Debt Collection in France: The Procédure d'Injonction de Payer Roadmap
Debt Collection in France: A Step-by-Step Guide for Foreign Creditors
The French System Explained
France's debt collection framework is among the most structured in Europe — and among the most effective when navigated correctly. The combination of the Tribunal de Commerce (staffed by elected business professionals, not career judges), the injonction de payer (payment order without hearing), the référé-provision (emergency payment in 2-3 weeks), and the huissier de justice (bailiff with real enforcement power) creates a creditor toolkit that produces results on defined timelines.
We covered the référé-provision in our main France article. This guide walks through the complete procédure d'injonction de payer — France's most commonly used collection mechanism — from initial demand to enforced recovery.
Step 1: Mise en Demeure
The mise en demeure (formal demand) by lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception (registered mail with acknowledgment of receipt) is the mandatory first step. It must cite: the contractual basis, the outstanding amount, intérêts de retard (default interest at ECB + 8 percentage points under the Code de Commerce), and indemnité forfaitaire de recouvrement (€40 fixed recovery compensation per invoice under Décret 2012-1115). The debtor has 30 days to respond.
Step 2: Requête en Injonction de Payer
If the mise en demeure produces no payment, the creditor files a requête at the Tribunal de Commerce in the debtor's jurisdiction. Required documentation: original contract, invoices, delivery proof (bon de livraison), correspondence, and the mise en demeure with proof of receipt. The judge reviews the application ex parte — no hearing, no debtor notification. If satisfied, the judge issues an ordonnance d'injonction de payer.
Step 3: Signification
The ordonnance must be served (signifiée) on the debtor by a huissier de justice within 6 months of issuance. The debtor has 1 month from service to file an opposition. No opposition? The creditor requests a déclaration d'exécutoire (declaration of enforceability) from the court, and the ordonnance becomes a titre exécutoire (enforceable title).
Step 4: Execution
With a titre exécutoire, the huissier de justice executes: saisie-attribution (bank account seizure — effective immediately upon service on the bank), saisie-vente (seizure and sale of movable assets), or saisie immobilière (real property seizure through court-supervised auction). The saisie-attribution is France's fastest enforcement tool — funds are frozen at the moment the huissier serves the bank.
Key Parameters
Timeline: Mise en demeure (30 days) + injonction de payer (2-4 weeks) + signification and opposition period (1 month) + execution = approximately 3-4 months from demand to recovery for unopposed claims.
Costs: Court filing fee: €35.21. Huissier fees: regulated, based on claim value. No lawyer required for injonction de payer proceedings at Tribunal de Commerce.
France's injonction de payer procedure is one of Europe's most efficient creditor mechanisms — particularly because it requires no hearing, no lawyer, and minimal court fees. The step-by-step structure means every stage has a defined timeline and a defined next action.
