Changing the delivery address of a Colissimo package and updating your postal address after a move are two distinct processes. La Poste handles them through separate tools, with different timelines and conditions. Understanding this distinction helps avoid losing a package in transit or missing the modification window.
Modification during delivery and permanent address change: two different logics
The most common confusion is believing that you can redirect a Colissimo that has already been shipped to a new address after moving. La Poste’s delivery modification tools allow you to reschedule a delivery, choose a pickup point, or request a new delivery attempt. They do not function like a free change of destination address.
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| Action | La Poste Tool | Activation Time | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modify the delivery of an ongoing package | “Delivery Modification” page (laposte.fr/outils) | Immediate (as long as the package is not in final delivery) | One single shipment, one-time |
| Update the address in the customer account | La Poste customer space (address section) | Immediate for future orders | All future orders placed through this account |
| Forward all mail after moving | Mail forwarding service | Variable depending on the chosen plan | All mail and packages for the subscribed duration |
A package already handled by the network cannot be redirected to just any new address. Rescheduling is limited to predefined options: date postponement, drop-off at a post office, or pickup point.
To properly understand how to modify a Colissimo delivery address in the specific case of a change of address, one must distinguish between correcting a one-time shipment and updating the overall profile.
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Mail forwarding with La Poste: the real lever after a move
The forwarding service remains the central mechanism to avoid losing anything during the transition. Forwarding does not replace updating each organization: it serves as a temporary safety net while you inform banks, administrations, employers, and online shopping sites of your new address.
ARCEP reminds that in case of difficulties with this service, recourse goes directly through La Poste. Forwarding covers regular mail and packages, but its duration is limited according to the chosen plan.
What forwarding covers and what it does not
- Regular mail (letters, registered) and packages delivered to your home are redirected to the new address for the entire duration of the forwarding contract.
- Deliveries to pickup points or automatic lockers are not included: they arrive at the point chosen by the sender or recipient at the time of the order.
- Shipments from abroad may experience additional delays during forwarding, with no guarantee of the same timeframe as direct delivery.
Activating forwarding before the moving day reduces the risk of packages being returned to the sender. La Poste recommends anticipating this process as much as possible.
Updating the address in the La Poste customer space
Changing the address registered in your customer account on laposte.fr affects future orders placed through postal services (online stamps, prepaid Colissimo, online mail). This update does not change the delivery address of a package already in transit.
The process is done online, in the section dedicated to delivery and billing addresses. You can register multiple addresses and set a default address.
E-commerce platforms do not synchronize with La Poste
Each merchant site keeps its own address data. Updating your La Poste profile does not update Amazon, Fnac, or Cdiscount. After a move, you must change the delivery address on each platform where you regularly order.
This point is often underestimated. A package ordered from a third-party site will be sent to the old address if you have only corrected your La Poste space.
Optimal timeline for address and delivery processes during a move
The logic recommended by La Poste follows a simple principle: the more the processes are anticipated, the lower the risk of loss. Here is the order that minimizes incidents.
- Before the move: subscribe to the mail forwarding service online or at the post office, indicating the effective date of the address change.
- On the day of the move: update the address in the La Poste customer space and on the main e-commerce platforms used.
- In the following weeks: inform administrative organizations (taxes, social security, bank, insurance) via their respective online spaces or by mail.
- Throughout the duration of the forwarding: regularly check the tracking of pending packages to spot any potential returns to the sender.
Forwarding acts as a buffer, but it has a limited duration and does not correct addresses at the source. Each week of delay in notifying organizations increases the likelihood that a letter or package will be lost after the service expires.
The case of packages shipped during the transition
If a Colissimo package is shipped to your old address while forwarding is active, it will normally be redirected. However, if the shipment arrives after the end of the forwarding contract, it will be presented at the old address. Without anyone to receive it, it will be held at the nearest post office to the old address, then returned to the sender after the holding period expires.
Monitoring ongoing orders at the time of the move and directly contacting senders to correct the address before shipping remains the most reliable method. Making changes upstream with the sender is always safer than correcting downstream through tracking tools.