How to Open a Company in France as a Foreigner

A foreign national can create a company in France, and a non-EU national can manage a French company without living in France [Service-public]. The steps are the same as for a French founder: choose a legal form, domicile the company, deposit the share capital, and register online through the guichet unique [Guichet unique]. The company does not give you the right to live in France: running it effectively and habitually from France requires an appropriate residence permit [Service-public].

Facts verified on 11 November 2026.

Can a foreigner open a company in France?

Yes. Service-public states that a foreign national can create a business in France, but the steps differ according to nationality [Service-public].

For a non-EU national, two situations must be kept apart [Service-public]:

Managing a company from abroad. You can be the legal representative of a French company (in French, "mandataire social") without residing in France.
Running the company in France. The effective and habitual exercise of this activity on French territory requires an appropriate residence permit.

Working as a sole trader is different. It implies residing in France and holding a residence permit that authorises a self-employed activity [Service-public]. Some steps, such as opening a bank account or registering the business, can also require proof that your stay in France is regular [Service-public].

In practice, the question "can I open a company?" usually has a simple answer. The harder question is whether you can live in France and run it from here. That second question is a residence question, covered at the end of this guide.

Which legal form should you choose?

Short answer: most foreign founders compare the SAS or SASU with the SARL or EURL. A micro-entrepreneur status is a sole-trader regime, not a company, and it requires residing in France [Service-public][Service-public].

The main forms, as Service-public describes them:

SAS (société par actions simplifiée). A commercial company that can carry out any activity. It has at least two partners ("associés"), and their liability is limited to their contributions [Service-public].
SASU. An SAS with a single partner. The partner's liability is limited to their contribution [Service-public]. The SASU is managed by a président [Service-public].
SARL (société à responsabilité limitée). A company with 2 to 100 partners, whose liability is limited to their contributions. The manager ("gérant") can still be held liable for a management fault [Service-public].
EURL. The single-partner form, managed by a gérant [Service-public].
Micro-entrepreneur. You work in your own name, as an individual business with a simplified tax and social regime. There are no partners and no share capital, and your professional and personal assets are separated [Service-public].

Comparison of legal forms

Comparison of legal forms
Form	Partners	Liability	Minimum share capital
SAS	At least 2 [Service-public]	Limited to contributions [Service-public]	Freely set by the partners, €1 minimum [Service-public]
SASU	1 [Service-public]	Limited to the contribution [Service-public]	Freely set, €1 minimum [Service-public][Service-public]
SARL	2 to 100 [Service-public]	Limited to contributions; the manager can be liable for a management fault [Service-public]	No minimum [Service-public]
EURL	1 [Service-public]	Not detailed in the sources checked for this guide	Freely set [Service-public]
Micro-entrepreneur	None: individual business [Service-public]	Professional and personal assets are separated [Service-public]	No share capital [Service-public]

What this means for a foreign founder: the sole-trader route requires living in France with a suitable permit [Service-public], so a non-resident usually looks at a company. The choice between an SAS and an SARL, or their single-partner versions, also has tax, social and governance consequences that this table does not cover. Service-public has an overview to help you compare the forms [Service-public], and an accountant or a lawyer can help you decide.

Short answer: French law sets no high minimum. For an SAS or SASU, the partners set the capital freely, from €1 [Service-public]. For an SARL, there is no minimum share capital [Service-public].

A few points to know:

In an SARL, cash contributions must be paid up by at least 20% when the company is created, and the balance within five years [Service-public].
For a commercial company, the capital must be deposited before registration [Service-public]. The next sections explain how.
A very low capital is legally possible, but the capital is also what your company starts with. How much to put in is a business decision, best taken with your accountant.

Do not confuse share capital with the Talent investment

The share capital rules above are company law. They are not the conditions of a residence permit.

If you plan to live in France through the Talent Business Creation route (Talent Business Creation), the route requires an investment of at least €30,000 in your own company. The funds are placed in an escrow account until the company is registered. This is a condition of the residence route, separate from the legal minimum capital of the company.

How do you register the company?

Short answer: you file the creation online on the guichet unique, formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr. It is the single window for declaring the creation, modification and closure of a business, and for filing company documents [Guichet unique]. Once the file is processed, the company is registered automatically in the national business register (registre national des entreprises, RNE) and in the trade and companies register (RCS) [Service-public].

Before you file, two things must be in place:

A registered office. Domiciling the company is mandatory and is a prerequisite for registration [Service-public]. If you do not have premises in France, you can use a domiciliation company; such companies must hold a prefectural approval [Service-public].
The capital deposit certificate. The bank or notary that holds the capital gives you an "attestation de dépôt des fonds", which is required to register the company [Service-public].

