Changing your address on ANEF: deadline and documents
Par Antonin GAVREL - le mercredi 19 août 2026 - 6 min read
Three months to report your new address
If you are a foreign national who holds a residence permit valid for more than one year and you move home, you must report your new address within three months of the move. This obligation applies whether you move to a different municipality or remain in the same town or city.
The declaration is made online through ANEF. It is separate from a renewal application and does not extend the permit's expiry date.
Documents to scan
Prepare:
- your residence permit card;
- your passport, including the civil-status, validity and entry-stamp pages;
- proof of your new address dated within the last three months.
If you request a new card, add an e-photo code. Every file must be legible, complete and consistent with the new address entered.
What proof of address should you use?
The document depends on your circumstances: an accepted bill, a tenancy agreement, a hosting certificate accompanied by the host's documents, or another form of evidence accepted by the authorities. Check that the name, full address and date are shown.
If someone is hosting you, a certificate alone is often insufficient. Include the host's identity document and their own proof of address, in accordance with the online service's instructions.
Do you need a replacement card?
Obtaining a new card is not compulsory. The declaration itself is free and produces a certificate that you should keep.
If you choose a new card displaying the updated address, the stated cost in 2026 is €50 in tax stamps, except for exempt categories listed by Service-Public, including certain European nationals and people with equivalent status.
A move must also be consistent with your pending applications
VisaPref helps you update ANEF and notify the departments processing your applications of the new address.
What should you do about an application already being processed?
The general change-of-address declaration does not always replace the information that must be provided for a pending renewal, naturalisation or family reunification application. Use the update section or the channel specified, and state the application number.
Keep the ANEF certificate, the evidence submitted and proof of the message sent to the department handling the application. A notice sent to the old address could cause you to miss an important deadline.
Moving to another département
The move may change the prefecture with territorial jurisdiction. Do not create a second account or a new application unless instructed to do so. Report the address and allow the authorities to transfer or route the application under the applicable procedure.
For naturalisation, a move during processing must be reported up to the date of the decision. For a residence permit, also check whether the collection location for the card changes.
Common mistakes
- waiting until the next renewal to report the move;
- entering an address that differs from the supporting document;
- forgetting the hosting certificate and the host's documents;
- assuming that a new card is always compulsory;
- failing to update a pending application;
- buying a tax stamp before confirming that you want a new card.
Official source
Article updated on 16 September 2026. Keep the declaration certificate with your current permit.