Deposit Share Capital for a French Company from Australia

You can deposit the share capital of a French company from Australia fully online, with no French bank account and no trip to the other side of the world. A French notary (notaire) — a public officer authorised to receive cash contributions — holds your funds on a dedicated account at the Caisse des Dépôts and issues your certificate of deposit within 24 hours of the wire arriving and your file being complete. For Australian founders the flat fee is €500, clearing the one step that a large time difference tends to complicate.

Key takeaways

• No French bank account and no French tax residence needed to complete the deposit.
• €500 flat for non-residents (€230 for France residents), no subscription, 100% online.
• Certificate of deposit within 24h once your wire is received and your file is complete.
• Wire in euros from your Australian bank; your TFN or ABN is your local tax reference.

Why the capital deposit stops founders in Australia

A French company is formed in a set sequence: draft the articles of association, deposit the share capital, obtain the certificate of deposit, register at the one-stop shop, then release the funds. The deposit comes before the company legally exists — and from Australia it is the step a founder cannot simply click through.

French company formation requires the share capital of an SAS, SASU, SARL, EURL or SCI to be deposited with an authorised depositary before registration. Historically that meant a bank. But French banks rarely open remote accounts for non-EU residents, which leaves Australian founders in a deadlock:

• No certificate of deposit without funds held.
• No funds held without an account.
• No account without travelling to France or waiting indefinitely.

Flying from Australia for a single appointment is neither practical nor necessary.

The solution: a French notary as depositary, 100% online

Under the French Commercial Code (Code de commerce), a notaire (notary) is a public officer legally entitled to receive the deposit of cash contributions, just like a bank. Depotdecapital.com is a commercial platform operated in partnership with the notarial office Cellard Notaires & Avocats; a partner notary acts as the depositary and handles the entire process remotely for Australian founders. The notary holds your funds on a dedicated account at the Caisse des Dépôts (CDC) — the French state deposit institution — and issues the official certificat de dépôt (certificate of deposit) required to register your company. You sign the fee agreement electronically, pay online, and receive an electronic certificate.

Step-by-step: deposit from Australia

1. Open your file online and specify the company form and the capital amount.
2. Sign the fee agreement electronically and pay the service fee online.
3. Upload your documents through the secure portal.
4. Wire the share capital in euros from your Australian bank to the notary's CDC account — no French IBAN of your own is needed.
5. Receive the certificate of deposit within 24 hours once the funds are received and the file is complete.
6. Register the company at the one-stop shop (guichet unique / INPI).
7. Release the funds by uploading the KBIS (registration extract) and the company's RIB (bank details) so the notary transfers the capital to the company.

Documents you need (Australian founder)

No French bank account and no French tax residence are needed to complete the deposit.

Cost and timeline

We do not promise a total registration timeline — the one-stop shop registers the company itself — but the deposit step, the usual sticking point for Australian founders, is fast and predictable.

Australia-specific angle: a time difference that does not slow you down

A few points for founders based in Australia:

• The time gap is not a problem. France is many hours behind Australia, but the entire deposit is asynchronous: you upload and sign during your working day, and the notary processes on receipt — you never need to be awake at the same time.
• Wire in euros. Have your Australian bank convert AUD to EUR and send the capital in euros, so the exact credited amount matches your stated capital and is not eroded by FX on the French side.
• Check your bank's international-transfer cut-offs. Outbound-transfer cut-off times and intermediary fees vary; confirm them so the funds land promptly.
• Tax number. Provide your TFN or, if you operate through a business, your ABN as the local tax reference.

None of this requires you to hold anything French before you deposit.

Related guides

• French SAS / SASU formation for non-residents
• French capital deposit without a French bank account
• Open a French company as a non-resident
• Deposit share capital from Singapore

FAQ

Can an Australian resident deposit French share capital without a French bank account? Yes. The partner notary is the authorised depositary and holds the funds at the Caisse des Dépôts; you wire directly from your Australian bank.

What does it cost from Australia? A flat €500, no subscription. France residents pay €230.

How quickly is the certificate of deposit delivered? Within 24 hours after the funds are received and the file is complete.

Does the time difference between Australia and France cause delays? No. The process is asynchronous — you upload and sign at any hour, and the notary issues the certificate within 24 hours of a complete file and received funds.

Which tax number do I provide as an Australian founder? Your TFN (Tax File Number), or your ABN if you operate through a business, is used as the foreign tax number (NIF).

Do I have to travel to France? No. The fee agreement is signed electronically, payment is online, and the certificate is electronic.

Will the notary advise on my Australian tax position? No. The service covers the regulated deposit step only; consult a qualified cross-border adviser for personal tax questions.

Deposit your capital online → https://depotdecapital.com/en/dossier

Certificate of deposit within 24h, flat fee, no French bank account required.