French Representative — Who Can Act as One and Why Is It Mandatory?
Appointing a representative in France is a legal obligation for every foreign employer posting workers there. Without a representative the SIPSI declaration cannot be filed — and fines apply.
What is a French representative?
The representative (représentant) is a natural person or legal entity appointed by the foreign employer. Their job is to hold and produce the posting documentation on demand from French enforcement authorities throughout the posting period.
The representative must be reachable in France for the entire duration of the posting and respond to DREETS inspector questions on the employer's behalf.
Who can be a representative?
- Any individual with a French address
- A French-registered company or law firm
- The French client (with their consent)
- A posted worker who permanently resides in France
A posted worker who does not have a permanent French address or is not permanently reachable cannot serve as the representative.
What are the representative's duties?
- Hold documents required by labour law (SIPSI declaration, contracts, payslips)
- Produce them on demand during inspections
- Be reachable on the phone number given in the SIPSI for the full posting period
- Communicate with French authorities in French
Why is the representative mandatory?
The obligation comes from EU Directive 2018/957 and Article L1262-2-1 of the French Labour Code. The purpose is to allow national authorities to effectively verify the employment conditions of posted workers.
Practically: the SIPSI system requires representative details before a declaration can be submitted.
Fine for missing a representative
Failing to appoint a representative, or naming one who is not available, carries an administrative fine of up to €4,000 per worker — the same amount as the fine for a missing SIPSI.
Representative service from PostingRegistry
PostingRegistry offers the French representative service as a standalone option or as part of the package. Our French legal partner acts as representative throughout the posting, holds the documentation, and handles any inspector contact.
Price: 199 PLN / month. In the SIPSI + representative bundle: 249 PLN.
We handle the registration and compliance
SIPSI, Meldeportal, BTP cards, French representative — all in one form. Takes 5 minutes.
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