Debt Collection France: A Creditor's Procedural Guide

ECB+10ppArt.L441-10 Code de commerce

5 ansArt.2224 Code civil

EUR 40Forfait par facture

How debt collection in France actually works

5 yearsArt.2224 Code civilFrom creditor's knowledge

ECB+10ppL441-10 Cde commerceHighest EU statutory rate

EUR 40Fixed per invoiceNo proof required

10-20%Contingency feeB2B commercial range

Décret 96-1112Agency registrationMandatory for collectors

Collection process

1

Mise en demeure (LRAR)

Formal demand by registered mail. Cite Art.L441-10, calculate ECB+10pp interest + EUR 40 per invoice. Interrupts 5yr limitation under Art.2240 Code civil.

2

Procédure judiciaire

Injonction de payer (fast-track, no hearing, Art.1405-1425 CPC) or référé-provision for urgent cases. Uncontested: enforceable title in under 3 months.

3

Enforcement (saisie-attribution)

Commissaire de justice serves seizure on debtor's bank — FICOBA database access. Funds frozen immediately up to claim amount. Pays within 1 month.

A French distributor owes EUR 180,000 on six invoices. The Tribunal de commerce is the B2B first-instance court. Two procedural tracks exist: amicable (Décret 96-1112 registered agents) and judicial.

Court procedures for debt recovery in France

ProcedureSpeedTimeline

Injonction de payer

2–3 months

Arts.1405-1425 CPC — ex parte, 1mo debtor opposition window

2–3 moEUR 35 filing

Référé-provision

2–4 weeks

Arts.872-873 CPC — urgent, provisional, immediately enforceable

2–4 wk

Saisie conservatoire

Variable

Art.L511-1 CPCE — ex parte asset freeze pre-judgment

Days→1mo to file merits

Procédure au fond

8–18 months

Standard litigation — full adversarial hearing at Tribunal de commerce

8–18 moAppeals add 12–24mo

How does debt collection work in France?

French B2B collection runs two parallel tracks. Amicable: mise en demeure by LRAR, negotiation. Judicial: injonction de payer (ex parte, 30-60d issuance), référé-provision for urgent matters, or saisie conservatoire to freeze assets pre-judgment. Enforcement by commissaire de justice via FICOBA bank account database.

What are the debt collection laws in France?

Art.2224 Code civil: 5-year limitation. Art.L441-10 Code de commerce: B2B late payment — ECB+10pp, EUR 40 per invoice. Arts.1405-1425 CPC: injonction de payer. Art.L511-1 CPCE: saisie conservatoire. Décret 96-1112/1996: collector registration requirement.