French KYB is built around the SIREN identifier and the Registre du Commerce et des Sociétés (RCS), now consolidated under the INPI-run Registre National des Entreprises. The extract — the Kbis — is the canonical proof of legal existence. Onboarding has to resolve the SIREN, retrieve the structured record, and handle the SAS, SARL, and SA forms common to the market.
Business verification (KYB)
First Mile Labs resolves the company by SIREN and retrieves the RCS/RNE record — legal form, registered address, capital, and the appointed officers (gérant, président) — alongside the Kbis equivalent data. Beneficial ownership is established from the bénéficiaires effectifs filing, and the registered officers and owners are reconciled against the application form.
Identity verification (IDV)
French directors and beneficial owners are verified with the carte nationale d'identité or passport, using document authentication, liveness, and face-match. France's new electronic ID card is supported, and non-nationals resident in France are verified via their titre de séjour.
Sanctions, PEP & adverse media (AML)
French entities and individuals are screened against the EU consolidated list, the French Trésor (Direction générale du Trésor) national freezing measures, UN, and OFAC, with PEP and adverse-media checks running continuously.
From our compliance team
France is well-served by data but easy to get wrong on identity. The SIREN/SIRET system means an entity can have one legal identity (SIREN) and many establishments (SIRET), and teams sometimes onboard against the wrong establishment. We anchor the case to the legal SIREN, then attach establishment data as context rather than treating a SIRET as the entity itself.
France onboarding — FAQ
What is the SIREN and why does it matter for onboarding?
The SIREN is the nine-digit identifier for a French legal entity; the SIRET extends it to identify each physical establishment. First Mile Labs anchors the case to the legal SIREN so the company is verified once, with establishments attached as context rather than confused for separate entities.
Is the Kbis still required from the applicant?
Generally no. The platform retrieves the structured RCS/RNE record via INPI/Infogreffe, so the equivalent Kbis data is pulled automatically. Document upload is reserved for cases where additional proof is genuinely needed.
How is French beneficial ownership established?
From the bénéficiaires effectifs declaration held in the register, reconciled against the appointed officers and the applicant's declaration, with any divergence flagged for review.
Coverage in other markets
Onboarding customers in France?
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