French Free Housing Certificate (Attestation d'Hébergement)

Any adult who owns or rents their home in France and hosts another person there free of charge may write this certificate. The host (hébergeant) must be able to provide their own proof of identity and a proof of address. Nationality is irrelevant — a foreign national renting a flat in France can certify accommodation for another person exactly as a French citizen can. The key conditions are that the arrangement is genuinely free of charge and that the host signs the statement personally, in full awareness of the legal consequences.

The host must attach a copy of their identity document (national identity card, passport, or valid residence permit) and at least one official proof of address in their name — a recent energy bill (facture d'énergie), a rent receipt (quittance de loyer), or a tax notice (avis d'imposition). The hosted person provides their own identity document separately. Some organisations, particularly prefectures, may also request a full lease agreement alongside the energy bill, so it is advisable to check each body's specific requirements in advance.

The certificate is a sworn statement (déclaration sur l'honneur). Providing false or misleading information — for example, certifying that someone lives at an address when they do not — is a criminal offence under Article 441-1 of the Code pénal. The penalty can reach up to three years' imprisonment and a fine of €45,000. French administrations can cross-check declarations; if fraud is suspected, the matter is referred to the public prosecutor. The criminal responsibility declared in the certificate lies with the host.

The two forms serve entirely different purposes. The attestation d'hébergement à titre gratuit is a private proof-of-address document: it costs nothing, is written at home, and needs no official validation. The attestation d'accueil (CERFA 10798), by contrast, is a formal administrative procedure required when a French resident wishes to host a non-EU national for a private visit of fewer than 90 days. It must be validated in person at the town hall (mairie), authenticated by a municipal officer, and it carries a processing fee payable at the time of submission.

Yes. The DGFiP (Direction Générale des Finances Publiques, accessible via impots.gouv.fr) accepts a free accommodation certificate as proof of address when filing a first French tax return or updating an address in the Espace Particulier online tax account. Upload the signed certificate together with the host's supporting documents. The same package is accepted by URSSAF when registering a self-employed activity (auto-entrepreneur or micro-entrepreneur status), by the CAF for family benefit claims, and by most French banks when opening a current account.