For most residency procedures, you no longer need to make an appointment at the prefecture: the application is submitted online on the ANEF (Digital Administration for Foreigners in France) and the prefecture then summons you for fingerprints or the issuance of the title. An appointment to be reserved on the prefecture's website is still necessary for procedures that are not yet digitized in your department, and for certain summonses. The competent prefecture is always that of your department of residence. When the booking module does not display any available slots, there is a procedure to follow, written and then contentious, detailed below.
Which prefecture is competent
Competence follows your residence, never your choice. You depend on the prefecture (or the designated sub-prefecture) of the department where you live. In Paris, residence permits fall under the jurisdiction of the police prefecture. An appointment made in another department will be refused at the counter, even if slots are available there. If you have just moved, first declare the change of address on the ANEF, then contact the new prefecture.
To identify the correct structure and its hours, consult the department's website (address in the form of name-of-department.gouv.fr). In case of doubt, our article which prefecture do I depend on addresses edge cases, such as accommodation with a third party or a move in progress.
ANEF or physical appointment: the rule
The ANEF replaces the appointment for submission of most applications: first requests for students and certain other categories, renewal of most titles, change of address, and certificate of extension of instruction (API) when a receipt is about to expire. You create an account, upload your documents, receive a confirmation of submission, and then, if applicable, a certificate that maintains your rights during the processing. The follow-up is done in your personal space.
A physical visit to the prefecture remains in three cases:
- Taking fingerprints (biometrics) for the issuance of the title. The prefecture summons you, or asks you to book a slot on its module.
- Issuance of the title once manufactured. Same process: summons or slot to reserve, depending on the department.
- Procedures not digitized in your department. The list varies from one prefecture to another and evolves; the departmental website specifies it for each title.
For renewal, respect the submission window: between 4 months and 2 months before the expiration of the title. Submitting within this window gives you a receipt or a certificate that preserves your rights (work, social rights) during the processing. The details are in our renewal guide.
Where to book according to your procedure
The correct entry point depends on the procedure, not the prefecture. Guidelines:
- First application for a title (student and other open categories): submission on the ANEF. No appointment needed until the prefecture summons you.
- First non-digitized application: booking module on the departmental site, section “Foreigners” then the corresponding reason. Some prefectures require a submission by mail before any appointment.
- Renewal: ANEF for most titles. If your title is not listed there, the prefecture's site indicates the way (booking module or mail).
- Expired receipt: request for a certificate of extension of instruction from your ANEF space, without an appointment.
- Fingerprints and issuance of the title: summons sent by the prefecture, or slot to reserve on the module when the site invites you to do so. If you missed the summons, write to the service, see our article on modifying an appointment.
- Naturalization: distinct process, with an assimilation interview at the prefecture or on a regional platform, by summons. The processing lasts a maximum of 18 months from the receipt of a complete file, 12 months if you have been residing in France for at least 10 years.
On a booking module, the process is roughly the same everywhere: choose the service, choose the reason, display a calendar, enter your details, then receive a confirmation email. This email generally contains a link to modify or cancel. Keep it.
No available slots: what to do
Messages like “no time slots available” or “no appointments possible at the moment” mean that all open slots are taken. Prefectures release slots online in batches, at variable times, and cancellations free up isolated slots. Three reflexes:
- Document. Take a dated screenshot with each attempt (the date must be visible, for example the computer clock). These screenshots are the basis for any appeal.
- Monitor without spending your days. You can create an alert that notifies you by email or SMS when a slot opens up in your prefecture.
- Write. After several weeks without a slot, send a request to the prefect by the contact form and then by registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt, including your screenshots. Our template for appointment request email details the content.
If the impossibility persists and the prefecture offers nothing, the administrative court's judge of summary proceedings can order it to receive you, through a summary “useful measures” (article L. 521-3 of the Administrative Justice Code). The Council of State ruled on June 10, 2020 (n° 435594) that a prefecture must offer a replacement solution when online booking is permanently impossible. Associations defending foreigners and lawyers are well aware of this procedure.
One point to remember: making an appointment is free. No website or intermediary can sell you a slot. If someone offers it to you for payment, it is a scam.
Preparing for the appointment
The exact list of documents depends on the title and is published on your department's website. The documents requested in almost all cases:
- valid passport (original and copy of the used pages);
- proof of residence less than 6 months old, or accommodation certificate accompanied by the identity document and proof of residence of the host;
- 3 standard ID photos, or the e-photo code;
- proof of resources;
- documents specific to the requested title: employment contract, school certificate, marriage certificate, etc.;
- tax stamp, the amount of which depends on the title.
Bring the printed summons or confirmation, your current title or receipt, and a copy of each document. An incomplete file at the counter results in needing to find a new appointment. Our list of documents details the documents by type of title.
After submission
For a residence permit, the silence of the prefecture for 4 months after a complete file constitutes an implicit refusal (article R. 432-2 of the CESEDA). This implicit refusal opens a gracious or hierarchical appeal, and a contentious appeal before the administrative court within 2 months. Before reaching that point, a written follow-up is often useful, see our article how to follow up with the prefecture. The observed timelines depending on the procedure are discussed in how long for a response from the prefecture.
Frequently asked questions
Can you go to the prefecture without an appointment?
For residency procedures, no, unless your prefecture's website provides for open reception for a specific reason. The reception redirects to the ANEF or the booking module.
I can't create my ANEF account, can I make an appointment instead?
No, the prefecture will not process a digitized procedure at the counter. Most prefectures have a digital reception point to help use the ANEF, its hours are listed on the departmental website.
How far in advance should you act for a renewal?
Submit between 4 months and 2 months before expiration. If the submission goes through a physical appointment, start looking for a slot as soon as this window opens, as the wait may exceed several weeks.
My appointment is made, can I move it?
Yes, generally via the link in the confirmation email. Otherwise, write to the service. Canceling a slot you will not use frees it up for someone else, see canceling an appointment at the prefecture.
