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Formalities

Who is registered in the companies and establishments register (Sirene)?

The register records the full title of all companies and their establishments, whatever their legal category and whatever their sector of activity (industry, traders, craftspeople, the professions, farmers, local authorities, banks, insurance, associations, etc.), located in France, in the overseas departments (Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique and Reunion Island), and in Saint-Pierre and Miquelon and Mayotte. Public or private bodies and overseas companies which are represented or that have an activity in France are also registered (articles R.123-220 toR.123-234 1973 of the French Commercial Code).

Insee has responsibility for identifying:

- individual entrepreneurs who are operating independently in a self-employed capacity (e.g. trader, doctor);

- corporate bodies under private law (e.g. a public limited liability company) or under public law, subject to commercial law (e.g. EDF);

- State bodies and departments and local authorities, as well as all their establishments (e.g. Town Hall)

- associations, in certain cases.

The Register lists all individual entrepreneurs or corporate bodies that:

- are listed in the business register;

- are listed in the trade directory;

- employ salaried workers;

- have tax obligations;

- receive public funding.

The registration process

The company fills in a set of application documents at the CFE (Centre for Business Formalities).

The CFE transfers this file to Insee (in 90% of cases this is done by electronic transmission) the same day if the application file is complete, or within 15 days if it is not complete and further documents are required.

Insee deals with the application; 95% of new companies and establishments are dealt with within 24 hours of the file being received from the CFE.

Insee sends a registration certificate to the company and an update notice to the CFE and to associates on the inter-administrative circuit as soon as the application is dealt with.

The registration process

Links

How to apply

To find out which CFE to contact:

You are a company:
You are an association:

There is no legal obligation for an association to register with the Sirene register. However, an association may have to register in certain cases.