Registering a company vs permission to live and work in France
Updated 22 October 2026 · By Dragos-Razvan Toma
Forming or running a French company does not by itself give any right to live or work in France. Non-EU founders can own and run the company from abroad; to move to France and run it from there, they need a long-stay visa or residence permit that authorises the activity, under conditions set by the French administration.
- Company law and immigration law are separate: the Kbis is not a visa.
- EU/EEA/Swiss nationals have freedom of establishment.
- For permits, use the official France-Visas service and Service-public pages, or an immigration lawyer. LegalRapide does not advise on immigration.
Sources
- Service-public (FR): can a foreign national create a business in France?
- Service-public (FR): how can a foreign national run a company in France?
- Business France: Welcome to France — setting up a business
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