Registered post is required for a wide variety of official communication in France and now you can send these letters from home without going to the post office.
Letters to banks, insurers and official bodies usually have to be sent by registered post, or a lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception. Registered post frequently yields better results than ordinary letters when contacting other bodies as well, whether it is for filing a complaint, demanding a refund or giving notice.
Whereas previously you had to go to the post office to send a registered letter, now you can also do it online.
Not only does this have the same legal standing in France as traditional registered post but it saves you a trip and also offers new possibilities.
With online registered post, you can upload a letter months in advance, which can come in handy for changing your insurance provider, for instance, as insurers often require you to send them notice of this in the month preceding your contract’s automatic renewal.
There are also 239 model letters available on the La Poste website complete with a drop down menu to select the indispensable French sign off phrase, la formule de politesse.
These models are free for private and administrative use, and include pre written letters for:
Ending insurance contracts
Changing energy providers
Closing a bank account
Contesting a tax statement
Demanding that an owners’ association or coproprieté carries out building work
Note: You can only use the online registered post to send letters within France
Connect to your account or create one for free with your email address
Upload your letter (in the .doc, .docx, .rtf, .txt, .pdf, .xls, xlsx formats) or modify one of the 239 available models
Enter the addresses, date and time in the boxes
Pay
The post office will print and send your letter. They will inform you by mail when it is send and when it has been received (if you have selected Acknowledgement of receipt)
