Postal services and getting mail

If you are moving from the UK, Royal Mail offers international redirection services that can forward mail to France for a set period. There are also several private mail-forwarding companies that provide similar services.

While these services ensure you continue to receive important correspondence, international mail forwarding can be relatively expensive and slow, particularly if letters need to travel back and forth between countries.

If you maintain a UK address, you may also consider using a virtual mailbox service, which provides digital access to your post. These services receive your physical mail, scan it and allow you to view and manage it online, with the option of forwarding selected letters or parcels internationally.

The French postal system

The postal service in France, La Poste, is generally reliable.

Standard letters sent using lettre verte (green letter) usually arrive within three working days, while e-lettre rouge – the modern digital version of what used to be called the lettre prioritaire – typically arrives the next working day.

La Poste has around 17,000 contact points, including about 7,000 post offices and more than 10,000 local outlets and partner locations (relais poste) often run by shopkeepers.

Opening times vary depending on location. Many post offices are open on Saturday mornings, while smaller branches may close for lunch during weekdays.

There is no standard letter delivery on Sundays or public holidays, although parcel deliveries on these days have been introduced in some larger cities.

Postal prices

La Poste has several tariffs depending on delivery speed and service level. Price adjustments announced for 2025–2026 include:

• Green letter (lettre verte – standard mail): €1.39 → €1.52

• Red e-letter (e-lettre rouge – next-day service): €1.49 → €1.60

• International letter (lettre internationale up to 20g): €2.10 → €2.25

• Registered letter (lettre recommandée up to 20g): €5.74 → €6.11

Postcodes and addressing

France uses a five-digit postcode system, introduced in 1972. Including the postcode is essential for letters and parcels sent within France, as it enables faster sorting and delivery.

Many envelopes include a pre-printed box for the five digits.

Unlike the UK addressing system, the postcode comes before the town or village name on the final line of the address.

You can search for a French postcode using a place name (or the reverse) via La Poste’s postcode lookup tool.

Registered mail and deliveries

Pre-stamped envelopes and ready-to-send parcel boxes known as Prêt-à-Poster are available at post offices.

La Poste also offers:

• registered mail (lettre recommandée)

• registered mail with proof of receipt (recommandée avec accusé de réception)

For official correspondence – such as cancelling contracts, insurance policies or subscriptions – sending a registered letter is often strongly recommended and sometimes required.

If the postman (facteur) cannot deliver a registered letter or parcel, a collection notice (avis de passage) will be left. The item can usually be collected from the local post office within 15 days.

For faster deliveries, Chronopost provides an express courier service for letters and parcels.

Mailboxes and redirection

Post boxes (boîtes aux lettres) in France are yellow.

Private letterboxes must conform to an approved format and clearly display the name of the recipient, along with any other names of people or organisations who should receive mail at that address.

Mail can also be redirected within France using La Poste’s réexpédition service. At the time of writing this costs around €81.90 per year for redirection within France, or about €212 for international redirection.

As in many countries, La Poste operates in a competitive market, and several private courier companies also deliver parcels and express mail services across France.