# Mail forwarding within France



## GraceS

Hi All--
I'll soon be moving apartments--both the current and new one are in Paris. I want to make sure that all my mail is forwarded to my new address because I'm in the later stages of some important administrative processes, like getting my Carte Vitale.

The La Poste website describes a couple of options for domestic mail forwarding. Each costs about 6 euros per month.
Déménagement | Réexpédition de courrier nationale – La Poste 

Anyone have experience with these services? Is purchasing one of them the best way to make sure my mail follows me to my new address? (Of course, I'll directly update my address with my bank and other service providers.)


----------



## mohsel

I used the service of mail forwarding few years back when I moved.
Back then the options were to forward for 6 months or a full year .... but it was reliable ... a bit delayed but got all my mails until the new address was updated with all providers.


----------



## EuroTrash

La Poste usually seem very conscientious about mail forwarding. I had my mail forwarded to the UK for six months and they sent on absolutely everything including publicity that went straight in the bin. The one item that I found sitting in my mailbox when I got back was a letter from the tax office, which was probably the most important item that I'd been sent during that period, that had needed dealing with quite urgently. I did wonder whether perhaps there's something to prevent them forwarding certain official items, where your address is part of your declared identity (if you see what I mean).


----------



## Bevdeforges

I've gotten a number of mailings from official French admin offices that are clearly marked as "do not forward" - so perhaps that explains the tax office mailing. They may well have standardized the system so that they don't have to print that on the envelopes any more depending on which office the mailing is coming from. 

For critical stuff, you may want to send a registered letter to change your address. It may not be necessary, but if there is a screw up, you've covered your, um, "posterior."


----------



## ccm47

The people with second homes normally pay to get their mail forwarded just for the summer. No big deal to La Poste.


----------



## GraceS

Thanks all for confirming that La Post mail forwarding works well.

ET and Bev--yes, you two have hit on my main concern: that the most important mail won't actually get forwarded. I know it's true in the US with some official mailings. Makes sense that it's true in France too. 

So, to solve for these letters, I'm thinking of asking the incoming renter to text me if a letter arrives for me, and I'll come pick it up at a time of their convenience, compensating them 30 euros as thanks. (There will only be on or two letters of this type.)

Thoughts?


----------



## Bevdeforges

There is (or was) another system for mail forwarding in France, whereby you can purchase forwarding envelopes (with the postage pre-paid) and then the person living in the address after you have moved can forward various bits of mail that arrive after you are gone. They may have discontinued this service - though it was handy for the case where (for example) an adult child has moved out of the family home to their own digs. But I think that once the mail carrier notices that you have moved out (i.e. your name is no longer on the mail box) they may simply not deliver mail in your name anymore. 

Probably better to notify the appropriate government agencies of your address change first thing (via lettre recommendé avec signature if you can) and potentially check back with the agency after a couple of weeks to make sure the change of address has been noted.


----------



## LoriEleanor

We've used the six month forwarding option with La Poste on 2 different moves. Worked fine for us. But, as said, we did change our address directly with all the contacts we could think of.


----------



## GraceS

Bevdeforges said:


> There is (or was) another system for mail forwarding in France, whereby you can purchase forwarding envelopes (with the postage pre-paid) and then the person living in the address after you have moved can forward various bits of mail that arrive after you are gone. They may have discontinued this service - though it was handy for the case where (for example) an adult child has moved out of the family home to their own digs. But I think that once the mail carrier notices that you have moved out (i.e. your name is no longer on the mail box) they may simply not deliver mail in your name anymore.
> 
> Probably better to notify the appropriate government agencies of your address change first thing (via lettre recommendé avec signature if you can) and potentially check back with the agency after a couple of weeks to make sure the change of address has been noted.


Bev, thanks for this.

Yes, in researching before I posted, I found that there are normally easy online methods for address update with french government agencies. For example, here's the one for visa renewal/carte de séjour: Que doit faire un étranger en cas de changement d'adresse ? | Service-public.fr But the method doesn't work when you're in the middle of a renewal. And it's ditto for agencies like CPAM when getting your initial carte vitale. 

So, I appreciate your added suggestions!


----------

