So we’ve almost reached the final hurdle of signing our AdV, and among the various things required by the notaire is an ATTESTATION DE PROVENANCE DES FONDS. I had slightly foolishly assumed the currency exchange people would be able to sign it, but apparently not. The chain of transfer for various reasons is building society to bank to currency people - so who should we get to sign?
Another thing to lose sleep about. 
You do!!
It’s your statement under oath that says where the money came from to reassure your notaire you are not a drug trafficer. Have they not sent you one to fill in?
Some banks and building societies will give you one to say that the money is your savings/investments/receipts from previous house sale. But generally (unless things have changed!) your own attestation is acceptable.
We have one, requiring a bank stamp and completion by a bank employee. It is specifically not for us.
But thank you too JJ - I think we shall write one too, and bring bank statements etc with us.
Ok, it seems to have changed then. Ours was our very own statement. Ask your notaire if they will accept a personal attestation as proving difficult to get foreign bank to comply.
Je soussigné Monsieur, Madame < Nom et prénom >, né le < Date de naissance > à < Ville de naissance > atteste les fonds d’’un montant de < A compléter > euros ont pour origine :
Je certifie que les fonds n’ont pas d’origine délictueuse ou criminelle au sens de la réglementation relative à la lutte contre le blanchiment de capitaux.
Fait à < Ville >, le < Date de signature >,
Fait pour servir et valoir ce que de droit.
Signature précédée de la mention manuscrite « Je certifie sur l’honneur »
Thanks JJ.
It’s amazing what the authorities want to know theae days.
All it does is inconvenience people. Any competent drug dealer will have got their money laundering well sorted out. And what if you really are someone that doesn’t trust banks and keeps it under their mattress?
At least the British government is sensible they haven’t been bothering Russian oligarchs buying up property in London with such questions.
No but we ,ordinaries, have to jump through hoops to prove it’s ours & where it came from! Oh to be an Oligarch, or a Tory darling!
Having worked for a german investment bank three times, I constantly had to renew my ‘anti money laundering’ training every six months. It left me with a much better idea of how to do it properly if I was so inclined 
So just to complete the topic…
I used @JaneJones attestation (above) as a template and generated a document that we each signed individually indicating the money came from inheritence and savings. We took that together with bank statements, my MIL’s will and estate agents details from the sale of her flat, plus computers with bank account access. Easier to bring more than we could possibly need, since returning to the UK for docs would be ‘difficile’.
The notaire was significantly put out that we did not have fluent French (this had been mentioned by myself through previous email contact) and was not really interested in meeting up part way in terms of speed of speech. An interpreter was found at short notice. Our documents were not viewed at any point and no kind of attestation was requested, with the exception of the will which was used to confirm my wife’s maiden name. We signed the acte, were given keys and documents proving ownership & left the office.
Had we not been prepared then I’m sure stuff would have been requested (probably likewise if we’d been fluent & she could face asking the questions). I suspect we may also have come across as ‘genuine’ and dim, rather than criminal masterminds embarking on international fraud.
Does sometimes amaze me, the difference between the ‘rule book’ and actual practice sometimes - ultimately, folks generally will take the path of least resistance and the shortest route, unless there’s some form of material accountability - I guess the notaire took the shortest quickest route to go from A to B with your property sale, which saves them time and money, so why not I guess 
On the opposite end of the spectrum, and sure we’ve all been there, you end up with some jobsworth who has plenty of time, and then you get the ‘rule book’ plus some 
Well done for a smooth completion 
Thanks. We were in the office for about an hour and a half, so I’m sure time (and lunch) was a factor.
Oh yes, I’ve very quickly learnt, if you want something to be dealt with very efficiently, with great focus, engage about 11.30 - with the famous ‘no miss’ lunchtime deadline, seems to always work an absolute treat