Subsection 1: The application for a business licence.

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R752-4R752-5R752-6R752-6-1R752-6-2R752-6-3R752-7R752-8

Article R752-6-1

French Commercial codeIn force
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Updated 4 Nov 2023

I.-The authorisation provided for in III of Article L. 752-6 is granted to any legal entity meeting the following conditions:


1° Neither it nor any of its legal representatives or employees have been convicted by a French or foreign court of a criminal offence involving corruption or influence peddling, embezzlement, fraud or extortion within the meaning of the penal code;


2° Provide evidence of the resources and tools used to collect and analyse information relating to the effects of a project on the vitality and economic development of the town centres of the municipalities in the trading zone and on employment in the same zone;



3° Provide evidence that the natural persons by whom or under whose responsibility the impact analysis referred to in II of Article R. 752-6 is carried out hold a higher education qualification or diploma of a level equal to or higher than level 3 within the meaning of the provisions of the code du travail relative au cadre national des certifications professionnelles sanctionnant une formation juridique, économique, comptable ou commerciale ou d'un diplôme étranger d'un niveau comparable.


The authorisation application file also includes the unique identification number of the applicant or, for applicants located outside France, any document equivalent to the extract from the register of companies, as well as copies of the identity documents of all the natural persons covered by the application. Any change will result in an update, within one month, of the authorisation file submitted to the prefecture.


II. II -An accredited body may not draw up an impact assessment for a project:


in which 1° In which it, or one of its members, has been involved in any capacity or at any stage whatsoever;


>If it has any links with any of the other bodies involved in the project, or if it is involved in any other capacity or at any stage whatsoever 2° If it is legally dependent on the petitioner. A sworn declaration to this effect is appended to the impact assessment by its author.

Mariela Petrova

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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

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

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