Justificatif de domicile: why you keep having to prove your address in France

In many countries you register with the local authority after moving and thereby officially prove your address. In France there is no residence registration, and the mairie cannot issue you a registration certificate. Yet almost every organisation asks for your address: the bank, the prefecture, schools, language courses, ANTS for your driving licence. What they want is a justificatif de domicile – proof of address.

What counts as proof

Usually a document no more than three months old showing your name and address:

• A bill for electricity, gas, water, landline or internet
• A home insurance certificate (attestation d'assurance habitation)
• A rent receipt (quittance de loyer) from an agency or landlord
• A tax notice, e.g. the avis de taxe foncière or income tax notice
• If you live with someone: an attestation d'hébergement from your host, plus their ID and a proof of address in their name

Mobile phone bills are not accepted everywhere; energy and internet bills are the safest choice.

The classic pitfall: your name isn't on anything

Couples often have electricity, internet and insurance in one name only. The partner with a different surname then has no proof at all – and can't, for example, sign up for a course or submit an application. The fix is simple:

• Have both names put on at least one contract, ideally electricity or internet
• For owners: the notaire's certificate of ownership (attestation de propriété) names all buyers and is also good proof

Umlauts, accents and spellings

French systems often can't handle special characters. “Müller” may appear as “Muller” or “Mueller” on a bill while your passport says “Müller”. A short explanation is usually enough, but for important contracts make sure your name is written as on your ID. Incidentally, the French tréma (ë, ï) is not the same as the German umlaut, even if it looks similar.

What about ID cards?

French ID cards are not proof of address. New cards no longer show an address, and on old cards it did not have to be updated after a move.

For Franco-German families only: recensement and JDC

This only concerns you if your child (also) holds French citizenship. It does not apply to children without a French passport.

Young French citizens must register at the mairie at 16 (recensement) and later attend a citizenship day, the Journée défense et citoyenneté (JDC). It sounds like a formality but has consequences: until their 25th birthday they need proof of it to register for state exams – before 18 the registration certificate, afterwards the JDC attendance certificate. Without it they cannot, for example, register for the driving test, the baccalauréat or civil-service competitive exams. So register your child in good time, even if the family has only just moved to France.

What else to arrange in the first weeks after buying: The first 30 days after buying.

All information without guarantee, as of November 2026. It is for general guidance only and does not replace legal or tax advice.