Does France have public nuclear shelters?

Short answer. No. France has no network of public shelters for the population and publishes no shelter locator. The official instruction is to shelter in place inside a building, with doors and windows closed and ventilation off, and not to leave without instructions from the authorities ¹. In 2023 the government named nuclear deterrence as the main protection ².

Information verified on 20 October 2026.

Where do I shelter in France?

There is no official list or map of shelters ¹. The SGDSN guide "Tous responsables" says: "Ne sortez pas dehors et ne quittez pas votre abri sans consigne des autorités. Si vous êtes à l'extérieur rejoignez un bâtiment" ¹. In English: do not go outside and do not leave your shelter without instructions from the authorities; if you are outside, get into a building.

In practice:

1. Get into the nearest solid building ¹.
2. Close doors and windows and switch off ventilation ¹.
3. Stay there until the authorities give instructions ¹. Locally, these come from the prefecture.

For the reasoning behind sheltering indoors, see Shelter in place or evacuate after a nuclear emergency? and What is a shelter's protection factor?.

What has the government said about shelters?

In its reply of 25 May 2023 to Senate written question no. 05279 (Olivier Paccaud), the Prime Minister gave no shelter count ². The answer referred instead to nuclear deterrence and to the national plan for a major nuclear or radiological accident, contrasting France with European partners that based part of their defence on building anti-atomic shelters ².

How many shelters exist in France?

No official figure exists. A figure of about 1,000 shelters, 600 of them military, for 2017 appears only in the wording of parliamentary questions, never in a government answer ²³. The Senate question of 16 February 2023 mentioned about 1,000 shelters in 2017, 600 military and about 400 private civilian ones ². A National Assembly question (no. 16859, published in the Journal officiel on 14 July 2026) raised the issue again; no ministerial answer had been published as of 20 October 2026 ³. Phaenyx treats this figure as unconfirmed.

Is anything changing in Parliament?

Draft resolution no. 3103 was registered at the National Assembly on 27 July 2026 ⁴. It states that France "no longer has any network of public shelters that is listed, maintained and accessible" and asks the government for one shelter per commune and a national technical standard ⁴. It had not been adopted as of 20 October 2026 ⁴.

What should a French household do instead?

• Prepare the 72-hour kit from the SGDSN guide (emergency supplies, kit checklist) ¹.
• Learn the siren signal and how FR-Alert works (alerts) ¹.
• If you live near a nuclear site, check whether your address is covered by free iodine distribution (iodine).
• If you are thinking of a private shelter, read the planning rules first (build a shelter).

Frequently asked questions

Can I find a public shelter near me in France?

No. France publishes no shelter list or map. The instruction is to shelter in the nearest solid building and follow the prefecture's instructions ¹.

Why does France have no public shelters?

The government's 2023 answer to the Senate gave nuclear deterrence as the main protection, rather than building shelters for the population ².

Is it true France has 1,000 shelters?

That figure, for 2017, appears only in parliamentary questions; the government has not confirmed it ²³.

Will France build shelters in every commune?

A draft resolution of July 2026 asks for this, but it had not been adopted as of 20 October 2026 ⁴.

Sources

1. Secrétariat général de la défense et de la sécurité nationale (SGDSN) — Tous responsables. Face aux risques, agissons : bien préparés, bien protégés, tous engagés — https://www.ecologie.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/documents/SGDSN_Guide_Tous%20responsables.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Sénat — Capacités d'abris souterrains destinés à protéger la population en cas de conflit armé nucléaire (question écrite n° 05279, réponse du 25/05/2023) — https://www.senat.fr/questions/base/2023/qSEQ230205279.html (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. Assemblée nationale — État du parc d'abris de protection physique des populations (question écrite n° 16859) — https://questions.assemblee-nationale.fr/q17/17-16859QE.htm (accessed 2026-10-20)
4. Assemblée nationale — Proposition de résolution n° 3103 visant à garantir un abri accessible dans chaque commune pour renforcer la protection de la population française — https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/17/textes/l17b3103_proposition-resolution.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)