How to get a SIRET number in France: the complete process

Updated April 2026 - A SIRET number cannot be "ordered" or purchased. It is assigned automatically by INSEE (France's national statistics institute) after completing the official business registration formality for the company or establishment through the guichet unique des formalites d'entreprises (the official one-stop portal for business formalities at formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr). This process is entirely free of charge.

Each year, nearly 900,000 businesses are created in France, and every single one of them must obtain a SIRET number to operate legally. Yet the procedure remains poorly understood: many entrepreneurs confuse SIREN and SIRET, are unaware of the rôle of the guichet unique, or fall victim to fake payment letters. This guide details the entire process in 2026.

See also check a SIRET number for free, LMNP and SIRET: is it mandatory? and characterising a business correctly.

The SIRET number (Système d'Identification du Repertoire des Établissements) is a unique 14-digit identifier that identifies each establishment of a business operating in France. It is essential for:

• conducting legal professional activity: without a SIRET, no invoicing, no contracts, no social or tax déclarations are possible;
• opening a professional bank account: financial institutions require the SIRET for any account intended for self-employed or corporate activity;
• declaring your turnover: both auto-entrepreneurs and companies use their SIRET for all déclarations to URSSAF and tax authorities;
• hiring employees: the SIRET is required for any pre-hiring déclaration and for affiliation to social security bodies;
• concluding professional contracts: suppliers, insurers, commercial landlords — all require a valid SIRET number.

The SIRET is composed of two distinct éléments:

• the SIREN number (9 digits): this identifies the legal entity — the company itself. A company has only one SIREN, regardless of its size or the number of its establishments. This number is assigned once and for all and never changes, even in the event of a change of name, address or activity;
• the NIC (Numero Interne de Classement, 5 digits): this identifies a specific establishment within the company. The NIC "00001" typically corresponds to the registered office or main establishment. Each additional establishment is assigned an incrementing NIC (00002, 00003, etc.).

The relationship is straightforward: SIREN + NIC = SIRET. Thus, a business with one establishment has one SIREN and one SIRET. A business with five establishments has one SIREN and five différent SIRET numbers.

In 2026, any individual or legal entity conducting professional activity in France must be registered and hold a SIRET number. This covers:

• auto-entrepreneurs (micro-entrepreneurs): from the moment of activity déclaration, the auto-entrepreneur receives their SIRET;
• companies (SAS, SASU, SARL, EURL, SA, SNC): registration with the RCS (Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés) or RM (Repertoire des Metiers) triggers the assignment of the SIRET;
• liberal professions: artisans, traders, farmers and liberal professionals are registered with the competent registries and receive a SIRET;
• associations managing business activities: an association conducting economic activity must also be registered.

The only notable exception concerns certain very specific activities, such as commercial agents registered with the RSAC without operating in corporate form — but these cases remain marginal.

Since 1 January 2023, all business creation, modification and cessation formalities go through the guichet unique managed by INPI (Institut National de la Propriété Industrielle). The old one-stop shops (CFE, CMA, URSSAF, court registries) no longer process direct requests — they only act as processing bodies after submission through the guichet unique.

Step 1: Create your account on the guichet unique#

Go to formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr and create your account via FranceConnect or with an email address. Account creation is free and immediately operational.

Step 2: Choose the nature of the formality#

Select "Créer une entreprise" (Create a business) or "Modifier une entreprise existante" (Modify an existing business) if you are adding an establishment. The form automatically adapts to your situation: individual (auto-entrepreneur, artisan, trader, liberal professional) or legal entity (company).

Step 3: Complete the déclaration form#

The required information includes:

• declarant's identity: surname, first name, date and place of birth, nationality, personal address;
• company characteristics: legal form, name or corporate name, registered office or place of business address;
• activity description: main activity, any secondary activities, start date of activity;
• supplementary information: expected workforce, anticipated turnover, tax option (micro-enterprise or actual régime), affiliation to a social scheme (SSI, CIPAV, general régime);
• supporting documents: identity document, proof of address, non-conviction déclaration (for traders), training certificate (for certain regulated activities).