You then complete the online application with the company's articles of association and the supporting documents requested on the guichet unique. As a foreign founder, you may be asked to prove that your stay in France is regular for some steps [Service-public].

Professional bank account and capital deposit

Short answer: a company needs a professional bank account. Service-public describes it as a mandatory formality when creating a company, in particular to deposit the share capital [Service-public].

How the capital deposit works [Service-public]:

It is mandatory to register a commercial company.
The company's legal representative deposits the funds with a bank, a notary, or the Caisse des dépôts.
The depositary issues the "attestation de dépôt des fonds" needed for registration.
The deposit cannot be made with a payment institution.

For a micro-entrepreneur, a professional bank account is not mandatory. A dedicated account becomes required if turnover exceeds €10,000 for two consecutive years [Service-public].

For a non-resident, opening the account is often the step that takes the most preparation, because banks may ask for proof of your situation in France [Service-public]. Within the Talent Business Creation route (Talent Business Creation), EU Unlockr supports the company creation and the opening of the bank account.

Corporate tax basics and limits for a non-resident director

Short answer: a company subject to corporate income tax (impôt sur les sociétés, IS) pays a reduced rate of 15% on profits up to €42,500, and 25% above that [Service-public].

The reduced 15% rate applies only under conditions, which include [Service-public]:

a turnover of €10,000,000 or less;
a share capital that is fully paid up and held at least 75% by individuals.

What this guide does not cover: how you are taxed personally as a non-resident director, how your salary or dividends are taxed in France and in your country, and whether a tax treaty between France and your country applies. These questions depend on your personal situation and on rules we do not summarise here. Take advice from a French chartered accountant ("expert-comptable") or a tax lawyer, and from a tax adviser in your country, before you choose a structure.

A company does not give you the right to live in France

Short answer: owning or managing a French company does not, by itself, give you a residence permit. A non-EU national can manage a company without living in France, but running it effectively and habitually on French territory requires an appropriate residence permit [Service-public].

There are several residence routes linked to a business activity. For example, a specific "talent – mandataire social" card exists for people appointed to manage a company that belongs to their group [Service-public]. That card is not an EU Unlockr route.

If you want to create your own company and live in France to run it, the route we support is Talent Business Creation. That page explains the conditions, the process and what EU Unlockr does. For a wider view of the options, see how to move to France.

Limits and when to get advice

This guide explains the company formalities. It is general information, not legal or tax advice, and EU Unlockr is not a law firm or an accounting firm.

Talk to a professional in these situations:

Choosing between an SAS, an SARL or their single-partner versions, when the choice affects your tax, your social security cover or the entry of future partners: an expert-comptable or a lawyer.
Cross-border tax: your personal tax residence, the taxation of your pay or dividends, or a tax treaty between France and your country: a tax lawyer or tax adviser.
Creating a French subsidiary or branch of a foreign company: a lawyer, because group structures raise questions this guide does not cover.
A previous visa refusal, a removal order or a criminal record, before you plan to live in France: an immigration lawyer. EU Unlockr will tell you when you need one.

Frequently asked questions

Can a US citizen start a business in France?

Yes. A foreign national, including a US citizen, can create a business in France, with steps that depend on nationality. Managing the company from the United States is possible; running it on a regular basis from France requires an appropriate residence permit [Service-public].

Do I need a residence permit to open a company in France?

Not to create or manage a company from abroad. You need one to run the company effectively and habitually in France, and to work as a sole trader, which also requires residing in France [Service-public].

What is the minimum capital to open a company in France?

For an SAS or SASU, €1, freely set by the partners. For an SARL, there is no minimum [Service-public][Service-public]. A residence route can set its own investment level: Talent Business Creation requires at least €30,000 in your own company.

How do I open a company in France as a foreigner and get a visa?

These are two separate procedures. The company is created through the guichet unique; the visa and the residence permit follow a residence route. For founders, the route we support is Talent Business Creation.

Can I be the director of a French company while living abroad?

Yes. Service-public states that a non-EU national can be the legal representative of a company in France without residing in France [Service-public].

Can I open a micro-entreprise in France as a non-resident?

No. Working as a sole trader implies residing in France and holding a residence permit that authorises a self-employed activity [Service-public].

Can I deposit the share capital with an online payment provider?

No. The capital must be deposited with a bank, a notary or the Caisse des dépôts; a payment institution is not accepted [Service-public].

Official sources

Written and reviewed by the EU Unlockr editorial team. Published 11 November 2026. Facts last verified 11 November 2026 against the official sources listed on this page. This page is general information, not legal advice; EU Unlockr is not a law firm.

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