This information has been provided courtesy of www.angloinfo.com


Moving house always requires endless planning and preparation, but there are some specifics you must remember when doing it in France. Here are some tips and points to remind you of all that must be done, and when.

Services:

EDF and GDF and Water: Notify the local agencies 10 days before you move, giving them your account number and new address. They will arrange to read the meter and send the bill for the service to your new address.

Notify the appropriate agency in your new area, to establish a new contract or to take over your existing one.

Telephone:

Contact your local France Télécom office about 10 days before you move, giving them notice of termination of contract (unless you are staying within the same exchange area, in which case they need a notice of change of address).

You can request to have a recorded message to be put on your old number informing callers of your new number.

Post:

Five days before you move, request from La Poste a faire-suivre to forward your mail to your new address. There is a charge for this mail forwarding service. Mail can be forwarded to a new address in France for up to six months and to an address outside of France for three or six months. Mail can also be forwarded on a temporary basis.

To request mail forwarding you need to provide:
proof of identity
proof of "old" and details of the new addresses

Motor registration & Carte Grise:

You must notify the authorities with your change of address within one month of moving. If you move to a new département, you must re-register your car.

Insurance:

Notify insurance companies of your change of address. Your home insurance can be transferred to your new property, but if the new home is a dramatically different size, you may need/want to have the property re-assessed.

Identity documents:

Arrange at the Préfecture for a change of address on your carte de séjour. Remember to apply for a change of address on your passport.

Bank:

Notify your bank of your new address, allowing them time to print new cheque books.

Municipal Schools:

Crêche: As soon as possible, contact the Mairie of your new area to enrol your child. Observe the one-month notice period at your current crèche.
Primary school: contact the Mairie in your new area to find out which schools are in the mayoral area, and arrange for entry for your child. Request a certificat de radiation from the current school. This is a notice to remove your child from the school register.
Collège/Lycée: Request a certificat de sortie. The necessary documents will be transferred to the new school.

Changing Tax & Social Security
The French government has provided an online system for changing your French address. All social security and tax details will be updated. Note that you need your tax numbers and French social security number to use this service:
Click here for: Changement d'adress en lingne

Remember to also contact:
Shops with which you have an account;
Unless you have used the government's online version, your social security office (caisse d'assurance maladie), so that they can transfer your files to a new office if necessary.
Tax office/your accountant
If you have been renting, be conscious of the notice period in the agreement made with your landlord.


IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR SOUTH OF FRANCE PROPERTY OR EMAIL HOME HUNTS AT [email protected]