France greffe document list for a UK company branch

Published 21 September 2026 · Last updated 6 November 2026 · Official fees checked on GOV.UK 6 November 2026 (Companies House, FCDO)

A UK company opening or maintaining a branch in France may face a document list from a greffe, professional adviser or filing office. The list can include a Certificate of Good Standing, incorporation evidence, articles, officer details and a translation, but the exact requirements depend on the filing and local office.

This Advice Centre guide is practical document information, not legal advice, an immigration opinion, a banking decision or a promise of foreign acceptance. Ask the named recipient for its current written checklist before ordering.

Short answer

Do not build the pack from a generic “France company documents” list. Ask the relevant French greffe or adviser for the document names, maximum ages, certification, apostille, translation and delivery format. A COGS can support current UK status, while other documents may be needed to show formation, constitutional powers or the identity and authority of representatives.

Map the French request

A branch filing may ask for evidence about the UK parent, its legal form, registered office, directors, authority and constitutional documents. Request the list in writing and label whether each item must be an original, certified copy, apostilled document or translated version. A French translation can be required even when a bank would accept English.

COGS is one item, not the whole pack

A COGS can be a concise current-status document, but it does not reproduce articles, prove every director’s authority or establish the branch’s French details. Combine it with the specific incorporation, articles or officer evidence the greffe requests. Keep documents for the UK parent separate from French branch forms.

Translation and apostille sequence

Ask whether documents should be apostilled before translation, translated by a recognised translator or presented in a bilingual format. In practice, apostille on the UK original first is the usual order when the greffe wants both legalisation and French text — then a sworn French translation of the apostilled pack. That is a common operational sequence, not a universal rule: some clerks ask for translation first or accept a bilingual pack. The apostille authenticates the relevant UK element; it does not validate the French translation. Use consistent legal names and numbers across English documents and French forms. Confirm the named greffe’s written instruction before you process either step.

Dates and branch changes

A greffe may apply a specific issue-date limit. Around 90 days is a common recipient habit, but use the office’s written rule. If the UK parent has filed a name, officer or registered-office change, check whether the French filing should wait for the Companies House record to update.

France is a Hague Apostille Convention party

France is a contracting party to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents (the Apostille Convention). A UK public document with an FCDO apostille can normally circulate in France without traditional consular legalisation — see the HCCH Apostille Convention status table and UK company documents for France. An apostille authenticates the UK signature, seal or status; it does not approve the branch filing, refresh company data, or replace a sworn French translation.

French greffe paper-first apostille until written confirm. Paper vs e-Apostille acceptance still varies by greffe, notary and filing type. Default to paper until the named recipient confirms e-Apostille in writing. Corridor context: UK company documents for France, apostille and legalisation, paper vs e-Apostille guidance. Apostille stays quote-only — use request a quote; never treat it as a buy-now Companies House product. Official FCDO fees checked 6 November 2026 on GOV.UK legalisation overview: £45 paper / £35 e-Apostille (never older £30 figures).

Typical greffe / branch document list (examples only)

There is no single fixed statutory “France greffe pack” that every tribunal or filing office uses for every UK parent. The list below is an educational example set of items clerks often mention — not a substitute for the named greffe’s written checklist. Map each French request to a UK source before you pay.

• Current COGS / company certificate (summary statement / good standing where filings allow) — see Certificate of Good Standing. Supports current UK status; it is one item, not the whole pack.
• Certificate of incorporation (or other certified incorporation evidence) — see certificate of incorporation. Answers formation / legal existence history when the list asks for it separately from standing.
• Current articles (memorandum and articles / articles of association as held on the register) — often via a company documents pack or certified copy of the filed constitution.
• Director / officer evidence if asked — for example certified facts naming directors, or a certified copy of a recent appointment filing. Confirm exact titles with the greffe.
• Apostille where the greffe requires legalisation of the UK public document — quote-only via request a quote; paper-first until written e-Apostille confirm.
• Sworn French translation where the greffe will not accept English — translator status must match what that office accepts.

Align this with the earlier point that a COGS is one item, not the whole pack. Keep UK parent evidence separate from French branch forms, and use identical legal names and company numbers across every sheet. Before ordering standing, run the free Companies House filings checker and read check filings before ordering a COGS so overdue accounts or confirmation statements do not waste a refused summary-statement route.

Apostille then translation — usual order, not a universal rule

When both legalisation and French text are required, the usual path is: obtain the Companies House original or certified copy; apostille that UK original; then commission a sworn French translation of the apostilled pack (so the translator covers the apostille page as well as the certificate). Translating first can leave the apostille outside the French text the clerk reads.

It is still not one universal sequence. Some greffes accept English with an apostille only; some want a locally recognised translator first; some accept bilingual presentation. Follow the greffe’s written order. An apostille does not approve the translation, and a translation does not replace an apostille when legalisation was requested. See apostille and legalisation and request a quote.

Freshness windows for French branch packs

Companies House prints no legal expiry date on a company certificate or certified copy. Freshness is a recipient rule. For French branch and greffe work, operational windows of about 30–90 days from issue are common clerk habits — some offices are stricter, some looser, and some tie the document to a filing date rather than a calendar age. Confirm the named recipient’s written maximum age before you order.

Use the free document freshness tool to think through age limits, and the free Companies House filings checker (plus check filings before ordering a COGS) so the live register still matches what the certificate will say. An apostille does not refresh company information: if the greffe wants a document issued after a name, officer or registered-office change, wait for the Companies House record to update, then order. Official CH dispatch remains £22 standard / £65 express (GOV.UK Companies House order guidance; Companies House fees list — checked 6 November 2026).

