Becoming an Approved Platform in France: what software publishers need to know
Blocking prerequisites, real timelines, three strategic options: everything a software publisher needs to weigh before starting.
The French Approved Platform (Plateforme Agréée) registration process is documented. Timelines are binding. The registration authority processes applications within its stated deadlines.
What most software publishers underestimate is what happens before filing — and what begins the day registration is granted.
What the market tends to overlook
The seven months everyone references do not start where you might expect. This timeline covers the strict regulatory process, from a complete application. What precedes it — ISO 27001 certification and the interoperability agreement — is measured in quarters, not weeks.
ISO 27001 certification is the hard prerequisite: a certification in progress is not accepted. Its scope must cover all infrastructure contributing to the platform's activity, including subcontractors and hosting providers.
Regulatory onboarding is the most consistently underestimated workload: identity verification, signatory quality control, reception mandate collection, and central directory registration and maintenance. A fully auditable chain, exposed to penalties, that most publishers discover too late.
Three options, three fundamentally different economics
Three approaches exist for integrating the reform: becoming a Compatible Solution, registering as an Approved Platform via white-label, or building the full infrastructure independently. These models carry different regulatory responsibilities, different economics, and different impacts on the product roadmap.
White-label in particular is the most misunderstood option in the market. It allows publishers to hold official PA status without operating the technical infrastructure — a configuration explicitly anticipated and documented by the DGFiP.
The complete guide
We have documented the full process: blocking prerequisites step by step, binding timelines at each stage, a detailed comparison of the three options, a decision framework by publisher profile, and a regulatory FAQ.
