How do you show proof of address in France?

Moving to France? Learn how to show proof of address—whether with bills, insurance, or shared housing. Master French admin life with our practical guide.

Jale

8 minute read

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Updated on 16 Sep 2026

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Living

The most widely accepted proof of address in France, or justificatif de domicile, is a recent electricity bill, rental contract, or insurance certificate, valid for 3 months from its issue date. If you're just starting your relocation, you might want to follow this moving to France checklist to get your paperwork sorted early.

When you move to France to live longer than 6 months, you'll be asked to prove where you live for many processes, such as registering for health insurance or applying for a french residence permit.

But how can you show proof of your residence in France? Let us guide you through how to obtain your justificatif de domicile and how to notify a change of address in France.

• Everyone: your proof of address must be dated within the last 3 months. An electricity bill (attestation EDF) is the most commonly accepted document.
• New arrivals without a utility bill yet: use your insurance policy or rental contract instead. Both work from day one.
• Students and shared housing: if your name isn't on the lease or bills, ask your host or main tenant for an attestation d'hébergement, plus a copy of their ID and their own proof of address.
• Students in CROUS or private residences: skip the attestation route entirely. Your residence's rent receipt or housing certificate already works as proof of address.
• Anyone with a foreign-language document: get it certified translated before submitting it to a bank or the prefecture.
• Digital-first users: most online procedures accept a clear PDF scan or photo, but keep a printed original for in-person appointments.

Several tasks require you to submit a proof of address in France: from immigration processes to other general day-to-day administrative operations. For example:

• To collect your French residence permit
• To Open a bank account (you’ll also need a proof of address if you want to pick a SIM card in France or set up a phone plan)
• For registering for different types of social contributions: French health insurance or housing benefit
• For enrolling to study in France
• To (register to) pay taxes
• To obtain a driving license
• To buy or sell a car
• To get married in France

Each authority above, whether it's OFII, CAF, your bank, or your university, may ask for a specific document type or validity window, so check their exact checklist before you submit anything. For a smooth experience, plan your first weeks in France with all the required paperwork in mind.

When they ask you to show proof of residence in France, they usually want you to submit:

1. An electricity bill or contract certificate (attestation EDF)
2. Other utility bills: water, gas, or wifi — learn how utilities set-up works if you haven't already sorted these
3. Your rental contract
4. A rent receipt
5. An insurance certificate

Keep in mind that for administrative procedures in France, your proof of address is only valid for 3 months. So if the document you're using is issued more than 3 months ago, you'll need to generate a new one.

The most common way to show your proof of address is by showing an electricity bill. Since an electricity bill is typically issued every 2 to 6 months, you can easily download the latest bill from the EDF website to show you're still currently subscribed to the company.

Documents that won't count as proof of address

French authorities generally reject:

• An ID card or passport alone (these prove identity, not address)
• A bank statement (RIB) on its own
• A personal letter or handwritten invoice
• A mobile-only phone bill without a fixed line or energy contract attached
• Any document older than its validity window (3 months for most procedures, up to 6 months for a carte grise)

If you've just moved to your home, and don't have a utility bill yet, then you have 2 options:

1. Insurance policy
2. Your rental contract

If you need step-by-step help with alternative proof or are waiting for your first bills, get your relocation paperwork sorted before starting other admin tasks.

Showing insurance policy

When you rent an apartment in France, you're legally required to take liability insurance. So when you need to show proof of address in France, you can ask your insurer to send you a recent copy of the insurance policy as proof of your address.

Read more about tenant laws in France to know your rights and obligations.

Showing rental contract

Your rental contract must show your full name, date of moving in, date of moving out, and the residential address. To ensure that the authorities don't doubt the legality of your document, it's best to also submit rent receipts to prove you've paid your rent recently and still live at the property.

What if you're subletting, staying with friends, or using Airbnb?

You generally can't use an Airbnb booking confirmation as proof of address in France. Short-term booking platforms aren't recognized by French authorities since the stay isn't a registered residence.

If you're staying with a host for more than a few weeks, ask them to fill out an attestation d'hébergement instead. If you're only in France short-term while apartment hunting, wait until you sign a lease or take out home insurance before applying for anything that requires proof of address.

What happens if you live with your spouse or roommate and your name is not on the rental contract or any utility bills? There's still a way to show proof of address with the attestation d'hébergement form.

If you live in a shared apartment and don't have your name on the rental contract or utility bills, you need to ask the main tenant or owner of the house to fill out the attestation d'hébergement form.

They can complete the attestation d'hébergement form online within a minute.

