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Moving to France: Who to inform and how
The big day is coming up: you’re about to move home!
Now’s the time to remember to have your mail forwarded and inform a long list of people, companies and organisations about your change of address, including your bank and telephone operator. But there’s no need to panic! So you don’t forget anything, here’s a handy checklist and ready-to-go letter templates!
1 - Having your mail forwarded
To have your mail forwarded, you need to submit a forwarding order to the post office of your former home at least five working days before you want the forwarding to begin, along with proof of identity and the final forwarding contract.
Further reading: 6 key steps to ensure a smooth move to France
2 - Changing your addresses online
An ideal and little-known way to inform multiple organisations and companies in one fell swoop is to use the online address change service at www.service-public.fr
This platform is useful if you move within France.
Using this fee-free platform, provided you have all the requisite identifiers (social security number, FIP tax number, CAF or Pôle Emploi beneficiary number, etc.), you can notify all the following services about your change in address:
- Tax office,
- Family allowances fund,
- Primary health insurance fund,
- Pôle Emploi employment office,
- Pension funds (including the Arrco and Agirc supplementary funds),
- Vehicle registration certificate service at the prefecture,
- Some energy suppliers,
- National service office.
Tick the boxes of the organisations you wish to inform and the new address is automatically sent to them. You receive a file number to track the progress of your requests.
3 - Requesting address changes by post
If you prefer the good old method of mailing each company and organisation individually, here is a summary table:
| WHO TO INFORM? | HOW? |
| Insurer(s) | Ideally, by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt |
| Supplementary health insurance | By phone, email, letter or online form |
| Telephone/internet operator – gas or electricity supplier | By letter, phone or online form |
| Bank | By phone or email to your current advisor, by appointment, email or letter to your future branch |
| Other financial players with which you have assets (life insurance, pension contract, etc.) | By phone, email, online form or regular mail |
| Primary and nursery schools | Apply for a certificate of deregistration from the old school and register your child at their new school as soon as registration opens, or even before you contact the management of the new schools and/or the town hall of your new home |
| Family allowances fund (CAF), primary health insurance fund (CPAM), pension fund | By letter or online form, or on-site |
| Pôle Emploi | By letter, online form or on-site |
| Tax centre | By letter, online form or on-site |
| Prefecture – vehicle registration certificate service | Change the address on the registration certificate within one month of the move; otherwise, you will receive a fine |
| Electoral roll | To be able to vote near your new home, you need to register at the town hall before 31 December of the year of your move |
| Your employer | By post, line management, internal post, etc |
| Your general practitioner | As a courtesy, inform your current GP. Quickly identify and choose a GP close to your new home. On your first visit, your new GP can complete the GP declaration online or provide you with a printed form to send to your new CPAM primary health insurance fund |
| Your transport subscriptions | For your bus or metro subscriptions, bike or self-service car subscriptions (in some cities) and electronic road toll subscriptions, update your contact details by telephone or online on the website of the service provider concerned, with your passwords and subscriber IDs |
| Your leisure and magazine subscriptions | Directly by contacting the sports club or association or the subscription service of your magazine… |
| Your pet’s ID chip | Update your contact details on the I-CAD website via your account-holder space https://www.i-cad.fr/ |
Here is a change of address letter template that can be used for most of the organisations you need to notify:
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[Your Name]
[Address]
[Your ID number] (file number, customer number, beneficiary number, social security number, etc.)
[Name of recipient]
[Address]
Madame, Monsieur,
Demeurant actuellement au [current address] je vous informe par la présente de mon changement d’adresse.
En effet, à compter du [insert date] ma nouvelle adresse sera : [insert new address].
Je vous prie de croire, Madame, Monsieur, en l’expression de mes sentiments les meilleurs.
Signature
(attachments : proof of change of address)
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5 - Cancelling your telephone or internet contract
Are you moving to an area not covered by your existing internet or telephone operator? Or do you want to take advantage of your move to change operator? To choose a new operator, simply cancel your contract.
Don’t forget that you have to give a maximum of ten days’ notice to cancel your contract (Article L.121-84-2 of the French Consumer Code).
Here is a template letter for cancelling your Internet or telephone subscription:
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[Name of sender]
[Address]
[Ref: contract no., customer no.]
[Name of recipient]
[Address]
Madame, Monsieur,
Je vous informe, par la présente, de mon intention de résilier mon contrat d’abonnement souscrit en date du [specify the date on which you signed the agreement], dont vous trouverez les références ci-après : [specify your contract and customer numbers]
En effet, je suis amené(e) à déménager et je souhaite mettre fin à ce contrat.
Cette résiliation prendra effet à compter du [specify the date of notice is provided for in the general terms and conditions], étant entendu que cette résiliation ne pourra prendre effet plus de dix jours après la réception de la présente, et ce en application de l’article L.121-84-2 du code de la consommation.
Par ailleurs, ayant opté pour [specify the nature of the payment, for example direct debit or payment by bank card], je vous prie de prendre les mesures nécessaires afin que les paiements cessent à compter du [specify the date].
Dans l’attente d’une réponse de votre part, je vous prie de croire, Madame, Monsieur, en l’expression de mes sentiments les meilleurs.
Signature
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CA Britline – your next step if you're moving to France
CA Britline’s friendly team of English-speaking advisors can help you with your plans in France as well as all of your daily banking needs in France. If you would like to discuss your personal situation with us, we will be more than happy to call you: request a call back.
Do not also hesitate to check out our useful article about living & working in France here.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Copyright Uni-médias -Last updated January 2024.
Article for information and advertising purposes.
First published: 16th October 2024
Image used is provided by Getty Images.