Have you recently registered yourself as a micro-entrepreneur to be able to teach freelance or have you been offered a role with this status? You have managed to get a grasp of everything that being a micro-entrepreneur entails and you know how to register however here are 5 more things that you may not have considered as an independent or freelance language teacher in France. Read and follow the links for more official information (in French).
1. NDA: "Numéro de Déclaration d'Activité"
If you are teaching adults or giving professional training in companies, you will most likely be required to ask for a NDA which is a "Numéro de déclaration d'activité". This is a declaration number which is issued from the DREETS (Direction régionales de l'économie, de l'emploi, du travail et des solidarités). You need to submit an application file containing several documents in order to get this number. More information can be found on the official governmental website . Having an NDA is obligatory if you work as a sub-contractor for organisations which offer subsidised training. Getting this number is free, but it means that every year you have to complete a declaration of training given the previous tax year (called "BPF - Bilan Pédagogique et Financier"). Find out more about becoming an "organisme de formation". Once you have your NDA, you must include this on any invoices or contracts with the phrase Déclaration d'activité enregistrée sous le numéro... auprès du préfet de région de.... If you include this on your website or any other publicity material you must also follow with the phrase Cet enregistrement ne vaut pas agrément de l’État.
2. Personal Insurance : Responsabilité Civile Professionnelle (RC Pro)
Whilst, in my opinion, it is not completely clear if personal business insurance is actually obligatory for micro-entrepreneurs working as a teacher, many training organisations who take on sub-contractors are required to ask for it. It is also an essential thing to have if you are giving lessons from your own home or travelling to the students' home. Prices vary but you should expect to pay approximately 10-15 euros per month. It is important to check the policy carefully and make sure it is well-adapted to your situation (for example, whether you receive students in your home, you teach on the student's premises or in a school) and the risks involved. Here is some useful advice on what to look for, but do some research and ask for several quotes before choosing one insurance provider.
3. Agreement with a mediation provider.
Agreement with a mediation provider is obligatory if you are giving lessons to the general public, and it protects you in case of a legal dispute. If you are only working as a sub-contractor or with businesses then this is not a requirement, although it is probably still a good idea. In french it is called "médiation des consommateurs". Expect to pay around 25-30 euros per year. You may find cheaper deals if you purchase one for the next 3 years in one go. Again, read carefully the terms and conditions and how much it covers in case of litigation ( usually there is still a fee to pay in addition and this can vary between different providers), and like with the insurance check out several options before choosing one. For example, the Federation Nationale des Autoentrepreneurs & microentrepreneurs offer a mediation service if you subscribe with them for a small extra cost as well as other benefits, although you may also find a better deal elsewhere.
4. Invoicing System
In 2024 electronic invoicing will start to become obligatory and in January 2026 it will be necessary for all micro-entrepreneurs to use an invoicing software (rather than just excel and pdf), so it is a good idea to start now. There are a few software platforms for this : Tiime.fr , Henrii.com, and the one I found to be the easiest to use was myae.fr. I use the free version which I find suits my needs just fine. You will need to add your insurance, mediation agreement and NDA numbers to your invoice if you have them.
5. CFE tax. Are you exempt?
As a micro-entrepreneur you have to pay a yearly tax on your "office space", even if this is just a desk in your bedroom. See here for an idea of how much that could be. If you work solely in educational institutes, then you are usually exempt from this tax. You may need to send a letter to the tax office to ask for exemption. You are also exonerated in the first year of creation. Follow this link for more information in French and a template for your letter of exemption if it applies to you.
If you need help or advice with setting any of these things up, I offer support and guidance for new teachers in France. Book a 1-hour consultation session with me and I can help you work out what you need to do and how, show you how I set up myself and together we can build an action plan for your next steps as a freelance teacher.
Disclaimer: All links are for guidance purposes only. I try to include only trustworthy and official resources where possible but I can not take responsibility for any misleading or outdated information contained in the links. I am not affiliated with any of these links in any way.