What Does the Crit'Air Letter Look Like? — What to Expect When It Arrives

If you have ordered your Crit’Air sticker and are waiting for it to arrive, here is exactly what to expect. This guide shows you what the letter looks like, what is included, and what to do when it lands on your doormat.

The envelope

Your Crit’Air sticker arrives in a standard white A4 envelope posted from France. The envelope has a French government frank (not a stamp) and is sent from Douai Cedex (59506) in northern France, which is the processing centre for all Crit’Air certificates.

The envelope looks like ordinary French post. It is not branded with “Crit’Air” on the outside, so keep an eye on your letterbox for French-franked mail if you are expecting it.

What the letter looks like

Inside the envelope is a single A4 sheet printed on official French government paper.

The front of the letter shows:

• The heading: Ministère de la Transition Écologique et de la Cohésion des Territoires
• Your reference number in the format CQA XX XXXX XX
• Your name and registered address
• The date the certificate was issued
• Your Crit’Air sticker, attached to the lower half of the page
• A warning triangle with the text: “Avant de décoller, lire attentivement la notice au verso” — “Before peeling, carefully read the instructions on the reverse”

The reverse of the letter contains:

• Illustrated application instructions in French for vehicles with a windscreen
• Separate illustrated instructions for vehicles without a windscreen (motorcycles)
• Diagrams showing the correct placement positions

We have translated these instructions in full in our where to display your sticker guide.

The sticker itself

The Crit’Air sticker is a circular, self-adhesive certificate approximately 8 cm in diameter. It is colour-coded by category and printed with security features.

Your sticker shows:

• “CRIT’Air” printed across the top
• “République Française” around the outer edge
• The category number (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) in large print at the centre
• Your vehicle registration number printed below the category
• Your country code — “GB” for UK-registered vehicles
• A QR code for verification by French authorities

The QR code is unique to your vehicle. French police and enforcement cameras can scan it to verify the certificate is genuine and matches your registration in the national Crit’Air database. This is why counterfeit or photocopied stickers do not work.

The reference number

Your reference number is printed on the letter in the format CQA XX XXXX XX. You can use this reference at certificat-air.gouv.fr to check the status of your application if it has not yet arrived.

If you applied through France Stickers, we also send you a confirmation email with your reference number once your application has been submitted to the French government.

Delivery timeline

The Crit’Air sticker is posted from Douai, France by standard international post. Typical delivery times to UK addresses:

Stage	Timing
Application submitted to French government	Within 2 hours of your order
French government processes and posts	5–10 working days
International post to UK	5–10 working days
Total typical delivery	10–21 working days

The letter itself is usually dated approximately 2 weeks after the application is submitted. Delivery to UK addresses then takes another 5–10 working days depending on Royal Mail international processing times.

If it hasn’t arrived

If your sticker has not arrived after 4 weeks, check the status using your CQA reference number at the French government website. In our experience, delays beyond 3 weeks are rare but can occur around French public holidays or during postal strikes.

In the meantime, your digital facsimile (the PDF emailed to you) is valid proof of your Crit’Air category if stopped by French police. Print it and keep it in the car.

What to do when it arrives

1. Read the reverse of the letter before touching the sticker
2. Clean your windscreen — the inside, bottom-right corner (from your seat). The surface must be clean and dry.
3. Peel and apply the sticker carefully. It cannot be repositioned once stuck.
4. Keep the letter as proof of your application, or photograph it for your records

For detailed placement instructions for your specific vehicle type (car, motorcycle, motorhome), see our full where to display your sticker guide.