any natural person owning >25% of capital or voting rights — under C. mon. fin. R.561-55, they must be declared in the Déclaration des bénéficiaires effectifs within 30 days of incorporation.

Stage 2 — Capital Deposit (Day 1–10)

Statute: C. com. art. L.227-3 (SAS) and L.223-7 (SARL).

Cash contributions must be deposited before signing the statuts. Three depositaries are permitted:

• A bank licensed in France
• A notaire
• (Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations was abolished as a depositary in 2021)

The bank issues an attestation de dépôt des fonds identifying each subscriber and amount. Funds remain blocked until the Kbis is issued (typically 8 days after RCS registration).

Pay-up rules:

• SAS: at least half of cash contributions paid up at incorporation; balance within 5 years (L.227-1 al. 4 referencing L.225-3)
• SARL: at least one fifth paid up at incorporation; balance within 5 years (L.223-7)

Stage 3 — Sign the Statuts (Day 5–10)

Statute: C. com. L.210-2.

Mandatory clauses for any commercial company (L.210-2):

SAS-specific (L.227-9): the bylaws must define the conditions in which collective decisions are taken (majorities) and identify decisions reserved to collective approval.

Language requirement. Under Loi n°94-665 art. 1, the bylaws must be in French. An English-language draft prepared elsewhere has no legal value in France.

Signature. All associés sign in person or by pouvoir (POA). Date and signatures must be in original.

The Président (SAS) or Gérant (SARL) is appointed either in the statuts themselves or by separate acte de nomination.

Stage 4 — Publish Avis de Constitution (Day 10–15)

Statute: Décret n°2012-1547 art. 1.

A legal notice (avis de constitution) must be published in a JAL (Journal d’Annonces Légales) of the département of the registered office, within 1 month of signing the statuts.

Mandatory content (Décret n°2012-1547 art. 2):

• Forme sociale; dénomination; siège; durée; objet; capital
• Identité du Président/Gérant (and any CAC)
• RCS d’immatriculation
• For SAS: conditions of admission to general meetings and exercise of voting rights

2026 tariff (Arrêté du 19 novembre 2025): flat-rate forfait by type of legal act. As of 1 January 2026, the average SAS notice costs approximately €193; SARL approximately €144.

Stage 5 — File via Guichet Unique (Day 15–20)

URL: https://formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr/

Operational from 1 January 2023 under Décret n°2021-300, the Guichet Unique replaces the seven previous Centres de Formalités des Entreprises (CFE).

Process:

1. Create user account (FranceConnect or e-mail)
2. Choose “Déposer une formalité” → “Création d’entreprise”
3. Upload documents (statuts, attestation de dépôt, avis JAL, identity proof, etc.)
4. Pay INPI fees
5. Sign the formality electronically

INPI processes the file, then forwards to:

• The greffe of the tribunal de commerce (RCS registration)
• INSEE (Siren/Siret assignment, NAF code)
• URSSAF (social-security registration)
• SIE (tax registration)

Stage 6 — Receive Kbis and Siren/Siret (Day 20–28)

The Kbis is the proof of registration issued by the greffe. It contains:

• Dénomination sociale
• Siren number (9 digits)
• Siret of principal establishment (14 digits = Siren + 5-digit NIC)
• Forme juridique
• Adresse du siège
• Date d’immatriculation

The Kbis is downloadable free of charge from https://www.monidenum.fr (user account) or https://www.infogreffe.fr (paid).

Capital release. Once the Kbis is issued, the bank releases the deposited capital to the company’s operating account.

Stage 7 — URSSAF and SIE Registration (Automatic via Guichet Unique)

URSSAF: registers the company for social-security contributions. The rate depends on the social regime of the director:

• SAS Président — assimilé salarié, affiliated to the régime général (URSSAF) — total ≈ +42% of gross salary
• SARL gérant majoritaire — TNS (Travailleur Non Salarié) — affiliated to SSI (Sécurité Sociale des Indépendants), total ≈ 30–45% on professional income depending on revenue

SIE (Service des impôts des entreprises): assigns the company’s tax matricule. Mandatory taxes:

• Impôt sur les sociétés (IS) — Code général des impôts (CGI) art. 206
• TVA — CGI art. 286 (if turnover > thresholds: €37,500 services / €91,900 commerce)
• CFE (Cotisation Foncière des Entreprises) — CGI art. 1447 (annual local tax, exempt year of creation)

Stage 8 — Operating Bank Account (Day 28–35)

The company opens an operating account (compte courant professionnel) at the bank that held the deposit, or another French bank. Required documents:

• Kbis (≤3 months old)
• Statuts certified copy
• Identification of legal representative
• Proof of registered office
• Beneficial owner declaration

KYC under C. mon. fin. art. L.561-5: the bank verifies source of funds and risk profile.

Stage 9 — First Employment Hire (Day 60–90)

Once the company is operational and has revenue or a clear hiring plan, the first hire under a CDI (Contrat à Durée Indéterminée) follows.

