Many French freelancers work as micro-entrepreneurs (often still called auto-entrepreneurs). Platforms, agencies and companies hire them every day for design, development, delivery, consulting and building work. Checking a freelancer is different from checking a company: there's one person behind the number, some details may be hidden by choice, and above a certain contract amount, French law asks you to collect specific documents. This guide sets out the checks that matter, with official sources.
Rules come from service-public.fr, Légifrance and INSEE, read on 10 October 2026.
What you'll learn
- What a micro-entrepreneur is, in registry terms
- Five checks before you hire one
- The vigilance duty for contracts of €5,000 or more
- Why some freelancers don't appear in public searches
- How platforms check freelancers at scale
A micro-entrepreneur is an individual entrepreneur
Legally, a micro-entrepreneur is an individual entrepreneur (EI) under a simplified tax and social regime. There's no separate company: the business and the person share one identity in the Sirene directory, with a SIREN like any business, and INSEE legal category 1000 (individual entrepreneur).
Since 1 January 2023, businesses with a commercial, craft, agricultural or independent activity must be registered in the national company register (RNE) kept by INPI, according to INPI. That includes micro-entrepreneurs.
Two consequences for you:
- The SIREN is the key identifier. Ask for it, always.
- Some freelancers' personal details can be hidden from public data if they've objected to publication. More on that below.
Five checks before you hire
1. Get the SIREN in writing
Ask for the SIREN on the quote or invoice. According to service-public.fr, invoices between professionals must show the seller's SIREN. Check its format: according to INSEE, the ninth digit is a Luhn check digit. See SIREN, SIRET and VAT formats.
2. Check the status: active, not ceased
Look the SIREN up in the Annuaire des Entreprises. The business must be active. A freelancer can cease their business and later register a new one with a new SIREN. If the number you were given is ceased, ask.
3. Check the activity matches the job
The directory shows the main activity code (APE). A freelancer registered for web design who offers electrical work is worth a question, especially for regulated trades. The code isn't a licence, but a big mismatch is a signal. See the APE/NAF code explained.
4. Ask for proof of registration
For a contract that matters, ask for a recent proof of registration. According to service-public.fr, a business registered in the RNE can download its RNE registration certificate for free from INPI's data portal, as an alternative to a Kbis extract. Individual entrepreneurs can also share their Sirene situation notice. See Kbis, Sirene notice and RNE extract.
5. Check the bank details belong to them
Payment details on an invoice should be in the freelancer's name. Confirm any change of bank details by phone, using a number you already had. No register checks this for you.
Contracts of €5,000 or more: the vigilance duty
Under article R8222-1 of the Labour Code, the checks against undeclared work are mandatory for any contract of at least €5,000 excluding tax, and this applies to freelancers too. According to service-public.fr, the client must obtain from its contractor, when the contract is signed and then every six months until the work ends:
- an attestation de vigilance from Urssaf, which certifies that the business is up to date with its social declarations and contributions, and which is valid for six months;
- proof of registration, where the contractor must be registered.
Service-public.fr also says the client must check the attestation's authenticity, and that a client who fails to do these checks can be held jointly liable for the contractor's taxes and contributions if the contractor uses undeclared work. According to service-public.fr, the recipient can check an attestation's validity and authenticity with Urssaf's online verification tool.
Note the six-month rhythm: for a long engagement, put a reminder in your calendar. See how to check a French company before you sign for the full checklist.
When the freelancer doesn't appear in searches
Individual entrepreneurs can object to the publication of their personal data in Sirene. According to INSEE, they can ask for their surname, first names, pseudonym, sign and trade name, their exact address and geolocation not to be published; the SIREN and the activity stay accessible. The State's public search API doesn't return non-diffusible businesses at all.
So a freelancer missing from public search is usually exercising a right, not hiding a fraud. Ask them for their Sirene situation notice, which INSEE says they can share as they wish. See why some French companies don't appear in public searches.
Checking freelancers at scale
Platforms and agencies that onboard hundreds of freelancers can't check each one by hand. The checks that are the same every time are worth automating:
- Validate the SIREN format on the sign-up form.
- Look the SIREN up and check the status is active.
- Compare the activity code with the categories the freelancer signs up for.
- Store the source and the check date with each answer.
- Re-check before each payout cycle, or at least every few months.
- Send everything else to a person: not found, ceased, mismatched activity.
For the pattern, see verifying marketplace sellers with business registers.
Fuentio's API will return, for a SIREN, the status with its date, the legal category, the activity code and the source with the check date. It isn't open yet: join the waitlist below to hear the day it opens.
See what we cover in France and Spain.
Limits. Rules come from service-public.fr (attestation de vigilance, page checked on 6 July 2026; subcontracting, page checked on 27 June 2026; invoices, page checked on 11 August 2026), Légifrance (article R8222-1 of the Labour Code), INSEE and INPI, read on 10 October 2026. A register check confirms a business's identity and status, not the quality of its work or the nature of the working relationship. Not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
Does a French freelancer have a SIREN?
Yes. A micro-entrepreneur is an individual entrepreneur with a SIREN, like any business.
Do I need an Urssaf vigilance certificate from a freelancer?
For a contract of at least €5,000 excluding tax, yes: when signing, then every six months until the end, according to service-public.fr.
Why can't I find a freelancer in the public directory?
They may have objected to the publication of their personal data. Ask for their Sirene situation notice.
Can a micro-entrepreneur have several SIRENs?
Over time, yes: if they cease and later register again, they can get a new number. Check the one on your contract is active.
Sources
- Service-public.fr, the attestation de vigilance (page checked on 6 July 2026): entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr
- Service-public.fr, using subcontracting: the vigilance duty (page checked on 27 June 2026): entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr
- Légifrance, article R8222-1 of the Labour Code: legifrance.gouv.fr
- Service-public.fr, the RNE registration certificate: entreprendre.service-public.gouv.fr
- INSEE, requesting a change of diffusion status (updated on 2 December 2025): insee.fr
- INPI, the national company register (RNE): inpi.fr