Do you have to report a change of address on a French residence permit?

Checked on 2026-10-25

Yes, if your French residence permit is valid for more than one year. The law requires you to declare a move of your actual, permanent residence within three months. The ministry's guidance says you do it online on the ANEF site; the declaration is free, and a new card showing the address is optional at 50 €.

Key facts

What	The law says	Source
Who	Holders of a residence permit valid for more than one year	CESEDA art. R431-23
What	A move of your actual, permanent residence, in the same town or another	CESEDA art. R431-23; Service-public.fr F35807
Deadline	Three months from arriving at the new address	CESEDA art. R431-23
How	Online, on the ANEF site	Service-public.fr F35807
Documents	Residence permit; passport pages (identity, validity, entry stamps); proof of address under 3 months old	Service-public.fr F35807
Cost of declaring	Free; you get a certificate to keep	Service-public.fr F35807
New card	Optional; 50 € in tax stamps	Service-public.fr F35807, « À savoir »

What the law says

CESEDA art. R431-23 says a foreigner living in France with a residence permit valid for more than one year who moves their actual, permanent residence must declare it, within three months of arriving, to the competent local authority.

How to do it

The ministry’s guidance on service-public.fr says the declaration is made online on the ANEF site (administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr). It applies to a move within the same town or to another one. You upload, readable:

your residence permit;
your passport (pages with your identity, validity dates and entry stamps);
proof of address less than 3 months old;
an e-photo code, only if you ask for a new card.

The declaration is recorded free of charge and you get a certificate (attestation) to keep.

Do you need a new card?

No. Service-public.fr says a new card is not compulsory. If you ask for one it costs 50 € in tax stamps. EU, EEA and Swiss nationals, their family members and holders of a Withdrawal Agreement card don’t pay.

Cost of other residence permit steps: see “How much a French residence permit costs”.

Sources

CESEDA, arts. R431-20 to R431-24, art. R431-23 (Legifrance) checked 2026-10-25
Que doit faire un étranger en cas de changement d'adresse ? (Service-public.fr, DILA, checked by the source 1 May 2026) checked 2026-10-25

Change history

2026-10-25: Page created

This is general information, not legal advice, and Lumen is not a law firm. Rules change and offices differ: check the official sources above before you act. Found something wrong or out of date? Write to support@lumen.observer.