What to consider before opening an international private school in France
What we need to anticipate in 2026 is the complexity of opening an international school in France. The project remains exciting: France attracts the most ambitious and offers numerous opportunities. With more than 400,000 international students every year, setting up a school in France is an opportunity for global outreach. But to succeed, certain steps need to be carefully anticipated.
However, international schools face a number of regulatory and administrative obligations that must be mastered from the outset. Here are the essential points to anticipate before setting up in France.
Before setting up a school in France: choosing the right status
The first structuring decision concerns the establishment’s legal status. There are several types of legal status available in France, including SAS, SARL, EESPIG and state recognition. This choice has a direct impact on governance, the tax system, the possibility of reinvesting or distributing profits, and the perception of institutional partners. What’s more, each status entails different obligations, controls and financing.
So it’s essential to understand the differences, the nuances, and above all the implications of each, because the impact is significant on all aspects of your school, including taxation and accounting.
These considerations must be taken into account before setting up a school in France, to avoid rushing into decisions.
Finding the right premises
The choice of premises is a decisive factor in the attractiveness of your school, but also in its regulatory compliance. Buildings must meet strict standards of fire safety, accessibility, hygiene and capacity. These requirements are checked by the town hall and prefecture when the school is declared open.
Over and above legal requirements, students attach great importance to the environment: transport accessibility, green spaces, sports facilities, rooms adapted to languages and new technologies. An undersized or poorly located facility can rapidly limit the growth of an establishment.
You also need to anticipate administrative authorizations: a change of use of the premises (if they were not initially intended for school use), compliance with standards for people with disabilities, and sometimes costly work. A solid real estate project for setting up a school in France, thought out with experts in ERP regulations (Establishments Receiving Public Access), secures your approach and avoids blockages at the opening.
Declaration to the local education authority
All private schools, including international ones, must be registered with the local education authority (rectorat d’académie). This file is also forwarded to the mayor, the prefect and the public prosecutor. These authorities have three months in which to oppose the opening of the school, notably for reasons relating to the director’s morality, safety or the conformity of the premises. The application must include at least a declaration signed by 3 persons in charge, a course syllabus, a list of teachers, diplomas and internal regulations.
For non-contracted schools, a mandatory inspection is carried out in the first year: pedagogy, compliance with the common core, administrative organization and financial transparency. This is a crucial step, and one that must be anticipated right from the design stage.
A solid, compliant and well-documented file increases the chances of rapid validation and reinforces your credibility with institutions. Conversely, an incomplete or approximate file can delay or even compromise the opening.
Regulatory compliance
From a regulatory point of view, setting up a school in France also means complying with labor legislation (teachers’ contracts, working hours), obligations regarding the protection of minors, and, if it offers training for adults, obtaining an NDA (numéro de déclaration d’activité). Pedagogical and regulatory compliance is therefore a central pillar in securing the long-term future of your school.
You need to analyze your compliance requirements in terms of your structure and business model, as well as the learners you are targeting. It’s essential to anticipate all the regulations you need to comply with. This ensures that you don’t forget anything, and that you’re 100% compliant in the event of an inspection, thereby limiting the risk of your school being closed.
The Quality System
If your establishment also offers continuing professional training (language courses, adult education, retraining), you fall within the scope of public funding (CPF, OPCO, Pôle emploi). To qualify, Qualiopi certification has been mandatory since 2022.
Qualiopi is based on 7 criteria and 32 indicators covering the entire value chain: transparent information to the public, clear definition of educational objectives, trainer skills, satisfaction monitoring and continuous improvement.
Obtaining Qualiopi requires rigorous preparation: implementation of documented processes, traceability of actions, claims management, proof of compliance.
But certification is also a strategic asset: it lends credibility to your offer with funding bodies, reassures families and sets you apart from the competition. It’s a key step in structuring your development.
Local roots
Setting up a school in France isn’t just a question of administrative paperwork: success also depends on its local roots. Relationships with local authorities, associations, companies and partner establishments create a favorable ecosystem.
A strong local presence facilitates administrative formalities, provides communication relays and even indirect financial support (premises loans, partnerships). It’s also a strong argument for convincing learners: a school that is integrated into its local area is perceived as stable and sustainable.
In practical terms, this means interacting with local players, taking part in educational or cultural events, and building partnerships with local businesses (internships, apprenticeships, sponsorship). More than just an obligation, local roots are a lever for reputation and growth.
Need help setting up a school in France?
Setting up an international school in France requires much more than passion and a pedagogical project. It’s a real strategic, administrative and regulatory challenge.
Without an expert partner, it can take several years to open a business… or it can fail. With Diligence Consulting, you can turn this complexity into strategic leverage.
We work alongside you, tailor-made, to bring your project to fruition in 6 stages:
- Strategic and regulatory feasibility study
- Legal modeling and choice of status
- Pre-registration and operational compliance
- Quality system deployment
- Register your certifications with RNCP or RS
- Local roots and institutional recognition
To support you properly, we start with a strategic call to understand your precise situation and create a tailor-made action plan based on the maturity of your project.
At Diligence Consulting, we don’t offer you a way into France. We help you put down roots. With structure, recognition and financing.
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