Open a Website in France

France is one of the most competitive economies in Europe and then number of foreign investors opening companies here is growing year after year. French companies are also expanding their business, however most of them choose to set up online presences by buying or creating their own websites. This is one of the simplest and cheapest ways of starting a business in France. Opening a website in France implies knowing the legislation related to the Internet and communications and then buying a domain name.

Our company formation agents in France can offer information on the legislation related to setting up an online business here.

The .fr domain name in France

In 2011 France amended its legislation related to domain name registration and now foreign citizens and companies are allowed to apply for a .fr name registration. .fr is France’s top-level domain and it falls under the administration of the AFNIC (the French Association for Internet Domain Names). It should also be noted that AFNIC also provides for second-level domain names based on the region where the website is registered.

Opening an online company in France implies having a website, therefore a domain name and its registration with an accredited registrar.

How to set up a French website

Once the domain name has been chosen, an individual or a French company must file an application with the registrar. The domain will only be accepted if the name has not been previously taken.

Opening a website in France also consists in respecting several characteristics of the chosen domain name. A French domain must:

• -          have at least one character and 63 at most;
• -          must be comprised of letters or numbers;
• -          hyphens are allowed only in the middle of the name;
• -          it must be registered for a minimum period of one year.

Setting up a website in France is also subject to registration and renewal fees which depend on the registrar. One must file the name, the address, and the country of origin when opening a French website.

For company formation services in France you can count on our local representatives. We can assist with the registration of all types of companies. Please feel free to contact us for additional information on the registration process of websites in France also. If you need web design services in other countries, we can put you in touch with our partners from Clientpedia.