Registering your operations and getting an identification number for your business
To declare that your business has been created, you must contact the appropriate business formalities center (CFE) to obtain an identification number called Siren.
The CFE's purpose is to simplify your administrative procedures at the time you create, modify, or end your business operations.
You only need to submit a single statement to the CFE to complete all of the administrative, legal, social and tax procedures for all the organizations you are dealing with : Insee, Social Security organizations like Urssaf, tax office (centre des finances publiques)...
You must register with the correct CFE office within eight days of starting your business operations. A one-stop-shop enables to complete administrative formalities online.
Your CFE office is the one that is local to your head office or to the location where you conduct the majority of your operations. To find your CFE office, please visit the website guichet-entreprises.fr.
When you submit your business creation file (RCDE), the CFE will issue you a receipt marked « en attente d’immatriculation » (pending registration) which you can use to take the next steps until you receive final approval of registration.
Once your business has been officially registered, you will receive :
- your Siren number, which identifies your company ;
- the Siret number, which identifies each place of business operated by the same company.
It also assigns the APE code for the business sector to which your company or you as a self-employed worker belong. The APE code is used to classify your company’s main operations in relation to the french business nomenclature system (« NAF » code). It also determines the applicable collective agreement as well as the industrial accident rate in the field to which you or your company belong.