Alongside the attestation d'hébergement form, you need to bring a copy of their ID or residency permit (if foreigner) and their justificatif de domicile to the officials.

What to attach to the attestation d'hébergement

Bring all of the following together, since one missing document can get your file rejected:

• The signed, dated attestation d'hébergement (original, not a photocopy)
• A copy of your host's ID card, passport, or residency permit
• A copy of your own ID
• Your host's own proof of address, dated within the last 3 months (a utility bill, rent receipt, or tax notice all work)

Living in student housing? You usually don't need an attestation

If you live in a CROUS residence or private student accommodation, ask reception for your rent receipt or housing certificate. Most student residences issue this directly in your name, so you skip the attestation d'hébergement process altogether. For student paperwork, you may also want to check French student visa requirements so you know what your application needs.

Most proof of address documents are instant to obtain. Download your latest EDF bill directly from your online account, request an insurance certificate by email from your insurer, or fill out the attestation d'hébergement online in under a minute, as covered above.

Digital copies work for most day-to-day procedures. French administrations increasingly accept clear PDF scans or photos uploaded through their online portals, for example when applying for a residence permit through the ANTS system, which even offers a Justif'adresse tool that verifies your address automatically if you're an EDF, Engie, or Total Energies customer. That said, some in-person appointments, like bank or prefecture visits, still ask for the original paper document, so carry both a printed copy and a digital backup.

If your only proof of address is issued abroad and written in another language, translate it. Banks and the prefecture require a certified French translation before they'll accept a foreign document as valid.

Avoid these common slip-ups:

• Submitting a document older than 3 months (or 6 months for a carte grise application)
• Using an ID card, passport, or bank statement (RIB) alone, since none of these count as proof of address on their own
• Sending a handwritten invoice or a personal letter, both of which are systematically refused
• Forgetting to attach your host's ID and their own proof of address alongside the attestation d'hébergement
• Using a mobile-only phone bill instead of a fixed-line, energy, or water bill

If you move within the city or to one of the other great French cities, you must notify the change of address.

Changing your address in France is very easy. All you have to do is, update your address via the website.

Once you change your address on the website, all the parties with your address will receive the new address. This includes:

1. Energy suppliers
2. Social security scheme: health insurance, benefits
3. Tax authorities
4. Vehicle registration service (charge des cartes grises)

You don't have to notify every administration one by one. The online form above updates all the listed institutions at once, though it's worth telling your landlord and bank directly too, since they're not always included automatically. Do this within a few weeks of moving to avoid missed mail or delayed benefit payments.

Getting your proof of address right is much easier when you already have a signed lease or rent receipt to show. Book a verified room, studio, or apartment on HousingAnywhere before you arrive, and you land with a real rental contract in hand, exactly the kind of document French authorities want to see first.

Many listings on HousingAnywhere are filtered as registration-friendly, meaning landlords have confirmed tenants can use the property to register their address with local authorities. That saves you from signing with a landlord who won't cooperate once you need your justificatif de domicile.

Planning your move? Estimate your cost of living in France so you can budget for rent, utilities, and transport before you arrive. Student readers can also plan your student move to France to get a sense of university admin and international student life.

What documents count as proof of address in France? A recent electricity bill, other utility bills, your rental contract with a rent receipt, or an insurance certificate. All must be dated within the last 3 months.

Can I use an Airbnb booking as proof of address in France? No. Airbnb confirmations aren't accepted since the stay isn't a registered residence. Ask your host for an attestation d'hébergement instead if you're staying there long enough.

What should I do if my name isn't on any utility bills? Ask the main tenant or owner to fill out an attestation d'hébergement and attach their ID and their own proof of address.

Do I need a translated proof of address for French authorities? Yes, if the document is in a language other than French. Get a certified translation before submitting it to a bank, prefecture, or other official body.

Where do I submit my proof of address when opening a French bank account? Upload it directly through your bank's online application, or bring the original paper copy to your appointment. Check the bank's document checklist first, since requirements vary slightly.

How recent does my proof of address need to be in France? Within 3 months for most procedures. Vehicle registration (carte grise) accepts documents up to 6 months old.

Is a digital copy of my proof of address accepted by French institutions? Yes, for most online procedures, a clear PDF scan or photo works. In-person appointments sometimes still require the original.

How do I write an attestation d'hébergement for a friend or family member? Complete the official form online, sign and date it, then attach a copy of your ID and your own recent proof of address.

Please reach out to content@housinganywhere.com if you have any suggestions or inquiries about the content on this page.