People and companies in France can usually get Indian legal work done without travelling. A document is signed before a French notaire, or the signature is certified at the mairie, and the procureur général at the cour d'appel issues an apostille, which India accepts. The original is couriered to India, stamped where required, and used by your lawyer or attorney holder. Companies follow the same route for board resolutions and corporate documents.
- Document route
- Notaire or mairie certification, then apostille from the cour d'appel
- Time difference
- India is 3.5 hours (summer) to 4.5 hours (winter) ahead
- Foreign judgments in India
- Not reciprocating: fresh suit
- Apostille with India
- In force
Who we help in France, and with what
France's links with India run through business and history. French groups in aerospace, energy, engineering, construction materials, consumer goods and IT services employ large teams in India, and many smaller French firms now source from or sell into India. On the personal side, there are French citizens whose families come from Puducherry, Karaikal and the other former French settlements, a growing number of Indian professionals and students in Paris, Lyon and Toulouse, and Punjabi and Gujarati families across the country.
Our French clients therefore fall into two groups. Companies need entry structures, either an Indian subsidiary or a branch or liaison office, along with contracts, trademarks and dispute planning. Individuals need powers of attorney, help with family property in Puducherry, Tamil Nadu or Punjab, and occasional family-law advice where one spouse is in India.
How documents are signed and legalised in France
France and India are both parties to the Apostille Convention, and it is in force between them. For a private document such as a power of attorney or an affidavit, you sign before a notaire, or have your signature certified (légalisation de signature) at your mairie. The apostille is then issued by the office of the procureur général at the cour d'appel with jurisdiction over the place where the document was signed or certified.
Corporate documents such as a board resolution or a Kbis extract follow a similar path. Indian offices work in English, so we draft documents in English or bilingual French and English form; a French-only document will need a translation in India, which adds cost and gives the receiving officer one more reason to query it. Details of the process in India are on our apostille and attestation page.
Most requested services from France
These six services make up most of the work we do for clients in France, with a clear weighting towards French companies entering or growing in India.
Indian Subsidiary Setup
French groups usually choose a wholly owned private company to manufacture, sell or deliver services in India.
Branch & Liaison Office
Some French firms prefer to test India through a liaison office or extend the French company itself through a branch.
Trademark Protection in India
French fashion, food, cosmetics and industrial brands are frequent targets of early filings by others in India.
Commercial Contracts
Distribution, supply and licensing deals with Indian partners need Indian-law review and enforceable dispute clauses.
Power of Attorney
Families in France rely on an attorney holder in India for property, bank and inheritance work.
International Arbitration
Paris is a common arbitral seat, and French companies need awards that Indian courts will enforce.
Tax treaty and money flows between France and India
India and France have a double taxation avoidance agreement covering business profits, dividends, interest, royalties, fees for technical services and capital gains. French companies paying royalties or service fees to or from India, and individuals with Indian rent or capital gains, should check the treaty rate and keep a French tax residence certificate and Form 10F ready for Indian purposes.
Treaty interpretation has been contested. In 2023 the Supreme Court of India held that benefits imported through a most favoured nation clause in a treaty protocol apply only after the Indian government notifies them, which affected French and other European taxpayers who had assumed lower rates. For individuals, repatriation from an NRO account is limited to USD 1 million per financial year with Form 15CA and 15CB, and French tax law will also expect Indian income to be reported in France.
Family law and French court orders in India
France is not a reciprocating territory under section 44A of the Code of Civil Procedure, so a French money judgment cannot be executed directly in India. The successful party files a suit in India on the judgment, and the Indian court tests it under section 13. This is why French businesses usually choose arbitration with a seat in Paris, Singapore or elsewhere, since awards can be enforced in India under the New York Convention. See our international arbitration page.
In family matters, a French divorce by mutual consent signed before lawyers and registered with a notaire, without a judge, raises recognition questions in India, where courts look for a decree on a ground available under the law of the marriage. If you married in India under the Hindu Marriage Act and divorced in France, take advice before remarrying or dealing with Indian property. India is not a party to the Hague Child Abduction Convention, which matters in custody disputes between France and India.
Practical points for clients in France
France observes summer time, so India is three and a half hours ahead from late March to late October and four and a half hours ahead for the rest of the year. A 10 am call in Paris reaches us in the early afternoon, comfortably within Indian office hours.
Courier originals to India by a tracked service and keep scans of every page, including the apostille. Many Indian courts now hear evidence by video link, which can save a French witness a trip. For property in Puducherry or Tamil Nadu, the local revenue records, called patta and chitta, often contain old spellings of French-style names, so consistent identity documents matter.
All services for clients in France
NRI Property Law
- Property Disputes
- Encroachment & Illegal Possession
- Partition of Family Property
- Buying & Selling Property
- Title Search & Due Diligence
- Tenant Eviction
- Builder Delay & RERA
Inheritance & Documents
Cross-Border Family Law
- Divorce for NRIs
- International Child Custody
- Maintenance & Alimony
- Marriage Registration
- 498A & Dowry Case Defence
- OCI Card Issues
Doing Business in India
- Company Setup for Foreigners
- Indian Subsidiary Setup
- Branch & Liaison Office
- FDI & FEMA Compliance
- Trademark Protection in India
- Commercial Contracts
- Employment Law for Foreign Employers
- GST for Foreign Businesses
- Investing in Indian Startups
- Legal Advisory for NRI Investors
Disputes & Enforcement
- International Arbitration
- Enforcing Foreign Judgments
- Money Recovery from India
- Shareholder Disputes & NCLT
- Accident Compensation Claims
- Cyber & Investment Fraud
- Criminal Defence & Look Out Circulars
Cross-Border Tax & Money
Indian missions in France
The Embassy of India in Paris provides consular services for India-related documents and OCI matters for residents of metropolitan France.
- Embassy of India, Paris
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get an apostille in France for an Indian document?
From the office of the procureur général at the cour d'appel responsible for the place where the document was signed or certified. Private signatures are first certified by a notaire or at the mairie.
Does India accept a French apostille without Embassy attestation?
Yes. The Apostille Convention is in force between France and India, so a French apostille replaces Embassy attestation. Indian stamp duty rules still apply to powers of attorney and agreements.
Can a French judgment against an Indian company be enforced in India?
Not directly. France is not a reciprocating territory, so the judgment creditor files a fresh suit in India. Arbitration clauses avoid this problem for future contracts.
Do I need French and English versions of a power of attorney?
English is enough for India. If your notaire needs French, use a bilingual document so that the Indian office can read it without a separate translation.
My family property is in Puducherry. Can you help?
Yes. We handle title checks, mutation, partition and possession matters in Puducherry and Tamil Nadu through a power of attorney, coordinating with local counsel where a court appearance is needed.
Is India's tax treaty with France relevant to my Indian rent?
Yes. It decides which country taxes the rent and how credit is given. You need a French tax residence certificate and Form 10F to claim treaty benefits in India.
Can a French company open a bank account in India before incorporation?
No. The Indian subsidiary opens its account after incorporation using its certificate, PAN and board resolution. The parent then remits capital into that account.
Does ProudLegal have an office in France?
No. We work from Mohali in India and serve French clients remotely by video call and email, at times that suit French working hours.