If you’re planning to start a business in France — whether as a freelancer, auto-entrepreneur, or company founder — you’ll quickly come across the terms SIREN and SIRET. These identification numbers are essential for official paperwork, invoicing, tax declarations, and interacting with French administration.
But what exactly do they mean? Let’s break it down simply:
SIREN
SIREN stands for Système d’Identification du Répertoire des (EN)treprises. It is your unique business identifier in France — similar to a business registration number in other countries.
- Consists of 9 digits
- Assigned by INSEE (France’s national statistics institute) when you register your activity
- Used to identify the individual or legal entity (you as an entrepreneur or your company)
- Permanent and unchangeable – stays the same even if your business address changes
NIC
The NIC stands for Numéro Interne de Classement. It is used to uniquely identify each establishment of a business.
- Consists of 5 digits
- It helps distinguish each location or operational unit under the same business
So while the NIC is important for uniquely identifying a branch or location, it doesn’t tell you anything meaningful about your business’s function or address.
SIRET
SIRET stands for Système d’Identification du Répertoire des (ÉT)ablissements. While the SIREN identifies your legal business, the SIRET identifies each location or establishment tied to your business.
- Consists of 14 digits (=SIREN 9 digits + NIC 5 digits)
- If you open a second office or branch, it gets a different SIRET, but the same SIREN
Let’s Recap:
✅ Final Note
Now you know the difference between SIREN, SIRET, and NIC — and why all three are essential if you’re planning to run a business in France.
You can search and verify any business’s SIREN or SIRET number using the official public directory:
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