TL;DR
No, not necessarily. The articles of association can be signed electronically, the capital can be deposited remotely with an online bank that accepts it, and the application is filed online on the guichet unique (the single online filing portal), by you or by an authorised agent such as LegalRapide. The most common obstacle is the bank's identity check. Sources (2)
Service-publicService-public: can a foreign national set up a business in France?Service-publicService-public: setting up and depositing share capital
What may require a trip
- A bank that requires an appointment at a branch.
- A notary, for certain contributions (real estate in particular).
- A residence permit, if you want to settle in France.
Written by Razvan Toma, founder of LegalRapide. How we check our figures · LinkedIn