Residency card, tax, visa: Who to inform and how if you move in France

Moving house involves updating your visa, residency card, bank, tax, health insurance details and more. Here is our guide to help you do this in the right way.

Any change in address must be registered whether you move within the same commune or further afield.

Public organisations in France are heavily compartmentalised, which means that they do not share information with one another as you might expect.

It is your responsibility to inform all of the organisations relevant to you.

This requires a certain level of anticipation, however, it will go smoothly if done in the right order.

If you need help or advice with the administrative work of changing address, try contacting your local France Services, which is a public service with a remit of offering guidance on questions of French organisation.

What should you do first when you move?

The first thing to do is to get proof of your new address, or a justificatif de domicile. All official organisations require this.

Proof of your new address can be:

• Certificate of insurance
• Property deed
• Rental agreement

These documents are usually available before moving. Other documents that can be used as proof of address include:

• An electricity, water, telephone or gas bill
• Rent receipts (including for a deposit)
• Tax statements

Make electronic copies of this if it is in paper format (a scan, or even a photograph will suffice). Doing so will make it easier for you to register your new address online.

Which organisations do I need to inform if I move in France?

Organisations have various deadlines of when you need to tell them about changes to your address:

Before moving, inform:

• Caisse Primaire d’Assurance Maladie (CPAM)
• Electricity, water and telecom companies
• Bank
• Insurance company
• Caisses d'Allocations familiales (CAF)
• France Travail (for jobseekers)

Within one month after moving, inform:

• Agence National des Titres Sécurisés, to update your vehicle’s carte grise
• Institut national de la propriété industrielle (INPI), for self-employed people to update their company’s registration

Within three months after moving, inform:

• The Interior Ministry, to change the address on your visa or residency card (carte de séjour)
• The tax authorities

How can I inform organisations if I move?

Your first reflex should be to inform Service Public, which can inform several organisations simultaneously. These include:

• Electricity providers
• France Travail (formerly Pôle Emploi)
• Social security bodies such as the CPAM and the CAF
• The tax authorities
• The Agence National des Titres Sécurisés, for your vehicle’s carte grise

You can inform Service Public here. You will need to provide proof of your new address.

Once Service Public has informed the public health insurance body CPAM, you will receive a certificate (attestation) of affiliation that you can send to your private insurance (both mutuelles and complémentaires santé)

This is the only proof of address that they require.

How to update my visa or residency card if I move?

It costs €25 to update your card. You can do this online by visiting the website of the Interior Ministry, here.

You will be asked to provide:

• A copy of your visa or residency card
• A copy of your passport
• Proof of your new address
• Three passport photos
• A receipt for payment of the €25 fee, which can be paid here

How can I update my address on the French tax website?

The tax authorities: You can enter your new address in your personal space on the tax website or by post.

To do this online, go to impots.gouv.fr, select ‘Espace particulier’ and ‘Mon profil’, then 'Afficher mon adresse postale' and 'Modifier'.

To do this by post first find the address of the tax office, or centre des finances publiques, that manages your commune.

Send them a letter, preferably by registered post and be sure to include:

• Your tax number
• A scan of your ID or passport
• Telephone number
• Proof of your old and new address
• The date that you moved

Read more:

Explainer: The documents needed for French long-stay visa application

How long to get a visa for France, what is cost for a courier service?

How becoming a French resident can bring tax and travel benefits