Find out all you need to know to successfully domicile your association in Paris!

The obligation for an association to have a registered office

Associations governed by the law of 1901 must designate a place as their registered office, which will be the association's legal domicile.

This involves choosing a registered address for your association, which must be mentioned in the declaration of creation of the association sent to the prefecture or sub-prefecture.

However, it is not compulsory to mention this exact address in the articles of association; it will suffice to mention the association's town of residence.

In the case of an association governed by the 1908 law, the same steps must be followed, but the declaration of creation will be sent to the Tribunal d'Instance rather than to the prefecture.

Domiciliation of your association in Paris

The choice of address is often a strategic one for an association, as it can influence the credibility and attention given to requests and/or information from the organization.

There's no doubt that domiciling your headquarters at prestigious addresses or in major cities such as Paris can only be a plus for your association's development and the way it is perceived by its contacts.

This is why more and more associations are opting for commercial domiciliation, which gives them access to such addresses at lower cost.

Commercial domiciliation simply means that the address of your association's head office will be provided by a business center strategically located close to places where your structure will have the best opportunity to develop.

Domiciliation of an association in a private home: limitations

This gain in credibility is not the only advantage of commercial domiciliation, especially when you consider the limitations of domiciling an association in a private residence.

First of all, it should be noted that setting up an association in a private residence is an absolute freedom guaranteed by law. In other words, even in the case of a lease, the lessee does not need the agreement of the lessor. However, under these conditions, the domiciliation of the company's head office at this address will only enable the association's mail to be received, and to host management meetings.

To organize other events that could cause a nuisance, the agreement of the condominium will be required.

Secondly, domiciliation in a private residence is a solution that lacks flexibility and stability.

Indeed, if the association's head office is transferred, the administrative steps you took when creating the company will have to be repeated, with the exception of publishing the announcement of the association's creation in the Journal Officiel (or in a local legal announcements journal for associations governed by the 1908 Law).

In the event of a transfer, you should also remember to change the association's SIRET number by contacting the relevant CFE (Centre de Formalités des Entreprises).

The advantages of commercial domiciliation for an association

Focus on the advantages of domiciliation

Firstly, choosing a commercial address will help you reduce your operating costs, as you will no longer need to rent permanent premises for your association's headquarters or even to hold meetings.

In fact, domiciliation companies like SeDomicilier offer meeting room rental services by the hour, half-day or day, for greater flexibility.

It's also a more professional solution, should you wish to talk to serious partners. It will make your association appear more organized and motivated, especially as you can opt for a secretarial service to support this impression.

Secondly, choosing a business address allows you to preserve your privacy and your home. Indeed, if you wish, thanks to the great flexibility of the options offered by domiciliation centers, all communications relating to your association will be filtered according to their relevance. Your association can be truly detached from your physical person, so you're protected.