What is the custodian certificate of funds in France (capital deposit certificate)?
Under french law, the custodian certificate of funds is issued following the deposit of the share capital amount into the bank account of an authorized professional.
During the formation of a company, the legal representative and potential future shareholders agree on the share capital amount as stated in the company’s articles of association. For the registration of a commercial company (SARL, SAS, SASU, EURL, SA, SNC), future shareholders must provide proof of the availability and effective deposit of cash contributions made for the benefit of the company.
In order to do so, the shareholders must deposit their contributions into the account of an authorized professional (such as a public notary, banking institution, or “Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations”) before the registration, to officially demonstrate the availability of the share capital.
In France, upon receiving the funds, the custodian (e.g., the public notary) issues a certificate (known as the custodian certificate of funds or share capital deposit certificate), confirming the receipt of these amounts in their account. This certificate allows the shareholders to provide official proof of the deposit. The custodian then sends the share deposit capital certificate in digital format to facilitate online registration and the original by mail for direct submission of the registration application to the competent french commercial court registry.
The public notary office Chassaint & Cerclé Notaires assists business creators with the necessary steps for depositing their company’s share capital. For more information, click here.
