The foreign service of the prefecture (known depending on the departments as the immigration office, the migration and integration department, or the immigration and integration service) processes applications for residence permits, naturalization, and travel documents for individuals residing in the department. Since digitization, most applications are submitted online on the ANEF, without an appointment. A physical visit to the prefecture remains necessary for fingerprinting, the issuance of the permit, certain initial applications, and procedures that your department has not yet digitized. This article serves as an entry point: it indicates, step by step, where to submit, whether an appointment is needed, and refers to detailed guides.
Which prefecture do you depend on?
Jurisdiction is determined by your place of residence. You submit to the prefecture of the department where you live, or to the sub-prefecture of the district when it has retained a foreign service. You cannot choose a less crowded prefecture. In Paris, residence permits fall under the jurisdiction of the police prefecture and not the Paris prefecture. In case of moving to another department, the file follows: you declare the change of address on the ANEF and the new prefecture becomes competent.
If you are unsure between a prefecture and a sub-prefecture, the article which prefecture do I depend on explains how to verify this based on your address.
Procedures that can be done on the ANEF, without an appointment
The ANEF (Digital Administration for Foreigners in France, administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr) is the submission portal of the Ministry of the Interior. You create an account, upload your documents, and track the processing. The following can be submitted:
- the renewal of most permits: temporary and multi-year residence cards (employee, private and family life, student, talent passport, visitor) and resident cards;
- the initial applications for certain categories, particularly students and holders of a long-stay visa equivalent to a residence permit who need to validate it;
- the changes of situation: address, civil status, duplicate in case of loss or theft;
- the request for an extension of processing certificate (API) when your receipt or permit expires during processing;
- the travel documents for minor foreigners and several applications related to family reunification.
For these procedures, the prefecture does not expect a visit: the counter would refuse a paper file. However, online submission does not exempt you from the appointment that the prefecture will schedule later for fingerprinting or the issuance of the permit. The residence permit guide details the process title by title, and the article renewal of the residence permit covers the most common case, with a submission window of 4 to 2 months before expiration.
Procedures that require an appointment at the prefecture
The list varies from one department to another, as each prefecture digitizes at its own pace and retains counters for situations that the ANEF does not manage. The website of your prefecture (department-name.gouv.fr), section "Foreigners," is authoritative. Almost everywhere you will find:
- Fingerprinting, by appointment, for the production of a biometric permit. The article fingerprinting at the prefecture explains when it occurs.
- The issuance of the permit, always in person, against the fiscal stamp and the return of the old permit or receipt. See the withdrawal of the residence permit.
- Initial applications not digitized, notably exceptional admission to residence, certain applications related to private and family life, applications from individuals who entered without a visa, and most status changes.
- Naturalization: the application is submitted online in most departments, but the assimilation interview takes place at the prefecture or on a regional platform, by appointment.
- Travel documents for refugees and stateless persons, depending on local organization.
- The digital reception point, to submit on the ANEF with the help of an agent when you do not have internet access.
How the service is organized
Understanding the internal functioning helps to know whom to contact. A foreign service generally includes:
- a welcome or counter unit, which receives by appointment, verifies documents, issues receipts, and hands out permits;
- a processing unit, which examines files and makes decisions. Its agents do not meet the public and do not answer the phone;
- a removal or litigation unit, which manages refusals, obligations to leave the territory, and appeals;
- sometimes a nationality office, distinct, for naturalizations.
This organization explains why the phone rarely allows one to know the status of a file: the switchboard provides information about hours and procedures but does not have access to the processing. Questions about a file go through the ANEF space or the contact form on the site, and your written exchanges remain the only usable record in case of an appeal. The article tracking my file at the prefecture details how to read the statuses.
How to get an appointment when necessary
- On the prefecture's website, open the appointment scheduling module for the foreign service and choose the exact reason: initial application, permit issuance, fingerprinting, digital reception point. An incorrect reason will result in a refusal at the reception.
- If the schedule is empty, return at different times: slots are opened in waves and cancellations free up spots throughout the day. The service rendezvousprefecture.com sends an email or SMS when a slot opens up at the prefecture you are monitoring.
- Keep the confirmation email, which serves as a summons and often contains a link for modification or cancellation.
- If scheduling an appointment remains impossible for weeks, keep dated screenshots and write to the prefecture via a form or registered letter. The Council of State ruled on June 10, 2020 (n° 435594) that a prefecture must offer an alternative when online booking is persistently impossible, and the "useful measures" summary before the administrative court allows obtaining a slot by court decision.
Appointments and procedures at the prefecture are free. No intermediary can sell a slot, and a site that asks for payment to "book your appointment" has no connection with the administration.
Preparing the file, regardless of the submission method
The basic documents are the same online and at the counter: passport, proof of residence less than 6 months old (or accommodation certificate with the identity document and proof of residence of the host), compliant identity photos or e-photo code, proof of resources, and documents specific to the requested permit (employment contract, school certificate, marriage certificate). The fiscal stamp is only required upon issuance of the permit. The exact list is published by the prefecture for each permit; consult it before submission, as a missing document triggers a supplementary request that extends processing by several weeks.
During processing, the receipt or extension of processing certificate maintains your rights. The prefecture has 4 months to respond to a complete application; beyond that, its silence constitutes an implicit refusal and opens a right to appeal.
Frequently asked questions
Can I go to a neighboring prefecture where there are more slots?
No. Only the prefecture of your department of residence is competent. An appointment made elsewhere will be refused and you will have wasted your time.
I submitted on the ANEF, do I still need to go to the prefecture?
Only if the prefecture summons you, for fingerprinting or the issuance of the permit. You will be notified by email, SMS, or message in your space.
How can I know if my procedure is digitized in my department?
Check the "Foreigners" section of your prefecture's website, which indicates for each procedure whether submission is done on the ANEF, by appointment, or by mail. In case of doubt, try the ANEF first: the portal indicates the procedures it accepts.
Does the foreign service accept walk-ins?
Almost never. Some prefectures maintain open submission slots or emergency reception for permits expiring in a few days, announced on their site. Everywhere else, access is by appointment or summons.
