Attestation d'accueil (Cerfa 10798): host invitation letter for France

Any French citizen or foreign national legally resident in France — holding a valid residence permit (titre de séjour) — can act as host, provided they have adequate accommodation. Both homeowners and tenants qualify. There is no statutory income threshold, but the mairie will assess whether your housing is large enough to receive the visitor comfortably. The host, not the visitor, is responsible for obtaining and paying for the certificate.

A non-refundable electronic tax stamp (timbre fiscal) of exactly €30 is required for each application, regardless of how many visitors are listed on the certificate. The stamp must be purchased before your mairie appointment — online at timbres.impots.gouv.fr or at approved tobacconists. The fee is not reimbursed if the mairie refuses validation or if the consulate later denies the visa.

You will need: a valid proof of identity (passport or national ID), proof of address (property deed or signed lease plus recent rent receipts — quittances de loyer), proof of income (payslips or latest tax assessment — avis d'imposition), information about your accommodation (floor area, number of rooms), the €30 electronic tax stamp, and your visitor's full passport details — number, nationality, and intended travel dates — for every person you are hosting.

No. The certificate is a supporting document, not a visa guarantee. The final decision rests with the French consulate in the visitor's country. Consular officers may refuse a short-stay Schengen visa even when a valid hosting certificate is presented, based on other factors such as the visitor's financial means, return-trip guarantees, or travel history. The attestation d'accueil simply demonstrates that suitable private accommodation has been arranged in France.

Yes. The mayor's office can decline the request by issuing a formal, written reasoned decision (décision motivée). Common grounds include insufficient living space, doubts about the visitor's intended stay, or a prior record of hosted guests overstaying previous visas. Before deciding, the mairie may ask OFII (Office français de l'immigration et de l'intégration) to conduct a home visit. The host retains the right to appeal the refusal through administrative channels.

The certificate is valid only for the specific dates and visitor(s) named on the form, covering a maximum stay of three months. The mairie date-stamps the document, and consulates verify that it is current when reviewing the visa application. If travel dates change materially after the certificate has been issued, a new declaration — and a new €30 tax stamp — will be required.