French language requirements for UK sellers in France

French language requirements for UK sellers: website, terms, labels and instructions

If you sell to consumers in France from the UK, everything the French customer reads to choose, buy and use your product, and to rely on its guarantee, must be available in French. English may stay alongside, provided the French is at least as legible. On top of that general rule, product-specific texts require French instructions, warnings or labelling for toys, electrical equipment, cosmetics and most consumer products, with their own penalties.

Updated: November 2026. Key provisions: Articles 2 and 4 of Law No. 94-665 of 4 August 1994 on the use of the French language (the "Toubon law"); Article 1 of Decree No. 95-240 of 3 March 1995; Articles 9, 11, 16 and 19 of Regulation (EU) 2023/988, the General Product Safety Regulation or GPSR (applicable since 13 December 2024); Decree No. 2010-166 (toys); Decree No. 2015-1083 (low voltage electrical equipment); Article R. 5131-4 of the French Public Health Code (cosmetics).

This guide is for directors of UK companies selling in France and for their French subsidiaries, distributors and warehouses. Victoris is a Paris law firm; nothing here is advice on English law. All examples are fictitious. If you or a French partner have received a request from the French authorities, see our page for a lawyer for DGCCRF and DDPP inspections.

Would you like to discuss your situation? Book a consultation:

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR ONLINE CONSULTATION

The general rule: Article 2 of the Toubon law

What must be in French

Article 2 of Law No. 94-665 provides that the use of French is compulsory "dans la désignation, l'offre, la présentation, le mode d'emploi ou d'utilisation, la description de l'étendue et des conditions de garantie d'un bien, d'un produit ou d'un service, ainsi que dans les factures et quittances". In plain terms: the name and description of the product, the offer and its price, the presentation and packaging, the instructions for use, the description of the guarantee, and invoices and receipts. Its second paragraph extends the rule to all written, spoken and audiovisual advertising.

The law is a matter of public policy (Article 20: "La présente loi est d'ordre public"), so a clause in your terms choosing English law or English as the contract language does not set it aside. The French Ministry of Culture, which is in charge of language policy, states on its official page that these rules apply to goods and services sold in France, including imported goods and goods offered on websites and online marketplaces. The same page notes that, under EU law, a national language requirement is generally accepted only for mandatory information, must be proportionate, and must allow for "une autre langue facilement compréhensible" (another easily understood language). That nuance does not open the door to English-only labels: for regulated products, EU texts themselves refer to the language set by each Member State, and France has set French.

Translations are allowed, if the French is as legible

The law does not ban English. Article 4 requires that, where mandatory French wording is accompanied by translations, the French version be "aussi lisible, audible ou intelligible" (as legible, audible or intelligible) as the foreign-language version. Article 1(III) of Decree No. 95-240 makes a less legible French version a separate offence. A leaflet with full English text and three lines of tiny French on the back is therefore exposed, even though French appears.

What the law does not require

The law is about the presence of French, not the quality of the language: the Ministry of Culture states that the legal concept covers presence, not correct usage. Product-specific texts, however, require clear and understandable instructions, so a machine translation that garbles a safety warning will not pass. Your brand name does not need translating: the ban on foreign-language trade marks in Article 14 applies only to public bodies and private entities performing a public service. Taglines and messages registered with the mark, however, remain subject to Article 2 (Article 2, fourth paragraph), and the generic name of the product (serum, kettle, building set) must appear in French.

Is the Toubon law applicable to an e-commerce website?

Product pages and online offers

A product page combines the designation, the offer and the presentation covered by Article 2. If you deliver to France, the product name, description, features, price and terms of sale must be readable in French. A French version where only the buttons are translated does not meet the requirement.

The GPSR adds a distance-selling rule. Under Article 19, an online offer must show clearly and visibly the manufacturer, the EU responsible person where the manufacturer is established outside the EU, information identifying the product with a picture, and any warnings or safety information that must accompany the product, in a language easily understood by consumers and set by the Member State where the product is sold. For French customers, those warnings must appear in French on the page.

