Zip code in France

In France, the zip code is a number. Set up in 1964 by La Poste, its format changed to pass to 5 digits in 1972.
Il exists a zip code for each common which had in 1972 of an office distributer the Courrier. The communes not having such an office were seen allotting the codes of the offices distributers to which they were attached.

The first two figures

The first two figures of the code correspond to the number of the department in which is located the office distributer of the mail of the commune: there exist some rare cases of communes whose mail is distributed by an office which is not in the same department (cases of villages bordering). For example Laveyrune has as a zip code 48250 (48 being the code of the Lozere), whereas it is located in the Ardèche.
En Corsica, the zip codes starts with 20 , the cutting of the island in two departments not having involved modification of the zip codes.

Three following figures

The three following figures identify each office distributer within the department. Generally, the prefectures have the code 000 , and the other main cities a code finishing by 00 . Certain big cities have several zip codes (for example, Strasbourg: 67000,67100 and 67200), which corresponds to different districts. In the case of Paris, Marseilles and Lyon, the last figures indicate the municipal district (respectively 75001 to 75020,13001 to 13016,69001 to 69009). XVI^e district of Paris is even divided into two (75016 and 75116).
Il arrives in addition that the distribution of certain rural communes wide is shared between two different offices. The commune will thus have two zip codes, according to the districts.

Particular cases

In France of overseas, the zip code is also composed of five digits; however, the identifier of the department (starting with 97) or of the territory (starting with 98) is composed of three digits . The office distributer is then identified by the last two figures.
For example, the code of the town of Three-Rivers in Guadeloupe is 97114 (the code of the Guadeloupe being 971); the code of the town of Noumea in New Caledonia is 98800 (the code of New Caledonia being 988). Characteristic: the island of Clipperton, which is a private property of the French State, has as a code 98799.

The French Army uses zip codes beginning with 00 .

Monaco adopted the French system, its zip code is 98000.

Standards of writing of the zip code

the article Postal address details the official standards of drafting of the addresses.

The zip code of the recipient of the Courrier is written in the last line of its address. It is immediately followed name of the commune (in capital letters ), including when the aforementioned commune does not have an office distributer (contrary to the former use, where one indicated the office distributer).

Within the framework of the sendings bound for foreign countries, the Universal postal union indicates that “the part of the address which indicates the country of destination is governed by the recommendations of the country of origin, whereas the remainder of the address is subjected to the recommendations of the country of destination”. La Poste indicates that it is always necessary, for a letter posted starting from France, to write the name of the country of destination in all letters and French, with the last line, the zip code and the city being then advanced of a line.

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