Debt collection · France

🇫🇷 Your customer in France is not paying?

Goods delivered, invoice overdue, the buyer in France silent. This page explains how a B2B claim is collected in France, how long it takes, and which interest and costs can be charged to the debtor. Incasso Mentor sets up and runs this process on your behalf: we choose the right route, bring in the local specialist, follow every step and report to you in Turkish. You only take the decisions. Information as of September 2026.

France at a glance

The four figures that matter most to a Turkish exporter. Fees and rates change; before any legal step we confirm the current figures with our partner.

Injonction de payer
Order for payment without a lawyer or hearing; commercial-court fee €30.23 in 2026. One month to object; without objection, direct enforcement.
ECB + 10 pts
Statutory commercial interest if no rate was agreed (Code de commerce L441-10). A contractual rate must be at least 3 times the legal rate.
€40
Automatic flat fee per invoice from the day after the due date; higher documented costs on top.
5 years
Limitation from the due date (Code civil 2224); 2 years for consumers.
Process

How collection in France proceeds

Amicable phase

French formal demand by registered letter with acknowledgment (mise en demeure). Interest and the €40 fee are claimed. Payment terms may not exceed 60 days; longer terms are void.

Order for payment

Application to the commercial court; the order is served within 3 months and the debtor has 1 month to object. 1–3 months in total. The simplified procedure up to €5,000 is closed to B2B invoices.

Court action if objected

Ordinary proceedings 6–18 months; a lawyer is mandatory at the tribunal judiciaire above the threshold. Fast référé-provision for claims that are not seriously disputable.

Enforcement and insolvency

Commissaire de justice (merged profession since 2022): bank attachment in 15–30 days, wage attachment, movable and real-estate seizure. In insolvency, foreign creditors have 4 months from the BODACC notice to file their claim.

Our role

We organise your collection in France

Collecting a debt in a foreign country on your own is exhausting: language, law, finding the right firm, negotiating fees, not missing deadlines. This is exactly where Incasso Mentor comes in. We review your file, obtain an independent credit report on the debtor and determine the most suitable route for France.

Then we set up the process: we select the registered agency or lawyer in France, hand over a complete and well-prepared file, fix the fee on your behalf in advance and follow every step. You work with one contact, in your own language. Every decision is yours; no step is taken without your approval.

What you do, what we do

You: send us the invoice, contract and delivery documents.

We: assess the file, obtain the credit report and report the route and cost to you in writing.

We: select and brief the local specialist in France, fix the fee and watch the deadlines.

We: report every development in Turkish and answer your questions.

You: take the decision at every stage. Legal steps only with your approval.

Three points that matter for a Turkish exporter

Registered letter with acknowledgment is a must

Default in France requires a proper mise en demeure; an ordinary e-mail is not enough. Incasso Mentor has this issued through the French partner.

The 4-month insolvency rule

If a French debtor enters insolvency, creditors outside France must file their claim within 4 months; missing the deadline excludes the claim. Monitoring is therefore critical.

EU procedures closed

The European order for payment and small-claims procedure are closed to Turkish companies; the national injonction de payer is fast and cheap anyway.

Frequently asked questions

How long does collection in France take?

Unopposed order for payment 1–3 months; if opposed, ordinary proceedings 6–18 months. Bank attachment 15–30 days after the judgment.

Do I need a lawyer?

Not for the order for payment (an agency or commissaire de justice can run it). Yes at the hearing after an objection, above the threshold.

What should my contract say?

The payment term (60 days maximum), the contractual interest rate (at least 3 times the legal rate) and the competent court. These make collection markedly easier.

Incasso Mentor is not a law firm. We coordinate the amicable phase; where a legal step is needed, an authorised lawyer, enforcement officer or registered agency in France acts with your approval. This page is general information, not legal advice. Source legislation: Civil Code (arts. 1344, 2224), Commercial Code (L441-10), Code of Civil Procedure (arts. 1405–1425), Code of Civil Enforcement Procedures, Commercial Code Book VI (insolvency). Information as of September 2026.

Submit your France claim today

Share your invoice and the basic documents. We review the file and report the route in France and the expected cost to you in writing, in Turkish; the rest we plan together. B2B, from €20,000 per debtor.

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