Debt Collection in France for Foreign Creditors

If a French company owes you money, your own courts cannot help you. Enforcement happens where the debtor's assets are — in France, under French procedure, through a French commissaire de justice. Himilco is a French-registered collection firm working on a success-fee basis: no retainer, no upfront cost, a percentage of what is actually recovered.

Why your home judgment may be worthless here

This is the point most foreign creditors discover too late.

If you are in the EU, enforcement is straightforward. Regulation (EU) No 1215/2012 makes judgments from member states directly enforceable in France without any intermediate procedure. You also have access to the European Payment Order under Regulation (EC) No 1896/2006.

If you are in the UK, it depends on a single date. The 2019 Hague Judgments Convention entered into force for the UK on 1 July 2025, but it applies only to judgments given in proceedings commenced on or after that date. An English judgment from a case started earlier falls back on the fragmented post-Brexit regime.

If you are in the United States, there is no treaty. The United States signed the 2019 Hague Judgments Convention but has not ratified it. A US judgment is not enforceable in France as such. You need a French title — which means starting the procedure here, from the beginning.

What we do

We act on French soil, in French, under French law, against your French debtor. Two phases.

Amicable recovery. Formal notice, telephone contact, negotiation, payment plan. Where French law governs the contract, late payment between businesses automatically triggers interest and a fixed €40 recovery indemnity per invoice under Article L441-10 of the French Commercial Code. Most foreign creditors never claim these. We do.

Judicial recovery. Where the claim is not seriously disputed, the injonction de payer gives a French enforcement title without a hearing and without mandatory legal representation. Where speed matters, the référé-provision can produce an immediately enforceable decision within weeks. Once a title is obtained, a commissaire de justice can attach the debtor's bank accounts.

How we charge

Success fee only. No retainer, no file opening charge, no minimum claim size. If nothing is recovered, you owe nothing.

• Amicable recovery, business debtor — 10% of amounts recovered
• Judicial recovery, business debtor — 15% of amounts recovered
• Amicable recovery, consumer debtor — 20% of amounts recovered
• Judicial recovery, consumer debtor — 25% of amounts recovered

Court and bailiff costs are billed separately at cost. Recovered funds are remitted on the 25th of the month following collection.

Why a French firm rather than an international agency

Debt collection in France is a regulated activity. A firm carrying out amicable recovery on behalf of third parties must be declared to the public prosecutor under Article R124-1 of the Code of Civil Enforcement Procedures, hold a dedicated client account, and carry professional indemnity insurance. Himilco meets all three.

An offshore agency subcontracting to an unnamed local partner offers none of this. You have no visibility on who actually contacts your debtor, under what authority, or where your money sits.

Time limits

Under Article L110-4 of the French Commercial Code, claims between businesses are generally time-barred after five years. That sounds comfortable, but recovery rates fall sharply with age: a claim six months overdue is a different proposition from one two years overdue. Act early.

Frequently asked questions

Can I sue my French debtor in my own country?

You may obtain a judgment there, but enforcing it against assets located in France is a separate question governed by treaty. Within the EU it is straightforward. From the US it is not possible under any current convention.

Do I need to travel to France?

No. The mandate is signed electronically and the entire procedure is conducted by us.

What if my contract is governed by foreign law?

The governing law of the contract and the place of enforcement are two different things. Enforcement takes place where the assets are. We assess both questions before opening the file.

How long does it take?

Amicable recovery typically resolves within weeks where the debtor is solvent and cooperative. Judicial recovery depends on the court's workload. Note that since 1 September 2026, an injonction de payer order must be served within three months — down from six — failing which it lapses.

What information do you need to start?

The invoice, the contract or purchase order, proof of delivery or performance, any correspondence with the debtor, and the debtor's company registration number if you have it.