Special Permits and Licenses in France

Updated on Saturday 17th December 2022

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Foreign investors can find great opportunities for setting up a business in France, but they must be aware that for some activities special permits, licenses or certificates are required. Sole traders must obtain special certificates for the activities they conduct that must comply with certain environment and health regulations. Special licenses, permits and certificates in France are issued by specific agencies or federal authorities.

Import and export special licenses in France

French companies are also required to have special licenses for the trading activities they conduct. Whenever a company is involved in a trading activity, such as importing or exporting products, there are some special licenses to be obtained depending on some factors:

the type of products to be imported/exported,
the products commodity code,
the country of origin of the products,
where the products are coming from or going to.

Economic operators will usually use a Single Administrative Document (SAD) that will be filled and submitted with the Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight (CHIEF).

When importing or exporting, certain agricultural products will need a special license issued by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). Also, special permits issued by the Import Licensing Branch of the Department for Business are required for some textiles, fire guns and metals.

The online gambling license in France

Gambling activities are monitored by the independent authority called ARJEL (Autorité de régulation des jeux en ligne), according to the French Gambling Act issued in 2010. According to ARJEL, special licenses must be obtained for online poker games and sports and horse betting. The types of licenses required for this type of activities are:

the type 1 license for online poker games that has a five-year validity,
the type 2 license required for online sports betting that has a five-year validity,
the type 3 license issued for online horse racing betting that also has a five-year validity.

Special requirements, such as financial possibilities and clean criminal records, are required from those applying for a gambling permit.

If you would like to buy a house in France we recommend you discuss all the legal aspects with one of our French lawyers. Our experts can represent clients in front of the notary at the time the sale-purchase agreement is signed. Moreover, those who cannot travel to France can be represented by our lawyers with a power of attorney. The entire process is normally ready in a few days, depending on the formalities and if there are any legal problems to be solved.

Licenses for financial institutions in France

According to the Banking Law in France, banks and other financial institutions are required to obtain special licenses depending on the type of financial activity they are engaged in. First of all, an authorization issued by the Prudential Supervisory Authority (CAP) must be issued for financial institutions. Investment services companies must apply for a special permit with the CAP and with the Financial Market Authority (Autorité des Marchés Financiers, AMF), as well.

If you want to open a company and need details about the business environment, you can contact our French law firm.