How to cancel your French mobile plan (Free, SFR, Orange) from abroad

Quick answer

To cancel a French mobile plan (Free, SFR, Orange, Bouygues) from abroad, send a registered letter with return receipt (LRAR) to the operator's cancellation service. The contract ends 10 days after receipt. If you want to keep your number, first request your RIO code by calling 3179 before cancelling.

You now live outside France, but your French mobile plan is still being debited every month? Cancellation from abroad is entirely possible, but it requires a registered letter with return receipt (LRAR) sent to the operator's exact address. Here is the procedure, operator by operator.

1. Check your cancellation conditions

Before writing your letter, ask yourself three questions:

• Is your plan commitment-free? If so, you can cancel at any time, with a notice of up to 10 days after receipt of the letter by the operator.
• Are you still under commitment (12 or 24 months)? You will have to pay early termination fees, unless you have a legitimate reason (justified move abroad, job loss, etc.).
• Do you want to keep your number? In that case, do not cancel directly: first request your RIO code by calling 3179 (free) or via your customer area, then give it to your new operator. Portability automatically triggers cancellation.

2. Why registered with AR is mandatory

The general terms of Free, SFR and Orange explicitly require it: cancellation must be notified by registered letter with return receipt. Concretely:

• The AR proves the exact date of receipt — the 10-day notice runs from that date.
• In case of dispute over a post-cancellation debit, it is your only legal proof.
• An email or a call to customer service is not legally sufficient, even if some operators accept it in practice.

Tip: from abroad, posting a registered letter at French La Poste is impossible. This is exactly the use case MaisonMail was designed for — you write online, we print and send from France in your name.

3. What to include in the letter

Whatever your operator, your letter must contain:

• Your first name, last name and address (the one on your contract)
• Your line number (or customer ID)
• Your contract number if you have one
• The explicit statement: "I hereby notify you of my wish to terminate my contract n° ... as of receipt of this letter, in accordance with the general terms of sale."
• The reason if you invoke a legitimate case (attach supporting documents: proof of residence abroad, work contract, etc.)
• The date and your signature

4. Cancellation addresses by operator

Free Mobile

Free Mobile — Service Résiliation 75371 Paris Cedex 08

SFR

SFR Service Résiliations TSA 73917 62978 Arras Cedex 9

Orange

Service Client Orange Service Résiliations 33732 Bordeaux Cedex 9

Bouygues Telecom

Bouygues Telecom — Service Client 60436 Noailles Cedex

⚠️ These addresses change occasionally. Verify them on your latest invoice or your customer area before sending.

5. What happens after sending?

1. The operator receives the letter — the AR date is authoritative.
2. The 10-day notice starts.
3. At the end of the notice, the line is cut. You receive a closing invoice within 1 to 2 months (pro rata of the current month + any termination fees).
4. If you had set up direct debit, keep the bank account active until the last invoice is charged.

6. Common mistakes to avoid

• Cancelling without requesting the RIO code while wanting to keep your number — it is lost after 90 days.
• Sending as simple or tracked mail — without AR, you have no legal proof of receipt.
• Forgetting to attach supporting documents when invoking a legitimate reason — free cancellation is then refused.
• Giving a new foreign address without leaving a French contact — the closing invoice may bounce back and end up in collections.

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In short: a properly drafted LRAR sent to the right address is enough to cancel cleanly, even from the other side of the world. If you do not have access to French La Poste, MaisonMail handles the printing and AR registered shipping from France — you keep online tracking and proof of sending.