How can I get proof of address in France if bills are in partner’s name?

Reader Question: My wife and I need to renew our residency cards, but when we bought a new house in January everything was in her name, including bills, sales deed, etc. How can I get a proof of address? 

One clear means of avoiding this in the future is to have at least one bill in your name. 

Depending on your energy or telephone supplier, this can usually be done online through the company’s website. 

However, it is still possible to get a proof of address using your wife’s information. 

As she is the sole owner of the house, she can confirm that you are living there legally, via an attestation d'hébergement. This is accepted as a proof of address for official purposes.

You can find a template from the French government here. 

For your residency card renewal you should also include a copy of your partner’s residency card (a French national identity card is used in the case of a French person), and a proof of address for her to confirm she is living in the property.

The latter may not be essential, if she has kept the address on her carte de séjour up to date.

Proofs of address accepted for this purpose can include house deeds or a rental contract, a taxe d’habitation statement, or electricity, gas, landline telephone or home internet bills. Bills should be dated within the last six months.

Note that the process is similar to the arrangements for hébergement à titre gratuit, for example, if a friend lives free of charge with someone. 

Read more: Rules to know if someone lives with you for free in France