La Poste stamps bought online will soon show expiration date
Stamps can be printed at home but will be subject to date limit to bring uniformity to system
Stamps purchased online in France will soon have an expiration date, La Poste has said.
France’s postal service offers a service to purchase stamps online and print them at home (Mon Timbre en Ligne), attaching them and taking them directly to a post box.
Stamps can be bought and printed individually, or in larger quantities on an A4 sheet. You can also buy stamps for international letters and parcels using the service, including those to be sent to the US and the UK.
Six-month validity
However, these stamps will soon only be limited to a six-month usage period, La Poste has said. It is making the change to “ensure a more reliable processing of mail…establishing a simple, uniform rule for all customers,” La Poste said in an announcement online.
“Starting September 16, 2026, stamps purchased on the platform will be subject to an expiration date.”
This validity period will last six months from the date of purchase.
After this, they will be classified as ‘expired’ and will no longer be valid to send letters or parcels.
The stamp’s expiration date will be visible on the printed stamp, as well as shown in the customer’s account following their purchase.
Note stamps already purchased online will also be affected. Stamps purchased before September 16, 2026 can only be used before March 16, 2027.
The changes do not affect physical stamps bought in bulk, which remain without expiration dates.
