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# France — preparing for e-invoice onboarding

## What Staple needs from you

To receive e-invoices on your behalf in France, Staple needs to register each French entity in the **French Annuaire** (the national e-invoicing directory operated by DGFiP) and on the **Peppol network**. French law requires this registration to be carried out through a certified **Plateforme Agréée (PA)**.

For this registration to be legally valid, you must **sign a PA mandate** that designates the platform partner on your company's behalf. The mandate is generated automatically by Staple during onboarding using the information you provide, and you sign it either electronically or by hand.

For each French entity, you will need to provide:

| Item                                                 | What it is used for                                                                         |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Company information                                  | Identifying your entity in the Annuaire and on Peppol                                       |
| Signatory details                                    | Identifying the person who legally authorises the platform partner on your company's behalf |
| A signed mandate PDF                                 | The legal authorisation that allows the registration to proceed                             |
| Identity document images *(only if signing by hand)* | Confirming the signatory's identity when the mandate is reviewed                            |

The same information and process apply to both testing and live operation — the only difference is that the mandate signed for live operation is legally binding.

## Before you start

Please make sure you have:

1. **A valid SIREN (9 digits)** for the French entity you want to register. SIREN is the identifier issued by INSEE that identifies your legal entity.
2. **A designated signatory** — typically the President, Managing Director, or another officer with the authority to sign legal documents on behalf of the company.
3. **A signing method chosen** — electronic (recommended) or handwritten.
4. **A secure place to store** any documents you collect (signed mandate, scanned identity documents).

## Information to gather

### Company information

| Field             | Format / Notes                                                       |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Legal entity name | Exactly as registered with INSEE                                     |
| SIREN             | 9 digits                                                             |
| Address           | House number, street name, city, and 5-digit postal code             |
| Region            | Optional — one of the 18 French régions                              |
| Email             | The address Staple will use for notifications related to this entity |

### Signatory information (legal representative)

| Field                    | Format / Notes                                                                               |
| ------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| First name               | Of the person who will sign the mandate                                                      |
| Surname                  | Of the person who will sign the mandate                                                      |
| Position                 | The signatory's role (e.g. President, Managing Director, Authorised Representative)          |
| Identity document number | The number printed on the ID card, passport, or residence permit that the signatory will use |

**Why signatory details are needed:** the mandate is a legal document and must identify a named signatory with a verifiable identity. These four fields are written directly into the mandate PDF that you sign, and are used by the verification team during approval.

## Choosing your signing method

### Electronic signature (recommended)

* **Faster** — typically processed within minutes once submitted.
* **No identity document upload required.** The signature is cryptographically validated against the EU Trusted List.
* **Requires** access to a PAdES-compliant electronic signature tool. Common examples used in France include **Yousign, Universign, DocuSign,** and **Adobe Sign**. Many tools — including free ones — support PAdES; check your tool's documentation if you are unsure.

### Handwritten signature

* **Slower** — typically processed within the same business day.
* **Requires** you to print the mandate, sign it by hand, and scan or photograph the signed document.
* **Additionally requires** clear images of the signatory's identity document. Acceptable options are:
  * **Both sides** of a national identity card (*Carte Nationale d'Identité*), OR
  * The **identity page** of a passport, OR
  * A **residence permit** (*titre de séjour*)
* Images should be in **JPEG or PNG** format, each under **10MB**, and clearly legible.

We recommend electronic signature where possible — it is faster, does not require uploading identity documents, and is more secure.

## What happens next

When you are ready to register, contact Staple support at **[support@staple.io](mailto:support@staple.io)** with your company information and signatory information (above).

Staple will generate the mandate document using the details you provided and share it with you for signature. To complete registration:

1. Sign the mandate using your chosen method (electronic or handwritten).
2. Return the signed mandate to Staple. If you signed by hand, also provide the identity document images.

Once verified, the registration completes. Verification typically takes a few minutes for electronic signatures and up to 72 hours for handwritten signatures.