Before looking for an appointment, you need to know where to take it. The rule seems simple at first glance (one prefecture per department) but becomes complicated as soon as your municipality depends on a sub-prefecture, if you live in Paris, or if your department has centralized foreigner procedures at a single site. This guide replaces our old pages "Which prefecture does Villeparisis depend on?", "Aulnay-sous-Bois", "Chelles", "Rosny-sous-Bois", and others: the method is the same for all municipalities in France.
The rule: your department determines your prefecture
France has 101 departments and as many prefectures, located in the capital city of each department. For all procedures that fall under the prefect's authority (residence permit, naturalization, exchange of foreign driving licenses, certain authorizations), the competent administration is that of the department where you reside, not where you work or where you were born. Your proof of residence dated within the last six months serves as evidence.
The postal code almost always indicates the department: its first two digits (93 for Seine-Saint-Denis, 69 for Rhône, 13 for Bouches-du-Rhône). Beware of exceptions: Corsica (2A and 2B share the prefix 20), municipalities whose postal code is linked to a distribution office in another department, and overseas territories (971 Guadeloupe, 972 Martinique, 973 Guyana, 974 Réunion, 976 Mayotte). In case of doubt, the INSEE code of the municipality, visible on service-public.fr, clarifies the situation.
Prefecture or sub-prefecture: the role of the arrondissement
Each department is divided into arrondissements. The prefecture manages the one in the capital city; other arrondissements have a sub-prefecture. For some procedures, it is the sub-prefecture that receives you. However, this is not always the case: many departments have centralized foreigner services at the prefecture, and the sub-prefecture only handles certain formalities (or none at all for residence permits). Before you go, always check on the department's website (section "Administrative Procedures", then "Foreigners") which site handles your procedure.
Île-de-France: the breakdown by municipality
This is the region where the question arises the most, because sub-prefectures play a significant role for foreigners. Here is the attachment of the arrondissements; the exhaustive list of municipalities can be found on each prefecture's website.
- Paris (75): no departmental prefecture for residence permits. It is the police prefecture that processes, with dedicated reception centers. See how to get an appointment at the Paris prefecture.
- Seine-Saint-Denis (93): prefecture of Bobigny for the Bobigny arrondissement (Aulnay-sous-Bois, Drancy, La Courneuve, Noisy-le-Grand, Rosny-sous-Bois, Villepinte, Sevran, Bagnolet, Montreuil…); sub-prefecture of Raincy for its arrondissement (Livry-Gargan, Clichy-sous-Bois, Montfermeil, Gagny, Villemomble…); sub-prefecture of Saint-Denis (Saint-Denis, Aubervilliers, Saint-Ouen, Épinay-sur-Seine, Stains, Pierrefitte…). Guides: Bobigny, Le Raincy, Saint-Denis.
- Val-de-Marne (94): prefecture of Créteil (Créteil, Choisy-le-Roi, Ivry-sur-Seine, Vitry, Maisons-Alfort, Saint-Maur-des-Fossés…); sub-prefecture of L'Haÿ-les-Roses (Villejuif, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, Cachan, Fresnes, Chevilly-Larue…); sub-prefecture of Nogent-sur-Marne (Nogent, Joinville-le-Pont, Champigny, Vincennes, Fontenay-sous-Bois…). Guides: Créteil, L'Haÿ-les-Roses, Nogent-sur-Marne.
- Hauts-de-Seine (92): prefecture of Nanterre (Nanterre, Gennevilliers, Colombes, Courbevoie, Puteaux, Rueil, Suresnes…); sub-prefecture of Antony (Antony, Clamart, Montrouge, Châtillon, Bagneux, Sceaux…); sub-prefecture of Boulogne-Billancourt (Boulogne, Issy-les-Moulineaux, Meudon, Sèvres, Saint-Cloud…). Guides: Nanterre, Antony.
- Val-d'Oise (95): prefecture of Cergy (Cergy, Pontoise, Franconville is attached to Argenteuil, see below); sub-prefecture of Argenteuil (Argenteuil, Bezons, Franconville, Sannois, Ermont, Taverny…); sub-prefecture of Sarcelles (Sarcelles, Garges, Gonesse, Villiers-le-Bel, Deuil-la-Barre, Montmorency…). Guides: Cergy, Argenteuil, Sarcelles.
- Yvelines (78): prefecture of Versailles; sub-prefectures of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (Houilles, Sartrouville, Poissy, Conflans…), Mantes-la-Jolie and Rambouillet. Guides: Versailles, Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
- Essonne (91): prefecture of Évry-Courcouronnes (Évry, Corbeil, Savigny-sur-Orge, Juvisy…); sub-prefectures of Palaiseau (Palaiseau, Massy, Orsay, Les Ulis…) and Étampes. Guides: Évry, Palaiseau.
- Seine-et-Marne (77): prefecture of Melun; sub-prefectures of Torcy (Chelles, Pontault-Combault, Noisiel, Lognes, Champs-sur-Marne…), Meaux (Meaux, Villeparisis, Claye-Souilly, Mitry-Mory…), Fontainebleau and Provins. Guides: Melun, Torcy, Fontainebleau.
Find your prefecture in three steps
- Identify your department based on your address (postal code, or INSEE code in case of doubt).
- Open your municipality's page on the map of prefectures on rendezvousprefecture.com: it indicates the attached prefecture or sub-prefecture, its address, hours, and the procedures it handles.
- Check the procedure: for a residence permit, renewal, or collection, the department's site specifies whether the sub-prefecture still receives the public or if everything is centralized. For naturalization, several departments have transferred processing to a regional platform; the submission remains linked to your residence.
Special cases
- You have just moved: the competent prefecture is that of your new address as soon as you reside there. Declare the change of address on the ANEF (or at the prefecture for non-digital titles); an ongoing file is transferred, and you go back to the queue of the new department.
- You are hosted: it is the hosting address, along with the hosting certificate and the identity document of the host, that counts. See how to obtain a hosting certificate for the prefecture.
- You are domiciled with an association or a CCAS: the prefecture is that of the domiciliation department.
- Student: that of your place of residence during the academic year, not that of your parents.
- Overseas: one prefecture per community (Basse-Terre, Fort-de-France, Cayenne, Saint-Denis de La Réunion, Mamoudzou), with sub-prefectures that play an important role, for example Pointe-à-Pitre in Guadeloupe or Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni in Guyana.
And then: getting the appointment
Once the right prefecture is identified, the real challenge begins: finding a slot. The prefectures of Île-de-France, Bouches-du-Rhône, Rhône, or Haute-Garonne release slots in waves, often in the morning. Instead of refreshing the page, activate an email or SMS alert for your prefecture and your procedure on rendezvousprefecture.com, and read how to make a new appointment at the prefecture online for possible recourses when no slots appear for weeks.
Frequently asked questions
My municipality has a postal code from another department, which one counts?
The administrative department of the municipality (INSEE code), not the postal code. A few neighboring municipalities are served by a nearby post office; their prefecture remains that of their department.
Can I go to the nearest sub-prefecture rather than mine?
No. Each sub-prefecture only receives residents of its arrondissement, and many no longer accept foreign procedures at all. Check on the department's website before making an appointment.
I work in Paris but live in the suburbs, where should I submit my residence permit?
In the department of your residence. The Paris police prefecture only processes applications from Paris residents.
