Getting an appointment at the Hérault prefecture in Montpellier depends primarily on the procedure: a large part of the submissions is now done on the ANEF, with physical appointments reserved for fingerprinting, title handovers, and non-digital cases. This guide details the contact information, the distribution between the prefecture and sub-prefectures of Hérault, the documents to prepare, and the recourse when slots are lacking.
Hérault is a department where the demand for appointments is high, both in Montpellier and at the sub-prefecture of Béziers.
Contact information for the Hérault prefecture in Montpellier
- Address: Place des Martyrs-de-la-Résistance, 34000 Montpellier
- Phone: 04 67 61 61 61
- Official website: www.herault.gouv.fr
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 08:30-12:00, 13:30-16:30
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 2 sub-prefectures:
- Sub-prefecture of Lodève (Monday to Friday: 08:30-11:45)
- Sub-prefecture of Béziers (Monday to Friday: 08:30-12:00)
Your municipality of residence determines the district, thus 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, 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 Hérault prefecture in Montpellier: the procedure to follow
- Identify the procedure. First application for a title (student, employee, private and family life…), renewal, duplicate, address change, collection of a produced title, naturalization: each has its own 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 certificates. No appointment is necessary to submit.
- For what remains at the counter (fingerprinting, title handover, non-digital submissions), open the "Make an appointment" section of the website www.herault.gouv.fr and choose the relevant service. Slots are released in waves, often in the morning or early in 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 Montpellier 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 Montpellier 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 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 on the ANEF for the vast majority of titles, between four and two months before expiration. The collection of the produced 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 guides on the main site detail each step: residence permit, renewal, naturalization.
Documents to prepare
Prepare the file before looking for a slot: an incomplete file at the counter results in a new appointment. The common base:
- 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 payslips, 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 handover.
The details by type of title 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, the silence of the prefecture for four months after a complete file amounts to 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 title 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 slot is offered for weeks, the Council of State requires the prefecture to provide an alternative (decision of June 10, 2020) and the interim "useful measures" allows for obtaining an injunction; our guide on deadlines by prefecture details these recourses. The deadlines observed 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 foreigner procedures are often centralized in Montpellier. The department's website specifies this procedure by procedure.
Can I go to the Hérault prefecture in Montpellier without an appointment?
For foreigner procedures, no, unless stated otherwise on the department's website: reception is by summons or by appointment made online. Some general receptions remain accessible freely 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 on the ANEF during the four to two months before expiration: you will receive a receipt, and if necessary, an extension of instruction certificate, which proves the legality of your stay and the maintenance of your rights during the wait.
How can I know when a slot becomes available?
Slots are published in waves, without an announced calendar. An alert by email or SMS on the Montpellier page notifies you as soon as an appointment appears for your procedure, which avoids having to monitor the site multiple times a day.
