France offers two dominant private vehicles: the SAS (société par actions simplifiée), prized for governance flexibility, and the SARL (société à responsabilité limitée), a more rigid but familiar form often used by smaller, family-run businesses.
Pick SAS or SARL
The SAS gives founders broad freedom to design governance in the statutes and is the usual choice for startups and investors. The SARL has a more codified structure and specific rules for the manager (gérant). Both offer limited liability.
Capital and statutes
There is no meaningful minimum capital — a company can be formed with €1, though a realistic figure is advisable for credibility. Founders draft and sign the statutes (statuts), deposit any cash contribution, and publish a notice of incorporation in a legal-announcements journal.
The single online window
Since 2023, company formalities run through the guichet unique operated by the INPI, which routes filings to the relevant bodies. The company is entered in the RCS (Registre du commerce et des sociétés) and receives its identification and a Kbis extract — the proof of legal existence.
For foreign founders
Non-residents can own and run a French company. Practical friction tends to come from the bank account, the registered address, and signing the statutes correctly. A verified French colleague can prepare the statutes and handle the guichet-unique filing.
French formalities have changed in recent years — confirm the current process with admitted French counsel.