Following up with the prefecture is useful when your residence permit application has produced neither a decision, nor a request for documents, nor an appointment for several months, or when your receipt is about to expire without a renewal certificate. An effective follow-up consists of four points: the right time, the right channel, a short letter with your references, and proof of sending. It does not magically advance a case, but it forces the service to reopen it, often obtaining the certificate that maintains your rights, and it constitutes the first piece of a potential appeal if silence persists. Here’s when to follow up, how, and what to do if nothing changes.
Before following up: check the status of the case
A follow-up sent while the prefecture is waiting for a document from you is useless and wastes your time. Start by checking the status of your application in your ANEF space: “submitted,” “under review,” “additional documents requested,” “decision made,” “title available.” Read the messages in your account and your spam folder: requests for documents arrive there without further notification. Our article on tracking your case at the prefecture details how to read these statuses, and the ANEF tracking guide explains what to do when the status no longer changes.
Then gather what identifies your case: foreign number, ANEF application number, submission date, receipt number and validity date, copy of previous exchanges. Without these references, the agent cannot find your application, and your follow-up will remain unanswered.
When to follow up
- Your receipt expires in less than a month and you have received neither a decision nor a renewal certificate. This is the most urgent follow-up: without a valid document, you risk losing your job or social rights.
- Four months have passed since the submission of a complete application without any response. This timeframe has legal significance: the silence of the prefecture for four months amounts to an implicit refusal (CESEDA, article R. 432-2), allowing you to file an appeal. Following up just before or just after this date is relevant.
- You have submitted a requested document and the status has not changed for several weeks.
- Your title is ready (status “title available”) but no appointment or pickup slot has been proposed.
- Your appointment request by mail or form has gone unanswered for two or three weeks.
Outside of these cases, following up every week is pointless: each message is read, recorded, and delays the processing of others. A well-timed follow-up is better than five vague follow-ups. The usual timeframes by type of procedure are described in our article how long for a response from the prefecture.
Which channel to use for follow-up
- The messaging system of your ANEF account, if the application was submitted online. This is the channel read by the reviewing service and is directly linked to your case.
- The contact form on your prefecture's website ([department].gouv.fr), section “foreigners” or “residence permits.” Choose the reason closest to your situation and keep a screenshot and the electronic acknowledgment of receipt.
- The registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt, addressed to the foreigners' service of the prefecture of your residence (in Paris, the police prefecture). This is the channel that provides proof in court: use it as soon as silence exceeds four months, or when your receipt is about to expire.
- The phone, when a line exists, is used to obtain information, not to follow up: note the date, time, and name of the agent, and confirm in writing what was said. Our article on how to contact the prefecture by phone outlines the limitations of this channel.
In all cases, write to the prefecture of your place of residence, which is the only competent authority. And regardless of the channel, keep a copy and proof of sending.
Sample follow-up letter for a residence permit
This template is for a renewal submitted on the ANEF whose receipt is about to expire. Adapt the subject and the third paragraph to your situation (first request, title available without an appointment, document submitted without follow-up).
[Name, first names]
[Address]
[Phone, email address]
Foreign number: [number]
ANEF application number: [number]Prefecture of [department]
Immigration and Integration Department, Residence Office[Location], on [date]
Subject: follow-up regarding my application for renewal of residence permit “[mention]” submitted on [date]
Dear Sir or Madam,
I submitted on [date], on the ANEF platform, a request for renewal of my residence permit “[mention]” expiring on [date]. A receipt was issued to me on [date], valid until [date]. My application was complete upon submission, and no additional documents were requested.
To date, [number] months after submission, I have received no decision, and the status of my application has not changed since [date]. [If you have already written: “My message of [date], sent via ANEF messaging, has gone unanswered.”]
With my receipt expiring on [date], I kindly request that you inform me of the progress of the review and issue me a renewal certificate, so that I can continue to [work at… / pursue my studies / receive my rights] without interruption. I remain at your disposal for any further information and for an appointment in your services.
Yours sincerely,
[Signature]
Attachments: 1. copy of the current receipt; 2. acknowledgment of registration of the ANEF application; 3. copy of the expired residence permit; 4. [employment contract or school certificate].
Stay factual and courteous, even after months of waiting. A letter that threatens or dwells on your difficulties is not read any faster. However, mentioning a concrete and proven consequence (job loss on a specific date, suspension of rights, exam to take) gives the service a reason to prioritize processing. Other templates (appointment request, address change, administrative appeal) are gathered in our official letter examples for the prefecture.
If the follow-up remains unanswered
Beyond the follow-up, several avenues exist, to be used in this order.
- The administrative or hierarchical appeal. After four months of silence on a complete case, the implicit refusal decision exists legally. You can request the prefect (administrative appeal) or the Minister of the Interior (hierarchical appeal) to re-examine it, by registered letter, within two months.
- The contentious appeal before the administrative court, within two months following the implicit decision or the rejection of the administrative appeal. A lawyer or an association assisting foreigners will help you draft it. The possibilities for compensation for the harm caused by the delay are presented in our article on the appeal for damages against the prefecture.
- The “useful measures” summary procedure (Code of Administrative Justice, article L. 521-3) if the blockage comes from the impossibility of obtaining an appointment: the summary judge can order the prefecture to provide one. The Council of State ruled on June 10, 2020 (n° 435594) that the prefecture must offer a replacement solution when online booking is permanently impossible. Your dated screenshots and follow-up letters are then essential.
- The Defender of Rights, who can be contacted free of charge and intervenes with prefectures in cases of prolonged silence.
If your blockage is an elusive appointment rather than a silent case, an alert on rendezvousprefecture.com will notify you by email or SMS when a slot opens up in your prefecture, while your letter is being processed.
Frequently asked questions
My receipt has expired and I haven't received anything. Am I in an irregular situation?
Submitting a renewal request on time keeps you within your rights during the review, but you must be able to prove it. Request a renewal certificate from ANEF or by mail without delay, and keep the acknowledgment of receipt of your application. Our receipt guide details this point.
Can I follow up by phone only?
No. A call leaves no trace in your file and cannot serve as proof. Use it to obtain information, then confirm in writing.
How many follow-ups before initiating an appeal?
A written follow-up, followed by a registered letter if it remains unanswered, is sufficient. The appeal depends on the four-month timeframe and not on the number of follow-ups.
Should I mention the four-month timeframe in the follow-up letter?
Yes, if you have reached it. Indicating that you are aware of the rule and considering an appeal, without threatening, encourages the service to process the request or issue the certificate.
