Consular registration in the register of French nationals established outside France
Verified 07 April 2023 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)
You are going to live abroad, and you want to register with the French consulate of the country where you live outside France. That's what we call it consular registration.
We explain what this formality is for, how to register for the first time, how to renew your registration, update your file, request your cancelation, what to do if you return to France.
Consular registration is not mandatory, but is strongly recommended. It facilitates your administrative procedures abroad (for example, exercising the right to vote, requesting identity documents).
Entry in the Register shall be free and valid 5 years.
Consular registration is addressed to any Frenchman who will settle more than 6 months abroad.
It aims to facilitate the following administrative procedures:
- Obtaining identity documents (passport, national identity card)
- Registration to vote in French elections (presidential, referendum, European, legislative, consular)
- Obtaining a scholarship for a child attending a French school in Europe or outside Europe
- Obtaining a university scholarship from Crous: titleContent in France
- Census defense and citizenship day
- Reduced fees for legalizations and certified copies
This registration also allows consular services to contact you and your loved ones in case of emergency.
It also provides information about elections, your security and special events.
FYI
for a stay of less than 6 months, it is recommended that you register on the Ariane platform to be alerted in case of a serious event.
It is recommended to register online. If you are unable to apply online, you can go to the embassy or consulate.
You must be major and French nationality.
You have the option to register your French minor child.
On the Internet
You must use the following online service:
Register of French outside France - Consular registration
To complete your application, you must scan the following documents, for yourself and for each of the children you want to register:
- French national identity card or French passport (valid or expired for less than 2 years)
- Recent photo ID (less than 6 months)
- Proof of residence in the host country dependent on the consulate: rental contract, recent electricity bill, proof of accommodation or any other document requested by the head of the consulate. There may be several consulates in the host country. For example, in the United States, Switzerland, Spain. In this case, consult the website of the consulates and the embassy of the country concerned to know your constituency.
Once the consulate has validated your registration, the following documents will be available on the My Documents of your personal space service-public.fr:
- Certificate of registration and residence
- Consular Registration Card
- Enrollment Statement
These documents can be printed whenever you need them.
On the spot
You must go to the embassy or consulate.
Warning
some consulates request an appointment online before you went to the French administration department.
Who shall I contact
You must submit the following documents for yourself and for each of the children you want to register:
- French national identity card or French passport, valid or expired since under 2 years
- Proof of residence in the consular district (rental contract, recent electricity bill or any other item included in the list fixed by the head of consular post). It is recommended to consult the website of the consular post.
- Recent photo ID (less than 6 months)
It is recommended to take the step on the internet. If you are unable to apply online, you can go to the embassy or consulate.
Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement
If you have made your 1st online registration
When your registration ends (after 5 years), you are informed by email 3 months before its expiration.
You must renew your registration via the following online service before the expiry date :
Register of French nationals established outside France - Consular Registration Renewal
You can also extend the duration of your registration at any time, up to 5 years.
If you have changed your situation, you must scan the supporting documents for your new situation (examples: arrival of a child, change of usage name, move).
Otherwise, when you renew your registration, the following documents are automatically refreshed:
- Certificate of registration and residence
- Consular Registration Card
These documents are available on the My Documents of your personal space service-public.fr.
These documents can be printed whenever you need them.
If you have made your first registration on site
If you have not applied online, you can extend the duration of your registration with the embassy or consulate at any time, but for Maximum 5 years.
Who shall I contact
If you have changed your situation, you must provide proof of your new situation (examples: arrival of a child, change of name, move).
Warning
some consulates request an appointment online before you went to the French administration department.
You can update your file if you move (to a new consulate) or if your situation changes.
This gives you the ability to edit the following information:
- Your address and country of residence
- Your registration end date
- Your personal information
- Your family situation
- Your electoral situation
- Your safety data (e.g. persons to be notified in case of emergency)
If you are attached to a new consulate, your file will be forwarded to the competent consulate to process your request.
It is recommended that you update your registration information on the internet. If you are unable to apply online, you can go to the embassy or consulate.
On the Internet
You must use the following online service:
Register of French outside France - Update
You must scan the proof of residence in the new consular district.
If you have changed your situation, you must also scan the supporting documents (arrival of a child, change of usage name, move...).
Once the consulate has validated the change of your registration, the following documents are available on the My Documents of your personal space service-public.fr:
- Certificate of registration and residence
- Consular Registration Card
These documents can be printed whenever you need them.
On the spot
You can go to the embassy or consulate if you have difficulty making your application online (persons with disabilities, seniors,...).
Who shall I contact
Warning
some consulates request an appointment online before you went to the French administration department.
If you have changed your situation, you must provide proof of your new situation (arrival of a child, change of name, move...).
You can request your cancelation from the register of French established outside France, at any time, preferably on the internet (or by going to the embassy or consulate).
On the Internet
You must use the following online service:
Register of French outside France - Cancelation
The certificate of cancelation will then be available in the My Documents of your personal space service-public.fr.
On the spot
You must go to the embassy or consulate.
Who shall I contact
You can go to the consular office of the place where you live.
Warning
some consulates request an appointment online before you went to the French administration department.
Who shall I contact
FYI
your removal from the register does not affect your registration on the consular list of electors where you are registered.
Now, as a voter, you no longer have the opportunity to apply to be removed from a list of electors, either online or over the counter.
When you register on a new voters list, whether it is a communal or consular list, theInsee: titleContent proceed automatically removal from the list of electors on which you were previously registered.
If you relocate to France, you must request your removal from the register of French nationals established outside France.
You have to make the move before leaving your country of residence.
You are issued a certificate of cancelation.
This document can be useful to justify a stay abroad.
On the Internet
Using the following online service:
Register of French outside France - Cancelation
The certificate of cancelation will then be available in the My Documents of your personal space service-public.fr.
On the spot
You must go to the embassy or consulate.
Who shall I contact
You can go to the consular office of the place where you live.
If you wish to vote in your new municipality, you must to be entered on the list of voters of that municipality. This listing deletes you automatically on the consular list of electors.
Online service
Online service
Service-Public.fr
Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE)