What is SIREN and SIRET?

What is SIREN?

The SIREN is the French tax identification number issued by the French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) at the time of creation of a company, organization or association operating in France.
The SIREN corresponds to the TIN of Companies in France and is a number that is often found on official company documents (quotes, invoices, letterheads or advertising documents, etc.), as well as on tax returns.
This consists of 9 digits, the first 8 digits being assigned sequentially, except for public bodies that begin with the number 1 or 2, the last being a control digit.
The SIRET number that identifies the physical establishment of the company is often found next to the SIREN.

What is SIRET?

SIRET corresponds in its definition to the “Identification System of the directory of establishments”. It is a number that identifies the physical commercial establishment of a company and that is associated with the companys SIREN.
A company can have several SIRET numbers depending on the number of establishments open to the public.
The SIRET is made up of a total of 14 digits (SIRET = SIREN + NIC), the first 9 digits being the companys SIREN number and the remaining 5 digits being the NIC code. The NIC code (Internal Classification Code) consists of 4 sequential digits and a check digit to validate the SIRET number.
The SIRET number remains as long as the establishment remains open. As it is a unique and specific number of a companys establishment, it remains as long as the establishment is in operation.