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Got a letter from a French public body and not sure what to do?
Short, plain-English guides to the most common official letters: what they are, which deadlines to check, what to do and where to find the official information.
Free PDF: 10 steps, table of deadlines, tracking sheet. No email address required, no cookies.
Who wrote to you?
CAF (family benefits)
Supporting documents, overpayments, checks, quarterly returns.
Tax office
Income tax notice, property tax, proposed adjustment, reminders, occupancy declaration.
Residence permits
ANEF certificates, refusal with an OQTF, collecting your card and the tax stamp.
Health insurance
Challenging a decision, sick leave checks.
URSSAF
Formal notice, enforcement order, late surcharges.
Fines and licence
Traffic offence notice, increased fine, letters 48.
Not sure a message is genuine? Read how to spot a fake official letter.
General information, not legal advice. We do not read your letter or give advice on your personal situation. The deadlines written on your letter always take priority. For free personal help: France services or a point-justice. Read the full disclaimer.
Coming later: Courrier clair+ (€4.90/month) with more guides, tracked updates and English versions of each new letter type. Always general information, never an analysis of your letter. Not available yet: no payment is possible.
Who runs this site?
Courrier clair is a project of READ FRANCE SAS, a French company. It is not affiliated with any public body. Each guide lists its official sources and the date it was checked. Found a mistake? Report it on our GitHub issues, without any personal data.