Getting an appointment at the Bas-Rhin prefecture in Strasbourg primarily depends on the process: a large portion of submissions is now done through the ANEF, with physical appointments reserved for fingerprinting, title collection, and non-digital cases. This guide details the contact information, the distribution between the prefecture and sub-prefectures of Bas-Rhin, the documents to prepare, and the recourse when slots are unavailable.
Contact Information for the Bas-Rhin Prefecture in Strasbourg
- Address: 5 place de la République, 67000 Strasbourg
- Phone: 03 88 21 67 68
- Email: prefecture@bas-rhin.gouv.fr
- Official Website: www.bas-rhin.gouv.fr
- Hours: Monday to Wednesday: 08:30-12:00, 13:00-15:30 | Thursday: 08:30-12:00 | Friday: 08:30-12:00, 13:00-15:30
Hours and addresses may change; check them on the official website before visiting, especially for foreigner receptions which often have their own time slots.
Prefecture or Sub-Prefecture: Where to Submit Based on Your Municipality
The department has 4 sub-prefectures:
- Sub-prefecture of Molsheim
- Sub-prefecture of Sélestat-Erstein (Monday to Friday: 09:00-12:00, 14:00-16:00)
- Sub-prefecture of Haguenau-Wissembourg (Monday to Tuesday: 08:00-12:30 | Wednesday: 08:00-12:30, 13:30-16:00 | Thursday to Friday: 08:00-12:30)
- Sub-prefecture of Saverne (Monday to Tuesday: 08:30-11:30, 13:15-16:15 | Wednesday: 08:30-11:30 | Thursday: 08:30-11:30 | Friday: 08:30-11:30, 13:15-16:15)
Your municipality of residence determines the district, and therefore the competent site. For foreigner 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, step by step, 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 Bas-Rhin Prefecture in Strasbourg: Steps to Follow
- Identify the process. First application for a title (student, employee, private and family life…), renewal, duplicate, address change, collection of a manufactured title, naturalization: each has its channel.
- First go through the ANEF (administration-etrangers-en-france.interieur.gouv.fr) for anything that is digital: most renewals, first applications for certain categories, address changes, extension of instruction certificate. No appointment is necessary to submit.
- For what remains at the counter (fingerprinting, title collection, non-digital submissions), open the "Make an Appointment" section of www.bas-rhin.gouv.fr and choose the relevant service. 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 Strasbourg page on rendezvousprefecture.com allows you to receive an alert by email or SMS as soon as a slot opens for your process (see the Strasbourg 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 through the ANEF for digital 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 through the ANEF for the vast majority of titles, between four and two months before expiration. The collection of the manufactured title is always done in person, by summons or by appointment, with the paid tax stamp and the old title or receipt; fingerprinting, when required, is subject to a separate appointment (see why the prefecture requests your fingerprints). The main site guides detail each step: residence permit, renewal, naturalization.
Documents to Prepare
The exact list depends on the title requested 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 title 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 title, to be purchased online at the time of submission.
The details by type of title are in our list of required documents, and for the accommodation certificate, see how to correctly establish it.
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 implicit refusal, which opens up recourse. For naturalization, processing cannot exceed eighteen months from the receipt, twelve if you have been residing in France for ten years. Renewal should be requested between four and two months before the title's expiration: within this window, the receipt or extension certificate maintains your rights.
If nothing progresses: check the status of your 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 summary "useful measures" allows for an injunction; our guide on deadlines by prefecture details these recourses. The observed deadlines in the department are compared to those in 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 process. Municipalities attached to a sub-prefecture carry out certain formalities there, but foreigner procedures are often centralized in Strasbourg. The department's website specifies this process by process.
Can I go to the Bas-Rhin prefecture in Strasbourg without an appointment?
For foreigner 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 handle residence files.
What should I do if my title expires before the appointment?
Submit the renewal request through the ANEF within the four to two-month window before expiration: you will receive a receipt, and if necessary, an extension certificate, which proves the regularity of your stay and the maintenance of your rights during the wait.
How do I know when a slot becomes available?
Slots are released in waves, without an announced schedule. An alert by email or SMS on the Strasbourg page notifies you as soon as an appointment appears for your process, which avoids having to check the site multiple times a day.
