The new rules, set out in Decree No. 2025‑1342 of 26 December 2025, amend the French Construction and Housing Code and will apply to all building permit applications submitted from 1 April 2026.
Until now, accessibility obligations for professional office buildings were mainly addressed through the Labour Code (workplace adaptations for employees with disabilities) and, where applicable, ERP rules for buildings receiving the public. However, a comprehensive framework covering all new professional office buildings was missing.
The new decree closes this regulatory gap by establishing structural accessibility requirements for all newly constructed professional office buildings. From April 2026, new BUPs must ensure accessible external access routes, entrances, internal circulation spaces, work areas, sanitary facilities and shared amenities.
For now, the decree applies only to new buildings. Further regulatory updates are expected to address accessibility in existing office buildings.
- Publication date
- 27 March 2026
- Author
- Légifrance