Step by Step Guide to Incorporating a Sàrl

Company Type	Time to Incorporate	Cost

Sàrl	3 weeks	£3060

France Key points

Only 3 weeks to incorporate
Cost of incorporation is £3060
A Sàrl company requires only 1 director of any nationality or residency
Corporate directors are not permissible
Only 1 shareholder required
Shareholders may be either individuals or corporate bodies
Share Capital requirement is only €1
We provide you with full expert assistance throughout every step of the company formation process

Select the company name for your Sàrl

First select a name for your corporation.

France is very liberal about which company names are allowed.
Names can be in any language. However typically, foreign names should be avoided.
Adding the word France after the company name is usually perceived to mean you are a non French company.
Some local commercial courts may approve a name for incorporation, but may not register the approved names on the central register which we use.
The use of recognised trademark names, can mean that a company name, such as 'MacDonalds Hamburgers SàRL' may be accepted, but may prove impossible to use, because of trademark restrictions.
A common names, such as Hôtel de la Gare Sarl, will be repeated several times throughout France.
A company name check can be carried out free of charge to see if a required name has already been registered.
We can then reserve your Sàrl name for up to ten days.

Ensure the availability of your name by using our free company namecheck service.

Share Capital

Select the number of shares each shareholder will have.

Share Capital requirement is only €1.
The minimum fixed share capital of a French Sàrl is rounded up to an amount which is easily divisible
The amount chosen is held with the notary, a bank or in a Caisse de Dêpot during the course of the formation of the company.

Select Directors

Decide who will be the directors of your company.

Only one director is required.
Directors may be of any nationality and may reside anywhere. State Authorisation is compulsory for non EU residents.
Non OECD citizen directors need a foreign trader's card.
There is no requirement to appoint a local/resident director.

Select Shareholders

Select who will be the shareholders of your company.

The minimum number of shareholders in an Sàrl is one
Shareholders may be of any nationality and may reside anywhere.
Shareholders may be either individuals or corporate bodies.
No annual general meeting of shareholders, if less than 25 shareholders.

Select a Registered Office

A company in France must have its own Registered Office. A written agreement by the owner of the property authorising the specific use of the address for the Registered Office of the company must be supplied tothe French company registrar. Further proof of consent may also be required. Typically the last rates bill (taxe de foncière), needs to be produced along with any incorporation documents. Formacompany can provide a registered office service.