What UKCOGS sells vs quotes

UKCOGS sells Companies House products with buy-now checkout: Certificate of Good Standing, certificate of incorporation, company documents pack and related SKUs on secure order. Apostille, embassy and later foreign stages stay quote-only via request a quote. We do not invent a buy-now apostille, claim FCDO partner status, or promise greffe acceptance. Corridor orientation: UK company documents for France, apostille and legalisation, which-document tool. Educational only — confirm with the named French greffe, counsel or bank.

Practical checklist

• Obtain the exact list from the relevant French filing office or adviser.

• Identify which item answers current status and which answers formation or authority.

• Confirm French translation and apostille sequence.

• Check issue dates and recent UK filings.

• Use identical legal names and company numbers on every item.

• Retain delivery and submission evidence for the branch file.

Official fees and sources

Check the live GOV.UK guidance on ordering certified copies and certificates from Companies House before ordering. The current working figures (re-checked on GOV.UK 6 November 2026) are £22 for a standard Companies House certificate and £65 for a same-day certificate. These are official charges, not an agent’s full service price. Where legalisation is needed, the live GOV.UK document legalisation guidance lists £45 for a paper apostille, £35 for an e-Apostille, £40 for Next-Day and £100 for Urgent/Restricted Urgent where the relevant conditions apply. Certification, translation, courier, postage and any later embassy stage can be separate. UKCOGS does not claim FCDO partner status; use current official terms when describing any service.

Freshness is a recipient rule

There is no universal 90-day legal expiry for every Certificate of Good Standing. About 90 days is a common recipient habit, but a bank, authority, registrar or clerk may specify 30, 60, 180 days or a document issued after a particular filing. An apostille authenticates the relevant signature, seal or status; it does not refresh company information. Check the recipient’s written rule and the live Companies House record before presentation.

Questions to settle before payment

Ask the receiving organisation to confirm the exact document title, the legal entity, the maximum document age and the accepted delivery format. Ask whether it wants an original, a Companies House certified copy, a solicitor-certified copy or an electronic file. If the document will be used outside the UK, ask whether an apostille is enough or whether translation, embassy legalisation or local filing follows. Put the reply in the order file; a short written answer is more useful than an assumption based on a similar transaction. Also check the practical hand-offs: who will receive the certificate, whether a portal accepts the original electronic file, whether paper will be requested later and whether the courier address differs from the registered office. Keep tracking information and delivery confirmation with the final pack.

Keep the scope clear

A company certificate is one piece of evidence. It should not be described as a guarantee of incorporation history, ownership, financial health, tax compliance, authority to sign or permission to trade unless the document and recipient specifically establish that point. If a reviewer asks a question the certificate cannot answer, add the separate evidence it requests or obtain professional advice. Clear wording protects the client from relying on a document for a purpose it was never designed to meet.

Frequently asked questions

Does a French greffe always require a COGS?

Not always. The filing office and branch circumstances determine the list.

Can the COGS replace incorporation documents?

Usually not if the list asks for formation evidence or articles.

Who should translate the documents?

Ask the greffe or adviser what translator status it accepts.

Should apostille come before translation?

The required sequence varies. Confirm before processing.

How recent should the COGS be?

The greffe’s written limit controls; 90 days is a common but non-universal habit.

How long does a French branch document pack take?

Allow around 10 working days for standard Companies House certificates, up to 25 working days for a standard paper apostille plus courier time, then translation. Express Companies House orders, and the e-Apostille where the French recipient accepts it, can shorten that.

Is France a party to the Hague Apostille Convention?

Yes. France is a contracting party to the 1961 Apostille Convention, so a UK public document with an FCDO apostille can normally circulate in France without traditional consular legalisation. Confirm the named greffe’s written checklist — an apostille does not approve the branch filing or replace a French translation.

Does every French greffe accept an e-Apostille?

No. Paper vs e-Apostille acceptance varies by greffe, notary and filing type. Default to a paper apostille until the named recipient confirms e-Apostille in writing. Apostille stays quote-only at UKCOGS.

What documents might a greffe ask for besides a COGS?

Example items (not a fixed statutory list) include a certificate of incorporation or other formation evidence, current articles, director or officer evidence if asked, an apostille where required, and a sworn French translation where required. A COGS is one item, not the whole pack — map each French request to its UK source.

Should I apostille the UK original before translating into French?

That is the usual operational order when both legalisation and French text are required: apostille the UK original, then sworn-translate the apostilled pack. It is not universal — some clerks accept English with an apostille only, or want a different sequence. Follow the greffe’s written instruction.

How fresh should documents be for a French branch filing?

Companies House prints no legal expiry. Operational 30–90 day windows are common recipient habits, but the greffe’s written maximum age controls. Check the live register and the recipient rule before you order; an apostille does not refresh company information.

What can I buy now from UKCOGS vs what needs a quote?

Buy-now covers Companies House products such as the Certificate of Good Standing, certificate of incorporation and company documents pack on secure checkout. Apostille and embassy stages are quote-only — never invent a buy-now apostille. Official CH fees are £22 standard / £65 express; FCDO apostille £45 paper / £35 e-Apostille (GOV.UK, checked 6 November 2026).

UKCOGS can help coordinate the relevant document route. See the Certificate of Good Standing service, apostille and legalisation information, order page or request a quote. Service prices and delivery times are separate from official fees, and the receiving organisation makes its own decision.