Domiciliate a business and its activity

Verified 15 September 2025 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

The domiciliation of an eastern business mandatory. It's about giving her a administrative address. It's a advance essential before registration. It is also commonly referred to as head office.

The registered office of the business must be fixed before the drafting of statutes. Indeed, the address of the registered office must be recorded in the statutes of the business.

It's about giving an address administrative and legal to a company as a legal person (all types of business: SA: titleContent, SAS: titleContent, SASU: titleContent, LLC: titleContent, CNS: titleContentetc.). It's also called head office.

Depending on the location, the business depends geographically on different courts and administrations.

This address appears in all documents business (statutes, invoices, contracts, formalities, declarations, etc.).

The headquarters address also allows customers and partners to communicate with company by postal mail.

If the company has a website for its activity, the address of the registered office is part of the mandatory particulars to be entered. For more details on this aspect, it is possible to consult our following page: Mandatory information on a business' website.

The address can also be specified in the project leader's business plan. This document may, for example, be requested by certain banks when applying for a loan. The bank will need the address of the head office to, for example, open a business bank account.

Finally, the address may represent an informal data such as the image of the company with customers and partners.

Please note

The address of the head office and the address of workplace that is to say, the one where the activity takes place, where the production takes place, can be identical. This may be the case, for example, for liberal professions, certain craftsmen, farmers or certain commercial activities.

Who can send their business to their home address?

Only the legal representative may address the business to his personal address. The partners are not allowed to do that.

This address must be chosen at the time of creation of the business.

This choice must not exceed a period of 5 years.

What conditions should be met?

The legal representative must comply with the following conditions:

Please note

In the event of a change of registered office address or a move, a amendment of the statutes of the business must be performed. This amendment must be the subject of a publishing in an authorized legal advertising medium (Shal).

The manager must know the city planning rules applicable in his commune. For this it is possible to contact its town hall:

Who shall I contact

What steps to take?

Persons to be warned beforehand

If he is a tenant, the legal representative must notify your landlord ; if he is a co-owner, he must warn his syndicate of co-owners. He warns that his personal home will be used as head office of its business.

This must be done in writing by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt.

It is also advisable to review your insurance contract "dwelling" with his insurer.

It is a matter of supplementing it with a professional insurance. For example, professional equipment may be destroyed or stolen, etc.

Integration of the address when registering the business

Where there is no objection to the choice of the personal address of the legal representative as the address of the registered office, this address must be declared during theregistration business. This process is carried out online on Window of company formalities :

Window of company formalities

How to make your personal address confidential?

The legal representative of a business as well as the partners indefinitely liable for legal persons (partners of CNS: titleContent and civil businesses) may request that their home address either hidden or not broadcast to the public.

The legal representative can request the confidentiality of his personal address on the Trade and businesses Register (RCS).

It may also request the non-dissemination of certain information relating to the company (company name, registered office, etc.), on the National Register of companies (RNE). This distribution restriction includes the non-distribution of the full address of the registered office on its proof of registration at the RNE. This results in their non-dissemination on the Sirene directory, as well as on the Directory of companies.

Please note

This protection applies only to the current directors of the legal person and does not extend to the former directors, whose data remain exposed.

Blackout on the RCS

Since August 25, 2025, it is possible, for legal representative of a business or for a partner of CNS: titleContent or a civil business (partner indefinitely responsible for a legal person) to request the concealment of his personal address on the Trade and Companies Register (RCS).

The address will also be hidden on the proof of registration in the RCS (extract Kbis).

This request must be made on the website of the Window of company formalities.

This system applies at any time: on spontaneous request, or during a formality (registration, modification, cancelation).

The procedure is free if the request for occultation is made at the same time as a formality to the RCS and it concerns only the address on the Kbis.

The Inpi shall make available on its website a sample application:

Request to hide the personal address of the natural persons concerned

The Clerk shall deal with the request for redaction in the 5 days workable after reception.

After processing the application, only some people and entities keep access to the personal address of the manager.

Window of company formalities

Information relating to the personal address of the manager will only be accessible to the following persons and entities:

  • Judicial authorities
  • Legal representatives of the business
  • Business Associates
  • Creditors of managing natural persons
  • National Financial Intelligence Unit
  • Officers of the Customs Administration
  • Public finance administration officials responsible for tax control and collection
  • Judicial police officers of the National Police and the National Gendarmerie
  • Authorities, administrations, legal persons and professions mentioned in Article R123-318 of the French Commercial Code (except networks of chambers of commerce and industry, chambers of trades and crafts and chambers of agriculture)
  • For companies falling under their jurisdiction: the presidents of the chambers of trades and crafts and the departmental and multidepartmental agricultural social mutuality funds
  • Union for the collection of social security contributions and family allowances designated by the Director of the Central Agency of Social Security Bodies.
Non-broadcast on the RNE

The legal representative may request the non-dissemination of certain information concerning the business (company name, registered office, etc.) on the National Register of companies (RNE). This thus causes them not to be broadcast on the Sirene repertoire.

