Professional & Legal Services

A property diagnostician (diagnostiqueur immobilier) performs the mandatory technical assessments required for real estate sales and rentals in France. These cover multiple domains including lead, asbestos, termites, gas, electricity, and energy performance (DPE), among others.To practice, you must obtain certification from an accredited body for each diagnostic domain you wish to cover. Certifications are valid for seven years and require periodic competency assessments. For lead, DPE, and asbestos diagnostics, certifications are available "with mention" and "without mention" depending on the complexity of properties you assess. You also need professional liability insurance.

Issued by: Accredited Certification Bodies

If you want to use the title paysagiste-concepteur (landscape architect) in France, you must hold either a diplôme d'État de paysagiste or a diplôme d'ingénieur en paysage from an approved national school, or obtain an authorization from the Ministry of Ecological Transition based on recognized professional experience. The title has been protected since the law of August 8, 2016 on biodiversity recovery.You must apply for authorization to use the title before practicing under it. Note that this is a title protection, not an activity restriction: anyone can perform landscape architecture work, but only authorized professionals may call themselves paysagiste-concepteur. The diploma requires five years of higher education after the baccalauréat, covering cultural, scientific and technical aspects of landscape design.

Issued by: Ministry of Ecological Transition

A heritage restorer is a professional specializing in the conservation and restoration of cultural property. They work in preventive conservation (acting on the object's environment), curative conservation (direct intervention to stabilize the object's condition), and restoration (direct intervention to improve the condition, knowledge, and use of the object). Before any intervention, they establish a detailed condition report, formulate a diagnosis, and propose appropriate interventions.Restorers may work under different professional statuses (craftsperson, employee, self-employed) and serve private individuals, art market operators, or public and private institutions. To work on items in the collections of musées de France, specific professional qualifications are mandatory, including a diploma awarded after five years of specialized training or validation of professional experience (VAE).

Issued by: Ministry of Culture

Preventive archaeology is a public service mission aimed at ensuring the conservation or safeguarding through scientific study of archaeological heritage elements threatened by public or private works. When an archaeological diagnostic reveals the presence of an archaeological site, the State may prescribe an excavation to preserve the heritage and scientific information.Excavations are carried out under the project ownership of the developer who may call upon Inrap (the national institute), a territorial archaeological service, or a public or private entity holding an accreditation issued by the State. This accreditation certifies the operator's scientific competence and is granted by the Minister of Culture after consultation with the National Council for Archaeological Research.

Issued by: Ministry of Culture

If you want to work as a technical advisor for protected organs (technicien-conseil pour les orgues protégés) in France, you must obtain an agrément (accreditation) from the Ministry of Culture. The ministry issues a call for candidacies, and accreditation is granted for five years, renewable. Currently only seven professionals hold this accreditation nationwide.As an accredited technical advisor, you assist the ministry with public service missions related to organs classified or registered as historical monuments. Your work includes inventorying organs, monitoring their condition, proposing conservation measures, reviewing restoration project plans and overseeing maintenance. You may also participate in research and teaching programs on instrumental heritage. France has over 1,600 organs protected as historical monuments.

Issued by: Ministry of Culture - Directorate General of Heritage and Architecture (DGPA)

To operate a funeral services business in France, you must obtain a prefectural authorization (habilitation préfectorale) from the prefect of your department. This covers body transport, funeral organization, thanatopraxy (preservation care), coffin and urn supply, funeral home management, and provision of hearses and personnel. The authorization is valid for five years and must be renewed.You and your staff must hold the relevant professional diplomas for each role. Training requirements vary by position, with up to 140 hours of theoretical training and 140 hours of practical training in an authorized company depending on the role (funeral director, funeral advisor, thanatopractor). You apply by submitting a dossier to your departmental prefecture.

Issued by: Prefecture

Architecture companies (sociétés d'architecture) are businesses registered with the trade and companies register (RCS) and enrolled with the Order of Architects (Ordre des architectes). This dual registration allows them to legally practice the profession of architect in France as a corporate entity.Only companies with this registration may use the title of architecture company. The activity is carried out in compliance with the Architects' Code of Ethics, and any statutory modifications must be communicated to the regional council of the Order of Architects.

Issued by: Order of Architects