Key French residence, business and tax terms explained in three languages, so you can read official documents with confidence.
Temporary residence authorisation, common for new graduates seeking work or founding a business, usually valid ~12 months.
France's public investment bank: financing, guarantees and support for entrepreneur-project assessment.
Criminal-record extract, required for many residence and nationality applications.
Numbering system for official French administrative forms; each procedure has its CERFA form.
Local business property tax, due each December; first year may be exempt.
Bilateral tax treaty (e.g. France-China) allocating taxing rights and preventing double taxation.
A company's legal registered address, without needing a physical office.
National industrial-property institute: the single window for company formalities, trademarks and patents.
Personal income tax, progressive rates on the household's worldwide income, filed April–June.
Corporate income tax at 25%, with a reduced 15% rate on an initial profit band for small companies.
Proof of address: a utility/internet bill or lease less than 3 months old.
A company's official identity document from the commercial registry, proving legal registration and key details.
Simplified self-employed regime: contributions and tax based on turnover, minimal accounting.
Process of acquiring French nationality under residence-length, language and integration conditions.
French Office of Immigration and Integration: visa validation, medical check and integration formalities.
Multi-year residence permit (up to 4 years) for skilled talents, founders, investors and cultural professionals, covering family.
Departmental administration handling residence-permit applications, issuance and renewals.
Trade and companies register where commercial businesses must be registered.
Receipt issued by the prefecture after filing an application, proving legal stay while it is being processed.
Procedure letting a lawfully resident foreigner bring their spouse and minor children, subject to housing and income conditions.
Tax-residency status, deciding whether you are taxed on worldwide or French-source income.
Limited liability company, suited to multiple partners; a majority manager is a non-salaried worker (TNS).
Simplified joint-stock company: flexible governance, investor-friendly, for two or more partners.
Single-shareholder simplified joint-stock company; the president is treated as an employee for social security. Flexible, solo-friendly.
Business identifiers: SIREN (9-digit legal entity) and SIRET (14-digit specific establishment).
Statutory minimum wage, often used as an income threshold (in multiples) for residence applications.
Founding document defining the company's form, capital, governance and shareholder rights.
Document allowing a foreign national to reside legally in France: one-year, multi-year or ten-year permit.
Sworn translator whose translations are legally valid for documents submitted to the administration.
Value-added tax; exempt below a threshold, otherwise declared quarterly or monthly.
Body that collects social-security contributions from the self-employed and businesses.
International corporate volunteering scheme; a status change is often needed when the contract ends.
Long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit, validated online with OFII after arrival, no separate card needed.
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