The application to the INSEE, via the following online service:

Make the data of a legal person (business) not publicly available

FYI  

Only there municipality of the registered office will be visible on the proof of registration at the RNE. On theDirectory of companies, the full address will also be hidden.

You can rent a room to make it your company's address.

If you already own a place other than your place of residence, you can decide to make it your company's address.

You can also choose to rent a dedicated space and conclude a commercial or professional lease.

Advantages and disadvantages

You preserve your personal home from your professional life.

You manage your head office independently.

This choice is however more expensive than the one of domiciliation in your personal accommodation.

It also requires more management time.

What is a commercial lease?

You wish to exercise a commercial or craft activity.

You choose to rent a room and make it your business address.

The commercial lease will then be the rental contract that allows you toexploit the premises for your business.

You must know the characteristics of a commercial lease.

Please note

If your activity is liberal, then we talk about "professional lease".

Your business premises or business premises may correspond to the address of your company.

The choice of your location is crucial for success of your activity.

You must also know and follow the LES obligations and formalities.

FYI  

The town hall of Paris available on its website the list of vacant premises to set up your business with a low rent.

It is advisable to have a rent annual that does not exceed 8% of your turnover excluding tax.

Purchase of goodwill

If you buy a business, it includes a lease right that allows you to lease the walls for the duration of the lease. You can also buy the walls. You can use this address to house your company.

You must know the formalities related to the taking over a business.

Lease-management of a business

You wish to exercise a commercial activity.

You choose to rent a business and make it your business address.

This is possible in the case where the owner of a business does not exploit it but chooses to put it in lease-management.

He signs a rental agreement management (or free management) with you.

You operate his premises and you pay a owner's fee.

We're talking about coworking when companies share a business premises in a shared flat.

You can choose to use this address as the registered office of your company and carry on your business there.

This choice can be applied to all types of activities (commercial, craft or liberal).

Warning  

Most coworking spaces do not allow to store of goods or to receive a clientele regular important.

Benefits

You can exchange with other professionals.

You share equipment (printers, coffee machines, etc.) with other contractors.

Most of the time, you can choose different services: mail, secretarial services, office rental, etc.

What is this about?

A local office (or business) is a business center whose activity is to provide an address to companies.

He must have a prefectural approval, which guarantees the quality of its services.

What is the purpose of a direct debit office?

In addition to providing an address, the domiciliation firm manages the administrative tasks linked to the company's address.

It is possible to choose à la carte among the following services:

  • Mail management: receiving, forwarding, scanning
  • Telephone switchboard
  • Access to workspaces: offices, meeting spaces, coworking
  • Drafting quotes and invoices, etc.

It's a way of delegate the management of your head office to a service provider.

How to do it?
  1. You choose the firm. To do this, you can contact the Synaphe, which provides a list of business centers officially recognized. You will find on their website a list of member firms by name, city or department.
  2. You sign with the firm of your choice a domiciliation contract. This contract must be for a period of 3 months minimum.
  3. You can then register your company in the National Register of companies (RNE)

You must inform this firm of any changes to your company's life.

Benefits

It is an economical solution that has the advantage of:

  • Connecting you with other entrepreneurs
  • Separating personal and professional life
  • Freeing up time

What is this about?

The nursery is a structure ofaccommodation andsupport for young companies.

You can integrate a nursery to different stages of your project :

FYI  

The maximum duration of accommodation is 48 months.

Some nurseries are generalist, but most have a specialty.

Example: incubators of innovative companies, start-up.

What is a nursery for?

It provides a accommodation for your company's address but also for your work (offices and meetings). She group and accompany young companies.

A nursery brings you 2 advantages :

  • Exchanges with entrepreneurs who share your situation
  • Business premises

It's a means ofsave logistics costs and not to be alone.

What are the services and accompaniments?

In addition to domiciliation, you will find the following services in a nursery;

  • Equipment shared (photocopiers, binders, internet access, etc.)
  • Secretariat, receiving your company by phone
  • Personalized support to start your project and develop it
  • Network of partners : potentials funders of your project
  • Relationships with other contractors for swap : common areas (kitchen, relaxation, etc.)
  • Learn : training and conferences
  • Documentation and library specializing in trades
How to do it?
  1. You must present a application file at the nursery.
  2. If your application is selected, you must present your project to a committee.
  3. If your project is accepted, you receive an approval.
  4. You sign an agreement and a lease agreement short-term (3 years maximum)
Where to find a nursery?

You can get closer to nursery networks in your area.

You can check out our content that deals with possible accompaniments.

What cost?

You must count on average one rent between €100 and €300 per m2.

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

FAQ

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