Covid-19 France and proof of address when out
Is it correct that for every trip out now I must carry proof of my address?
Yes, this is correct. It is because of the rule concerning travel beyond 100km from your home which takes you into another department.
This was put into place for the first stage of deconfinement which began on Monday. In order for you to prove whether you are in your home department or another and more than 100km from home you need to show your address.
These documents are accepted as proof of address: a form of ID with your current address, an electricity bill, a phone or a water bill, a home insurance document, a car insurance document, a carte grise, or a taxe d’habitation bill. The document must have your name on it and be less than one year old.
How does the 100km rule work?
If you stay in your home department it is irrelevant as you can travel as far as you wish and even go beyond 100km, as long as you do not leave the department. The only rule is to have proof of address to show you are within your home department.
For other trips in another department which take you no more than 100km from your home as the crow flies, no attestation or specific reason is needed. However, you do need proof of address, in case there is a police check.
If you travel more than 100km out of your department and into another department, you need an attestation as this is allowed only for specific reasons which are:
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- Journeys from home to the workplace, and other work-related journeys that cannot be avoided;
- From home to an educational establishment by a student and / or a person accompanying the student, and journeys necessary for exams and competitions;
- For specialist medical care which cannot be undertaken at a distance by telemedicine, and which cannot be carried out nearer to home;
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- For an imperative family reason, such as helping a vulnerable person in your family or looking after children (if the person has no other solution);
- Required by a court or the police in order to visit a police or other professional service;
- Resulting from a legal summons to a court;
- To carry out a service in the public interest on request from an official body.
The attestation is only available in French. You can print it, write it by hand on a piece of paper, or choose the digital version (version numérique) and download it directly on your phone. You can find it here.
What about travelling in red departments?
If you are travelling from a green department to a red one, or from a red department to a green one, there are no extra rules to the ones stated above.
Who is checking and what happens if you have no proof of address on you?
The police can check and ask for proof of address anytime, whether you are near your home or in another place. They can ask an attestation if you are more than 100km away from your home and in a different department to where you live.
If you do not respect the rules or do not have the correct documents on you they can fine you €135.
In addition to the police and gendarmerie, fines can be issued by town hall agents or the prefecture police in Paris, and security agents working in public transport such as employees of the SNCF and RATP for the Metro.