Terms and conditions, order emails and invoices

Article 5 of the law, which requires contracts to be drafted in French, applies only to contracts involving a public body or a private entity performing a public service. It does not apply as such to a private seller's terms and conditions (conditions générales de vente, CGV). Your terms are not outside the law for that reason: they contain the offer (price, charges, delivery) and the description of the guarantee, both listed in Article 2. In our reading, English-only terms shown to French consumers are exposed at least for those parts, and translating the whole document is the sensible course.

Order confirmations repeat the product designation and price, and invoices and receipts are expressly covered, so transactional emails to French customers should be in French. Marketing emails, banners, social media advertising aimed at France and video adverts are advertising under Article 2: an English slogan can stay if a French translation of equal legibility accompanies it. Customer service is less clearly covered, since the law does not set the language of a phone call or chat; but when an agent explains the offer, the use of the product or the guarantee, the subject matter falls within Article 2.

What a website does not trigger

Article 3 of the law, which governs signs and announcements in public places, does not apply to websites: the Ministry of Culture states that websites are not places open to the public. A merchant site is caught through Article 2 because of its commercial content. Pages without commercial content, such as company history or UK recruitment, are not caught as such. For product and price labelling rules in France more generally, see our guide to product and price labelling rules in France.

Do I need French instructions to sell in France? The product rules

General consumer products: the GPSR

Article 9(7) GPSR requires manufacturers to ensure that their product is accompanied by clear instructions and safety information in a language easily understood by consumers, as determined by the Member State where the product is made available. The obligation does not apply if the product can be used safely and as intended without them. Article 11(4) places the same obligation on importers. Article 16 adds that the EU-based economic operator responsible for the product must, where appropriate given the risks, regularly check that the product complies with Article 9(5) to (7), language of instructions included, and keep documented evidence of those checks. The language of your leaflet is therefore something your EU responsible person must verify, not only your UK team.

Toys: Decree No. 2010-166

Article 4 of the French toy safety decree is explicit: "L'étiquetage, les instructions d'utilisation et les avertissements qui accompagnent les jouets destinés à être mis à disposition sur le marché français sont rédigés en langue française" (labelling, instructions and warnings accompanying toys intended for the French market must be in French). Warnings must be preceded by "Attention !", and those that affect the purchase decision, such as minimum and maximum age, must be visible before purchase, "y compris lorsque celui-ci est effectué en ligne" (including online). Article 7 requires the EC declaration of conformity for toys intended for France to be drafted or translated into French, and Article 14 requires distributors to check the language of instructions before selling.

Small electrical appliances: Decree No. 2015-1083

For low voltage electrical equipment (kettles, hair dryers, lamps, mains chargers), Article 4(7°) of Decree No. 2015-1083 requires manufacturers to supply instructions and safety information "rédigées en langue française pour le matériel électrique destiné à être mis à disposition en France" (drafted in French for equipment made available in France), clear, understandable and intelligible, and which "peuvent également figurer dans une ou plusieurs autres langues" (may also appear in other languages). Importers must ensure this (Article 6(4°)) and distributors must check it (Article 7(2°)). The EU declaration of conformity must be drafted or translated into French (Article 13).

Cosmetics: Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 and Article R. 5131-4

Article 19(5) of the Cosmetics Regulation provides that "The language of the information mentioned in points (b), (c), (d) and (f) of paragraph 1 and in paragraphs (2), (3) and (4) shall be determined by the law of the Member States in which the product is made available to the end user." France requires those items (nominal content, date of minimum durability or period after opening, precautions for use, and the function of the product) to be in French under Article R. 5131-4(III) of the Public Health Code, in force in its current wording since 1 July 2025; other languages may be added. The ingredients list uses the common ingredient names of the EU glossary and is not translated (Article 19(6)).

Other sectors

Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on personal protective equipment follows the same pattern: Article 8(7) requires instructions and information "in a language which can be easily understood by consumers and other end-users, as determined by the Member State concerned", and Article 15(2) requires the EU declaration of conformity to be translated into the language required by that Member State. Food labelling must be in French under Article R. 412-7 of the French Consumer Code. We have not identified a general Consumer Code provision imposing French on the label of every non-food product: for those, the basis is Article 2 of the Toubon law plus any sector text.