Step 4: Pay any applicable registry fees#

The Sirene registration itself is free. However, certain formalities entail ancillary costs:

• RCS registration: approximately €25 in registry fees for commercial companies;
• RM registration: approximately €25 for artisans;
• micro-entrepreneur: no registration fees.

These fees are paid directly on the guichet unique by bank card. They do not constitute a "cost of obtaining the SIRET" — the SIRET itself is free.

Step 5: Track the processing of your request#

After submission, your file is forwarded to the competent processing body (URSSAF for auto-entrepreneurs, the commercial court registry for companies, the chamber of trades for artisans). The body processes the file and then transmits it to INSEE for the assignment of identification numbers.

The time to obtain a SIRET varies depending on legal status and the complexity of the file:

• micro-entrepreneur (auto-entrepreneur): the average timeframe is 8 to 15 days after submitting the déclaration on the guichet unique. In the fastest cases, assignment can occur within 48 to 72 hours, particularly for non-regulated service activities;
• companies (SAS, SARL, EURL, SASU): the timeframe is generally 10 to 21 days, as the formality involves publishing a legal notice, filing the articles of association with the registry, and then transmission to INSEE;
• regulated professions: certain activities (health, law, chartered accountancy) require prior verification by the relevant professional body, which can extend the timeframe to 3 to 4 weeks;
• secondary establishment openings: for an already-registered business opening a new establishment, the timeframe is shorter, typically 5 to 10 working days.

During this waiting period, you cannot invoice or hire. However, you can prepare your activity: searching for premises, negotiating supplier contracts, setting up your management tools.

Once your registration is processed, you receive an avis de situation Sirene (Sirene status notice) by mail or electronically. This official document contains your SIREN, your SIRET(s), your APE code (NAF), and the effective date of your registration.

You can also consult your SIRET number at any time:

• on the guichet unique, in your personal space;
• on the INSEE website, via the online Sirene status notice service;
• on public directories such as Pappers.fr or société.com, which publish Sirene data as open data;
• on your professional tax notice and your URSSAF documents.

At the same time as the SIRET, INSEE assigns an APE code (Activité Principale de l'Entreprise), also called the NAF code (Nomenclature d'Activités Francaise). This 4-digit + 1-letter code classifies your business into a statistical category. For example, "6920Z" corresponds to accounting activities, "6201Z" to computer programming.

The APE code has no direct legal consequence on your activity, but it influences:

• your applicable collective bargaining agreement (if you have employees);
• your statistical classification with INSEE;
• your Workplace Accident / Occupational Disease (AT/MP) contribution rate with the CPAM.

If you believe the assigned APE code does not correspond to your actual activity, you can request its modification from INSEE via the guichet unique, by demonstrating that your main activity falls under a différent nomenclature.

Every year, thousands of newly-created businesses receive letters that appear to come from official bodies, asking them to "pay for SIRET registration" or "renew their registration". These letters are scams.

The vigilance rules are simple:

• Sirene registration is free — no official body will ever ask you to pay to obtain or retain your SIRET;
• the SIRET has no expiration date — it is assigned once and for all and does not need to be renewed;
• genuine official letters always come from .gouv.fr addresses — beware of .com, .org or .net domains that mimic the appearance of government agencies;
• never respond and never pay in response to an unsolicited letter concerning your SIRET.

In case of doubt, always verify the information on service-public.fr or contact your relevant CFE directly.

Hayot Expertise advice: Sirene registration is free and requires no paid intermediary. In 2026, SIRET scams continue to target new entrepreneurs. The only official channel is the guichet unique (formalites.entreprises.gouv.fr). If a letter asks you to pay to "register" or "renew" your SIRET, discard it immediately.

We can help you navigate the right process and review your file before submission.

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