Paragraph 2: Conditions for admission to the profession

Articles in this section · 1

Article L774-3

French Monetary and Financial CodeIn force

Updated 6 Nov 2023

I.-The provisions of the articles mentioned in the left-hand column of the following table shall apply in French Polynesia, subject to the provisions of II, in the wording indicated in the right-hand column of the same table:


Applicable articles

In the wording resulting from

L. 511-9 and L. 511-10


Order no. 2021-796 of 23 June 2021

L. 511-11


Ordinance no. 2014-158 of 20 February 2014

L. 511-12-1


Order no. 2015-1024 of 20 August 2015

L. 511-12-2


Law no. 2013-672 of 26 July 2013

L. 511-13


Order no. 2015-558 of 21 May 2015

L. 511-14


Order no. 2014-158 of 20 February 2014

L. 511-15


Order no. 2021-796 of 23 June 2021

L. 511-15 L. 511-15-1

Ordinance no. 2020-1635 of 21 December 2020

L. 511-16 and L. 511-17 with the exception of its first paragraph


Ordinance no. 2015-558 of 21 May 2015

L. 511-18


Order no. 2013-544 of 27 June 2013

L. 511-19


Law no. 2013-672 of 26 July 2013

L. 511-20


Order no. 2021-796 of 23 June 2021

II.For the application of I:
1° The second paragraph of Article L. 511-10 is replaced by the following provisions:
"Authorisation to operate as a credit institution shall be granted by the Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution.";
2° In Article L. 511-12-1:
a) The second paragraph is replaced by the following provisions: "The acquisition or extension of direct or indirect shareholdings in a credit institution or finance company must be authorised by the Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution.";
b) In the last paragraph of I, the words: ", in the case of finance companies or," are deleted;
3° In Article L. 511-15:
a) The first paragraph is replaced by the following: "Withdrawal of authorisation shall be ordered by the Autorité de contrôle prudentiel et de résolution at the request of the institution. ";
b) In the second paragraph, the words: "Pursuant to Articles 4 and 14 of Council Regulation (EU) No 1024/2013 of 15 October 2013, this withdrawal may also be decided by the European Central Bank" are replaced by the words: "It may also be decided ex officio by the Authority";
4° In the second paragraph of Article L. 511-16, the words: "Notwithstanding the provisions of 4° and 5° of Article 1844-7 of the Civil Code," are deleted;
5° In the second paragraph of Article L. 511-17, the words "or a credit institution" are added after the word "approved".

Mariela Petrova

Need help applying this article to your situation?

A registered French Lawyer explains what applies to your business — in English, fixed fee.

within 48h

Fixed Fee

Talk to a lawyer
Common Questions

Working with a corporate lawyer in France — Q&A

Any time a strategic decision changes how the company is owned, governed or contractually bound — incorporation, fundraising, M&A, restructuring, shareholder agreements, or major commercial contracts. Earlier engagement always costs less than later remediation.

A notary (notaire) is a public officer who authenticates specific deeds (mainly real-estate transfers and certain family-law acts). A corporate lawyer (avocat) advises on strategy, negotiates and drafts company documents, and represents you in disputes. The two roles complement rather than overlap.

Yes — most of our clients are foreign suppliers, investors or holding entities. We bridge the gap between French law and your home jurisdiction's expectations and deliver everything bilingually.

The SAS (Société par Actions Simplifiée) is the default choice for most international structures: flexible governance, single shareholder allowed, no minimum capital, and works cleanly with foreign holding entities. We assess SARL, SA, SCI on the merits when the situation calls for it.

Yes — communications with a French avocat are protected by the secret professionnel (Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971). This protection is broader than the common-law attorney-client privilege and applies to written and oral exchanges.

We work on fixed fees for clearly scoped engagements (incorporation, contract drafting, audits) and on monthly retainers for ongoing advisory. Hourly billing is the exception, not the default. You always know the cost before work starts.

Typical timeline is 2–3 weeks from KYC kick-off to RCS registration, assuming standard documentation. Holding-company structures, foreign-shareholder identification or in-kind contributions can extend this — we flag the gating items at the first meeting.

Absolutely. We routinely coordinate with your in-house counsel, expert-comptable or notaire — pragmatic collaboration is the norm, not the exception. We send them everything they need to do their part without duplicating work.

Mariela Petrova

Mariela Petrova

Avocate au Barreau de Paris

Toque #C2396

15+ Years In Corporate Practice

English · French · Russian

Ready When You Are

Talk To A Corporate
Lawyer In France.

A 20–30 minute call, in English, to scope the engagement. No obligation, no preliminary fee. You will leave the call with a clear view of what the work will cover and what it will cost.

First EngagementFixed Fee

Talk to a French lawyer.

Reply within 24 hours.

Communications protected by professional secrecy — secret professionnel de l'avocat, Article 66-5 of the Law of 31 December 1971.

Continue Reading

Related corporate services in France

01 / Setup

Setting up a French company

Choose between SAS, SARL, SA or SCI — and structure your first French entity around how you actually plan to operate.

Read More
02 / Operating

French commercial contracts

Distribution, agency, supply, services and IP licences — drafted around the protections French law actually gives.

Read More
03 / Disputes

Business disputes & litigation

Shareholder conflicts, commercial breaches and pre-litigation strategy — handled by the same team that knows the file.

Read More