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France has one of the highest fax usage rates in Western Europe. Administrative institutions, government agencies, notaires, and law firms all rely on fax as a primary channel for formal document exchange. Whether you're submitting paperwork to your local préfecture, sending medical documents to the CPAM, or exchanging an acte de vente with a notaire, you will almost certainly be asked to send a fax at some point when dealing with French institutions. This guide explains how French fax numbers work and how to send one from anywhere in the world.
French fax number format
France's country code is +33. When dialling internationally, drop the leading 0 from the French local number.
French telephone numbers are 10 digits long. The first digit after the leading zero indicates the region or type of number:
| Prefix (local) | Region | International format |
|---|---|---|
| 01 XX XX XX XX | Paris / Île-de-France | +33 1 XX XX XX XX |
| 02 XX XX XX XX | Northwest (Normandie, Bretagne) | +33 2 XX XX XX XX |
| 03 XX XX XX XX | Northeast (Grand Est, Bourgogne) | +33 3 XX XX XX XX |
| 04 XX XX XX XX | Southeast (PACA, Auvergne-Rhône) | +33 4 XX XX XX XX |
| 05 XX XX XX XX | Southwest (Nouvelle-Aquitaine) | +33 5 XX XX XX XX |
Important: Always drop the leading 0 when entering the number internationally. A Paris fax number listed locally as 01 44 32 10 00 becomes +33 1 44 32 10 00 — enter it in the form as 1 44 32 10 00 after selecting +33.
Numbers beginning with 06 or 07 are mobile numbers and cannot receive faxes. Numbers starting with 08 are special-rate service numbers and are generally not used as fax lines.
Who uses fax in France
Tax and public finance
The DGFiP (Direction générale des Finances publiques), which operates under the Impôts brand, may publish contact details for local tax offices. Use fax only when the current instructions for your exact form, notice, or office explicitly identify it as an accepted channel, and verify the number through an official government source.
Social services and family benefits
CAF (Caisse d'Allocations Familiales) administers family allowances, housing assistance, and other social benefits across France. Local CAF offices publish fax numbers for sending supporting documents — birth certificates, income declarations, lease agreements — as part of benefit claims or renewals. The CPAM (Caisse Primaire d'Assurance Maladie), which manages health insurance under the Sécurité sociale system, uses fax extensively for medical document exchange. GPs (médecins généralistes) send prescriptions, lab referrals, and treatment summaries to the CPAM and between each other by fax. Hospitals transmit patient discharge summaries (comptes-rendus d'hospitalisation) to treating physicians by fax as standard practice.
Administrative and prefectural submissions
Préfectures and sous-préfectures across France are key administrative hubs for residency permits (titres de séjour), vehicle registration (certificats d'immatriculation), and licences. While many services have migrated online, fax is still accepted — and in some cases required — for urgent or exception-based submissions. Prefectural offices for foreign nationals especially tend to maintain fax numbers for administrative follow-ups. Similarly, mairies (town halls) in smaller communes often prefer fax for official communications.
Courts and legal professionals
French courts, registries, and legal professionals may publish fax numbers, but accepted filing and notification methods depend on the current procedural rules and the specific matter. Confirm with the relevant greffe or your avocat before sending a deadline-sensitive document. Transmission status alone does not prove legal acceptance.
How to send a fax to a French number
- Go to Send Fax on this site.
- Upload your document as a PDF. Ensure it is complete and legible before sending.
- In the country code dropdown, select France (+33).
- Enter the fax number, dropping the leading 0 — a Paris number listed as
01 47 52 80 00is entered as1 47 52 80 00. - If the recipient requires a cover sheet, include it as the first page of your PDF, then review the page count and cost.
- Complete payment (or use existing credits), send, and wait for the final delivered or failed status.
Pricing
Credit packs start at $4.99 for 50 credits. No monthly subscription. Signed-in credit sending uses 10 credits per PDF page. Guest checkout shows the exact one-time price after upload and before payment.
FAQ
What is the country code for France? France's country code is +33. When dialling from abroad, drop the leading 0 from the French local number. For example, 01 44 XX XX XX becomes +33 1 44 XX XX XX.
Do I need to speak French to use this service? No. You simply need the recipient's fax number. The fax itself can be in any language — the service transmits your PDF as-is to the French fax machine.
How do I find my local DGFiP tax office fax number? Visit impots.gouv.fr and use the "Trouver un contact" directory to locate your local SIP or SIE. Each office listing includes a fax number alongside the phone number and address.
Can I fax documents to the CAF or CPAM? Yes. Both CAF and CPAM offices list fax numbers on their regional contact pages at caf.fr and ameli.fr respectively. Use the fax number for your département (department of residence).
Are faxes to France legally valid for court submissions? Rules vary by court, procedure, and document type. Check the current rules with your avocat or the relevant court registry (greffe) before sending. A delivered fax does not by itself prove that the court accepted the filing.
How long does it take for a fax to reach France? Delivery time depends on the receiving line. Wait for the final delivered or failed status, and obtain any separate acknowledgment required by the recipient.
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