Can I use Airbnb as proof of residence for official French procedures?

Reader Question: I need to give a justificatif de domicile of three months – proof of where I am living in France – but do not yet have a home or long-term let. Can an Airbnb or hotel bill be enough for this?

A justificatif de domicile may be requested for many formal procedures in France.

You mention three months, but the exact requirements can vary depending on what you need the documents for.

For some applications, you will need proofs dating back at least a certain number of months, for others the key point is supplying a piece of proof that is dated within a certain number of months of the time when you apply.

The former may be needed to show a certain stability of living in France, the latter, as evidence that you are living there currently.

For example:

• People who are not working and who apply for the first time to their local caisse primaire d'assurance maladie on residency grounds need to show proofs of living in France for three successive months at the time of applying

• People opening a bank account, registering a car or applying for a French driving licence are asked for a proof of address dated within the last three months

• When requesting a carte de séjour, you are asked for proof of address dated during the previous six months.

People who own or rent a property long-term can use documents such as electricity or landline phone bills, property tax bills, rental contracts or rent receipts (quittances).

However, this can be more problematic if you are living in temporary accommodation.

If staying with friends free of charge, for example, the host can provide an attestation d’hébergement. This is a signed, dated statement that you have been living with them between certain dates.

In this case, you also need to provide a copy of their identity card or residency permit as well as another proof of address in their name (eg. property tax statement or electricity or home internet bill).

People of no fixed abode, meanwhile, can apply to the local centre communal d’action social to be domiciled at this service if necessary.

Can I use a hotel to prove residence?

It is often possible to use hotel bills as your proof of accommodation, for example when applying to join the health system, hotel bills for the last three months are accepted.

In the case of a residency card application, people are asked to provide an attestation (signed document) from the hotel manager and a bill for the last month.

What about an Airbnb to prove residence?

Short-term ‘seasonal’ lets such as letting via Airbnb may pose a problem because unlike long-term rental you are unlikely to have a formal lease contract or quittances.

A spokesperson for Airbnb said that their website is usually only for short-term holiday rental between members of the public. Proof of paying for an Airbnb cannot therefore, generally, be given as your proof of address.

She said there is one exception: if you rent via Airbnb via a contract called bail mobilité.

These contracts can be issued for periods from one to ten months, but only in certain cases, including where you are undertaking work training or placements, or a higher education course, an apprenticeship or voluntary civic service, you are starting a new job or you are on a temporary work posting.

In this case you can obtain a formal written contract (bail) stating the length of the lease.

As with other formal leases, it is also possible in this case to ask the landlord to provide you with a quittance showing rent paid.

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