Freelancing in France on a Working Holiday Visa

21-12-2025

Freelancing in France on a Working Holiday Visa - pvtistes.net

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Article Summary

- If you're a working holiday maker stopping freelancing, close the business before year-end to avoid ongoing CFE contribution of a few hundred euros, even if earnings are zero or you’re outside France.
- Initiate closure on INPI using your SIREN number and complete the secure e-signature; without it, the request won’t be processed.
- For the e-signature, note that FranceConnect+ isn’t accessible to Working Holiday Visa holders; you can use paid private e-signature providers, or sign via power of attorney.
- If using power of attorney, draft and sign a letter (template available), give the trusted person your SIREN, and have them log into INPI via FranceConnect+ to start the closure.
- The trusted person will upload the power of attorney; after submission and acceptance, verify the closure by searching your SIREN on the business registry (data.inpi.fr). Show more

Table of contents

Closing your business

When you definitively stop freelancing, it is important to close your business in a timely fashion, before the end of the calendar year. This is because if you don’t do so, you will continue to be assessed a baseline CFE contribution of a few hundred euros every year, even if your earnings are zero or are no longer in France.

The closure of your business needs to be initiated on INPI, which you should already have an account for. You’ll need to have your SIREN number ready. Once you fill out the information, you’ll be asked to securely e-sign your request summary. Without a secure e-signature, your request cannot be processed.

The e-signature is where things get complicated for working holiday makers. You will be presented with a few options:

FranceConnect+. This secure method is not accessible to Working Holiday Visa holders, as it requires a French ID or a residence permit of at least 5 years.
Other private e-signature service providers. You can use these, but they are paid. If you don’t want to pay, your final option is to sign via power of attorney. Read the following section.

Signing via power of attorney

If you don’t want to or don’t have the means to pay for a secured e-signature, the final option is to grant power of attorney to a trusted individual who is eligible for FranceConnect+, for example a French friend or colleague. This person will officially initiate and sign the business closure on your behalf.

He will request the closure on INPI as normal. He doesn’t need to be a freelancer to use INPI.

What you need to do

You need to grant power of attorney to this trusted individual. This basically means that you are authorizing him to perform the business closure on your behalf.

To do this, you’ll have to draft and sign a letter. Here is a template that you can consult.

You will also need to provide him with your SIREN number.

What the trusted individual needs to do

He will need to login into INPI via FranceConnect+.
close micro entreprise 1

If he doesn’t already have a FranceConnect+ account, he may sign up via either of the following two options. Note that it can take a few hours for his identity to be verified.
close2

Once he’s verified, he can go back to INPI and login via FranceConnect+.

There, he’ll need to enter your SIREN number to find your business.
close3
close4
Now he can start the request for closing your business. He’ll be asked to upload your letter granting him power of attorney. He might also have some other questions for you when filling out certain fields in the request, but it shouldn’t take long.

Once everything is signed, submitted, and accepted, you can confirm that your business is closed by searching your SIREN number on this business registry.

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Jackson

I'm a web writer at pvtistes.net. In February 2023 I moved from Vancouver to Paris. Adventures await.
Je suis rédacteur web chez pvtistes.net. En février 2023 j’ai déménagé de Vancouver à Paris. Des aventures m’attendent.

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(11) Comments

Angus I 04.11.2025 | 18:52

Hi Jackson,

At the very end of the application process there is a series of documents that need to be uploaded. Two of which are:

Déposer le fichier :Certificate on the honor of non-conviction or absence of civil or administrative sanction likely to prohibit the exercise of a commercial activity, showing parentage *

Declaration on honor of non-conviction dated and signed in original by the person concerned *

I have read via a few platforms that you can simply write a template with the necessary information and submit this. I am confused though as it seems like both of these are very similar? Could you clarify what I need to submit for both of these documents.

Thank you for your help.

OliverArgenti I 11.08.2025 | 10:21

Hi Jackson, thanks for this info!
I already have a freelance business registered in my home country. Do I need to do all this if I only plan to continue working with my clients back home during my PVT, and not with new French clients? Can I mention my business as a means of supporting myself on my application?

Jackson I 12.08.2025 | 10:13

Hi Oliver. This is a more complicated question that you should probably ask to a French tax/legal professional, because regardless of where your clients are you would be earning money on French soil, so it relates to tax residency. Sorry I’m not able to advise more!

Allyssa I 01.08.2025 | 13:38

Hi Jackson,

I am trying to follow your instructions to create an account with URSSAF, but I can’t because it keeps asking for my SIRET number (there is no box to tick to say that I don’t have one). Do you know if the rules changed.. and I need to have a SIRET number to create an account. Any help or advice you have on this, would be greatly appreciated. Thanks 🙂

Jackson I 02.08.2025 | 10:44

Hi Alyssa. I think it’s possible that the process changed slightly, I will update the guide. If you are trying to create an URSSAF account to apply for ACRE, you can actually send your application via the messagerie even without an account at https://www.autoentrepreneur.urssaf.fr/portail/accueil/une-question/nous-contacter/courriel.html?choixacre=ok for social security number just use a placeholder number, and then explain your situation in the description. And then once you obtain a SSN, you can properly create a URSSAF account.

Jackson I 02.08.2025 | 11:42

Actually Alyssa, I’ve just updated the guide. Hopefully you have what you need now.

Marie-Rose I 30.06.2025 | 21:45

Hi Jackson! Thanks for the help. I managed to apply for my status entrepreneur, but now I just need help applying for ACRE: how do I apply without receiving my social security number yet and without a carte d’identité francais (eg carte vitale, carte de sejour)? I only have 45 days to apply and it seems to take up to 6 weeks to receive these things!

Jackson I 01.07.2025 | 12:33

Hey Marie-Rose. I don’t believe those things are needed to apply for ACRE. They’re not mentioned in the list of “situations”. I applied through the under 30 years old category and didn’t have to provide either of them.

Marie-Rose I 08.07.2025 | 12:49

Hello Jackson, thank you I have my SIRET number and I tried applying online through the link you sent but it requires a social security number to log in… is there something maybe I’m missing in the process?

Marie-Rose I 08.07.2025 | 12:51

When I also tried France connect, it required a French piece d’identite which I don’t have as well…So instead I sent them physical mail of my application, has anybody had success with this method of applying?