As in China, the structure should follow a commercial decision. The question is not « which form is best » but « what do I need to be able to do that I cannot do today? »
The three usual options
- SAS. The flexible default for a subsidiary: freedom in the statutes, a president who can be a foreign company, no minimum capital in practice. The most common choice.
- SARL. More rigid, more regulated, sometimes preferred for very small operations. Less flexible on governance.
- Branch. Not a separate legal entity: the Chinese parent remains directly liable. Simpler to open, and that liability is the reason most companies do not keep it.
| Form | What it is | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| SAS | The flexible default for a subsidiary: freedom in the statutes, a president who can be a foreign company, no minimum capital in practice. | The most common choice, and rarely the wrong one. |
| SARL | More rigid, more regulated, sometimes preferred for very small operations. | Less flexible on governance. |
| Branch | Not a separate legal entity. Simpler to open. | The Chinese parent remains directly liable — the reason most companies do not keep it. |
What actually takes time
Not the registration itself, which is fast. The bank account is usually the bottleneck: French banks apply close scrutiny to companies with foreign ownership, and the process can take longer than the company formation by a wide margin. Start it early and prepare the documentation properly.
Before creating anything, check whether a European distributor or an agent solves the same problem. A structure has a recurring accounting and social cost that does not pause when sales do.
Where to read it yourself
Official pages, opened and checked on 15 October 2026. Where a rule changes, these are the addresses that change with it — this article does not.