9-1. Find the Convention Collective

Statute: Code du travail L.2253-1 to L.2253-3.

Identify the IDCC code of the relevant convention de branche via https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/conv_coll/. The convention sets:

• Minimum wages by classification (often higher than SMIC)
• Période d’essai maximums and renewability
• Notice periods, holidays, sick pay rules
• Discipline and dismissal procedures

A common conventions:

• IT/Engineering: Syntec (IDCC 1486)
• Hospitality: HCR (IDCC 1979)
• Pharmacy: Pharmacie d’officine (IDCC 1996)
• Retail: depends on sub-branch

9-2. DPAE — Déclaration Préalable à l’Embauche

Statute: Code du travail R.1221-1.

The DPAE is a single declaration to URSSAF that opens:

• Affiliation to the social-security regime
• Declaration to medical services (Médecine du travail)
• Affiliation to unemployment insurance (Pôle Emploi)

Filed online at https://www.due.urssaf.fr at most 8 days before the planned hire date and before the employee starts work.

9-3. Draft the CDI Contract

Statute: C. trav. L.1221-1; convention collective.

A French CDI does not need to be in writing for indefinite-term, full-time roles in principle (oral CDI is valid in many sectors). However, in practice and for any role where:

• Probation is desired
• Specific clauses (non-compete, mobility) are needed
• The convention requires a written contract

A written contract is essential. Mandatory clauses:

Période d’essai maximums (L.1221-19):

• Workers (ouvriers, employés): 2 months + 2 renewable
• Technicians (techniciens, agents de maîtrise): 3 months + 3 renewable
• Executives (cadres): 4 months + 4 renewable (max 8 months total)

9-4. Mutuelle Santé d’Entreprise

Statute: Loi de sécurisation de l’emploi 2013 (Loi n°2013-504).

Every French employer must offer a complémentaire santé (mutuelle) to employees. Minimum 50% employer contribution.

9-5. Médecine du Travail

Statute: C. trav. R.4624-10.

The new employee must undergo a Visite d’Information et de Prévention (VIP) within 3 months of hire (renewed every 5 years for general roles).

Stage 10 — Year 1 Operating Cycle

Common Pitfalls — Gyoseishoshi View

1. Skipping the avis légal. Décret n°2012-1547 makes it mandatory. Guichet Unique will reject the file if the publication certificate is missing.

2. Paying SMIC when convention sets higher. URSSAF redressement = back-payment + ~40% penalties. Always check the IDCC convention before setting salary.

3. DPAE filed late. Filing after the employee has started work creates a travail dissimulé (hidden work) presumption. Penalties under C. trav. L.8221-3 are severe (up to €45,000 fine + 3 years imprisonment for the legal representative).

4. Période d’essai longer than statute or convention allows. Excessive période d’essai clauses are reduced to the statutory cap by the labour court (Conseil de Prud’hommes). The contract remains valid; only the essai clause is void.

5. Forgetting the bénéficiaire effectif declaration. 30 days after incorporation. Failure penalty: €7,500 fine for the legal representative (C. mon. fin. L.574-5).

6. Confusing SAS Président regime with SARL gérant regime. The SAS Président is assimilé salarié (régime général) — more expensive but better protection. The SARL gérant majoritaire is TNS — cheaper but limited social cover.

Conclusion

Launching a business in France in 2026 is a sequenced 90-day pipeline, not a single act. The Guichet Unique has unified the registration step, but the post-Kbis compliance machine — URSSAF, SIE, mutuelle santé, médecine du travail, convention collective — still requires careful navigation.

For founders preparing the documents themselves, MmowW Scrib🐮 covers the end-to-end pipeline through three Cells: #6 (FR Company), #13 (FR Lease) if a registered office lease is needed, and #15 (FR Employment) for the first hire’s CDI contract.

Multi-Country Documents with Scrib🐮

One platform, 18 document types, 7 countries. Scrib🐮 covers UK, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, and Sweden. ¥22,000/month pass — unlimited access to all 18 document types across 7 countries. Start Free Preview →

Disclaimer

Legal information, not legal advice. MmowW Scrib🐮 is operated by a licensed Gyoseishoshi (行政書士) office in Japan. We are not solicitors, barristers, attorneys, avocats, or licensed legal practitioners in any jurisdiction.

Sources

1. Code de commerce: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/texte_lc/LEGITEXT000005634379
2. Guichet Unique INPI: https://formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr/
3. Service-Public.fr — création d’entreprise: https://entreprendre.service-public.fr/vosdroits/N16108
4. Code du travail (Légifrance): https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/codes/texte_lc/LEGITEXT000006072050
5. URSSAF DPAE portal: https://www.due.urssaf.fr
6. Conventions collectives base: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/conv_coll/
7. Service-Public.fr — SMIC: https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F2300
8. INPI trademark database: https://data.inpi.fr
9. Bénéficiaire effectif (RBE): https://data.inpi.fr/registre-national-des-entreprises
10. Mon Idénum (Kbis): https://www.monidenum.fr