Three fictitious UK sellers

A skincare brand in Leeds

A Leeds company sells facial serums online. The bottle reads "30 ml", "Best before 12/2027", "For external use only. Avoid contact with eyes" and "Hydrating facial serum", all in English. Precautions for use and the product's function must be in French on the packaging under Article R. 5131-4. Article L. 5431-7 of the Public Health Code punishes with a fine of EUR 15,000 the responsible person who places on the market a cosmetic whose packaging lacks one of the Article 19 items. That text targets a missing item; it does not say that an English-only item counts as missing. The risk of that reading exists, and the labelling will need to be corrected before further sales in any event.

A small appliance maker in Birmingham

A Birmingham company ships kettles and hot air brushes to French customers from a warehouse in the Netherlands. The leaflet is in English and German, and the EU declaration of conformity exists only in English. This is the clearest case: Article 15(2°) of Decree No. 2015-1083 punishes, as a fifth-class petty offence (contravention de cinquième classe), selling equipment not accompanied by the French safety instructions required by Article 4(7°), and Article 15(4°) punishes a manufacturer or importer unable to provide the declaration of conformity to inspectors. The Dutch warehouse changes nothing: the appliances are made available on the French market.

A games and toys company in Bristol

A Bristol company sells building sets for children aged three to eight, with "Warning! Not suitable for children under 3 years. Small parts. Choking hazard." printed in English only, and a French product page that omits the small parts warning. Decree No. 2010-166 requires French warnings preceded by "Attention !", visible before an online purchase. Article 17 punishes, as a fifth-class petty offence, selling toys that do not bear the necessary warnings. The decree does not expressly treat an English-only warning as a missing one, but for a product aimed at young children, arguing that French parents read English is unlikely to succeed.

French over-labelling and translated leaflets

Allowed, within limits

No text requires French to be printed on the original packaging. A French sticker on UK packaging and a French leaflet in the box are common and accepted, provided the French is complete and as legible as the English. Two limits matter. First, the added label must not hide what is already there: Article 11(3) GPSR requires importers to ensure that any additional labelling does not obscure the information required by EU law on the manufacturer's label, and the toy and electrical decrees punish markings that impair the visibility or legibility of the CE marking (Article 17(5°) of Decree No. 2010-166; Article 15(8°) of Decree No. 2015-1083). A sticker over the CE mark, batch number or manufacturer's address creates a new breach.

Second, the translation must say the same thing as the original. A French leaflet that drops a warning or changes an age range, power rating or precaution makes the product non-compliant, even though the language issue looked solved. Over-labelling is usually done by the importer, a logistics provider or the distributor; who counts as importer, manufacturer or distributor in that chain depends on the facts (who places the product on the EU market, under whose name or mark), and it determines who answers for the leaflet before the authorities. That analysis is worth doing before you sign a logistics or distribution contract.

Who checks, and what are the penalties?

DGCCRF, DDPP and customs

Language checks are carried out by the DGCCRF (the French authority for competition, consumer affairs and fraud control) and its local offices, the DDPP (departmental directorates for the protection of the population). Article 16 of the Toubon law and Article L. 511-13(4°) of the French Consumer Code empower their officers to investigate and record breaches. According to the Ministry of Culture, the DGCCRF checks compliance at every stage of production and distribution, "y compris dans le commerce électronique" (including e-commerce), and French customs check the use of French on labels and accompanying documents at import where the rules require it. In practice, language is checked as part of a wider product inspection, often starting with an online test purchase, and the first company contacted is frequently the French partner.

