This guide is aimed at residents of Val-de-Marne who need to take steps at the Val-de-Marne prefecture in Créteil: first application or renewal of residence permit, collection of a card, naturalization. It gathers contact information, explains what can be done on ANEF and what requires an appointment, and indicates what to do when the booking module remains empty.
In Val-de-Marne, the sub-prefectures of L'Haÿ-les-Roses and Nogent-sur-Marne handle some of the procedures for foreigners in their district, with the rest being centralized in Créteil. Appointment slots for collecting permits are among the longest to obtain.
Contact information for the Val-de-Marne prefecture in Créteil
- Address: 21-29 avenue du Général-de-Gaulle, 94000 Créteil
- Phone: 01 49 56 60 00
- Email: prefecture@val-de-marne.gouv.fr
- Official website: www.val-de-marne.gouv.fr
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 09:00-12:00, 13:00-16:00
Hours and addresses may change; check them on the official website before traveling, especially for foreign reception which often has its own time slots.
Prefecture or sub-prefecture: where to submit based on your municipality
The department has 2 sub-prefectures:
- Sub-prefecture of Nogent-sur-Marne (Monday to Friday: 09:00-12:00, 14:00-16:00)
- Sub-prefecture of L'Haÿ-les-Roses (Monday to Friday: 09:00-12:00, 13:15-16:00)
Your municipality of residence determines the district, thus the competent site. For foreign procedures, many departments have centralized processing at the prefecture; the sub-prefecture only handles certain formalities, or none at all. The department's website specifies, procedure by procedure, where to submit and where to collect.
To find the competent site based on your address, see which prefecture my municipality depends on and the map of prefectures.
Making an appointment at the Val-de-Marne prefecture in Créteil: the steps to follow
- Identify the procedure. First application for a permit (student, employee, private and family life…), renewal, duplicate, change of address, collection of a manufactured permit, naturalization: each has its channel.
- Go through ANEF first (administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr) for anything that is dematerialized: most renewals, first applications for certain categories, change of address, extension of instruction certificate. No appointment is necessary to submit.
- For what remains at the counter (fingerprints, collection of the permit, non-digital submissions), open the "Make an appointment" section of the website www.val-de-marne.gouv.fr and choose the relevant service. Time slots are released in waves, often in the morning or at the beginning of the week.
- Keep a record of each unsuccessful attempt (dated screenshot of the message indicating that no slots are available). These proofs are useful if you need to write to the prefecture or contact the judge.
- Get notified rather than refreshing the page: the Créteil page on rendezvousprefecture.com allows you to receive an alert by email or SMS as soon as a slot opens for your procedure (see the Créteil page).
For special cases, see making a new appointment at the prefecture, modifying an appointment, and cancelling an appointment.
Residence permit: first application, renewal, and collection
The first application is submitted on ANEF for dematerialized categories (students, talent passport, certain "employee" cards), and by appointment or by mail for others, depending on what the department has planned. The renewal is done on ANEF for the vast majority of permits, between four and two months before expiration. The collection of the manufactured permit is always done in person, upon summons or by appointment, with the tax stamp paid and the old permit or receipt; fingerprinting, when required, is subject to a separate appointment (see why the prefecture requests your fingerprints). The guides on the main site detail each step: residence permit, renewal, naturalization.
Documents to prepare
The exact list depends on the requested permit and is available on the department's website, but the core is always the same:
- valid passport (identity pages, visa, entry stamps);
- proof of residence less than six months old, or accommodation certificate accompanied by the identity document and proof of residence of the host;
- three compliant identity photos, or the e-photo code for online submissions;
- the current permit or receipt for a renewal;
- documents specific to your situation: employment contract and pay slips, school certificate, marriage or birth certificate, resources;
- the tax stamp, the amount of which varies according to the permit, to be purchased online at the time of collection.
The details by type of permit are in our list of required documents, and for the accommodation certificate, see how to establish it correctly.
Deadlines to know and recourse if nothing progresses
Two deadlines frame your procedures, regardless of the department. For a residence permit, silence from the prefecture for four months after a complete file constitutes an implicit refusal, which opens up recourse. For naturalization, the processing cannot exceed eighteen months from the receipt, twelve if you have been residing in France for ten years. The renewal should be requested between four and two months before the permit expires: within this window, the receipt or extension certificate maintains your rights.
If nothing progresses: check the status of the file, then follow up in writing. When no slots are offered for weeks, the Council of State requires the prefecture to provide an alternative (decision of June 10, 2020) and the "useful measures" summary allows for an injunction; our guide on deadlines by prefecture details these recourses. The observed deadlines in the department are compared to those of other departments on the prefectures barometer.
Frequently asked questions
Should I go to the prefecture or the sub-prefecture?
It depends on your municipality and the procedure. Municipalities attached to a sub-prefecture carry out certain formalities there, but foreign procedures are often centralized in Créteil. The department's website specifies this procedure by procedure.
Can I go to the Val-de-Marne prefecture in Créteil without an appointment?
For foreign procedures, no, unless otherwise stated on the department's website: reception is by summons or by appointment made online. Some general receptions remain accessible without an appointment during the indicated hours, but they do not process residence files.
What should I do if my permit expires before the appointment?
Submit the renewal application on ANEF within the four to two months before expiration: you will receive a receipt, and if necessary, an extension certificate, which prove the regularity of your stay and the maintenance of your rights during the waiting period.
How can I know when a slot becomes available?
Slots are published in waves, without a scheduled calendar. An alert by email or SMS on the Créteil page notifies you as soon as an appointment appears for your procedure, which avoids having to check the site multiple times a day.