Fines

Under Article 1 of Decree No. 95-240, failing to use French in the designation, offer, presentation, instructions, guarantee, invoices or advertising, or presenting a less legible French version, is a fourth-class petty offence: up to EUR 750 (Article 131-13 of the French Criminal Code), and up to EUR 3,750 for a company (Article 131-41). The toy and electrical decrees carry fifth-class petty offences: up to EUR 1,500, or EUR 7,500 for a company, with higher amounts for repeat offences. The cosmetics offence in Article L. 5431-7 of the Public Health Code is EUR 15,000, multiplied by five for a company (Article 131-38 of the Criminal Code). Article 1(IV) of Decree No. 95-240 also allows the court to defer sentence and order compliance within a set time (Article 132-66 of the Criminal Code).

The fine is rarely the main cost. A product without French safety instructions must be brought into compliance before further sales, distributors stop selling it, and where it is dangerous the GPSR requires the manufacturer and importer to take corrective action, up to withdrawal or recall (Articles 9(8) and 11(8)). A finding on language also tends to lead inspectors to the rest of the file: CE marking, technical documentation, EU responsible person. That is the point at which a coordinated answer with your French partner matters.

Checklist before selling in France

 
• A complete French version of your site, with designation, description, price and terms for every product sold in France.
 
• Safety warnings reproduced in French in each online offer, with the manufacturer's details and, if it is outside the EU, the EU responsible person's.
 
• Terms and conditions, guarantee wording, order confirmations and invoices in French.
 
• Advertising aimed at France with a French version at least as legible as the English.
 
• Labels and leaflets in French, complete, faithful to the original and understandable.
 
• Any French sticker leaves the CE marking, batch number and manufacturer and importer details visible.
 
• A French declaration of conformity for toys and electrical equipment.
 
• Contracts with your importer, warehouse and distributor stating who applies French labelling, who supplies leaflets and who answers the authorities.

This list does not replace a review of the products and documents themselves, which alone shows which sector text applies and who in the chain is responsible.

FAQ

Does the Toubon law apply to a UK website selling to French customers?

Yes, to its commercial content. Article 2 of Law No. 94-665 covers the designation, offer, presentation, instructions, guarantee, invoices and advertising, regardless of where the seller is established, and the Ministry of Culture states that it applies to goods sold online in France. The law is a matter of public policy, so a choice of English law in your terms does not exclude it.

Can I sell products in France with English-only labels?

No, if the label carries information the law requires. English can stay, but the required information must also be in French and the French must be as legible (Article 4). A French sticker is acceptable if it hides none of the original mandatory information.

Do I need French instructions to sell in France?

Yes. Instructions for use fall within Article 2 of the Toubon law, and the GPSR, the toy decree and the electrical equipment decree all require instructions and safety information in the language set by France, which is French. Under the GPSR, the only exception is a product that can be used safely and as intended without instructions.

Do my terms and conditions have to be in French?

Article 5, which requires contracts in French, applies only to public bodies and similar entities. But your terms contain the offer and the guarantee description, which Article 2 requires in French. For consumer sales, French terms are the prudent choice.

Do I have to translate my brand name?

No. A private company may use an English brand name. Messages and taglines registered with the mark still need a French version, and the generic product name must appear in French.

What is the fine for English-only labels or instructions in France?

Up to EUR 750 for an individual and EUR 3,750 for a company under Decree No. 95-240; up to EUR 1,500 or EUR 7,500 for toys without the required warnings or electrical equipment without French safety instructions; EUR 15,000 (five times more for a company) for a cosmetic missing a mandatory label item. Withdrawals and lost sales usually cost more.

Conclusion

For a UK seller, French language rules come down to one requirement: whatever the French customer reads to choose, buy, use the product and rely on the guarantee must exist in French, at least as legible as the English. Sector texts add stricter, more heavily penalised rules for toys, electrical equipment and cosmetics, and the GPSR extends them to online listings. Stickers and translated leaflets are fine if they hide nothing and lose nothing in translation. Language is one of the first things an inspector notices, because it takes minutes to check. Whether you are preparing to sell in France or a French partner has already been contacted, Victoris can review your site, labels and leaflets and assist you with the French authorities; you can book a consultation using the link above.

Article written by Guillaume Leclerc, lawyer at the Paris Bar, 34 avenue des Champs-Élysées, Paris. Working languages: French and English.

‍