This guide is for residents of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence who need to take steps at the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence prefecture in Digne-les-Bains: first application or renewal of residence permit, collection of a card, naturalization. It gathers the contact information, explains what can be done on the ANEF and what requires an appointment, and indicates what to do when the booking module remains empty.
Contact Information for the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Prefecture in Digne-les-Bains
- Address: Place André Thisy, 04000 Digne-les-Bains
- Phone: 04 92 36 72 00
- Email: pref-courrier@alpes-de-haute-provence.gouv.fr
- Official Website: www.alpes-de-haute-provence.gouv.fr
- Hours: Monday to Friday: 08:30-11:30
Hours and addresses change; check them on the official website before going, especially for foreigner services which often have their own time slots.
Prefecture or Sub-Prefecture: Where to Submit Based on Your Municipality
The department has 3 sub-prefectures:
- Sub-Prefecture of Barcelonnette (Monday to Friday: 09:00-12:00)
- Sub-Prefecture of Castellane (Monday to Friday: 09:00-11:30, 14:15-16:00)
- Sub-Prefecture of Forcalquier (Monday to Friday: 09:00-12:00, 13:30-16:30)
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, 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 Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Prefecture in Digne-les-Bains: 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 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, change of address, extension of instruction certificate. No appointment is necessary for submission.
- For what remains at the counter (fingerprints, title delivery, non-digital submissions), open the "Make an Appointment" section of www.alpes-de-haute-provence.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 slot is 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 Digne-les-Bains 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 Digne-les-Bains page).
For special cases, see make a new appointment at the prefecture, modify an appointment, and cancel 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, according to 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 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 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 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 delivery.
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 Remedies If Nothing Advances
Two deadlines govern your procedures, regardless of the department. For a residence permit, the silence of the prefecture for four months after a complete file constitutes implicit refusal, which opens a remedy. For naturalization, the processing cannot exceed eighteen months from the receipt, twelve if you have resided 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 remedies. The observed deadlines in the department are compared to those of other departments on the prefectures barometer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to 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 Digne-les-Bains. The department's website specifies this procedure by procedure.
Can I go to the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence prefecture in Digne-les-Bains without an appointment?
For foreigner procedures, no, unless otherwise stated on the department's website: reception is by summons or by an 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 application on the ANEF in the four to two month window before expiration: you will receive a receipt, then if necessary an extension certificate, which proves the regularity 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 Digne-les-Bains page notifies you as soon as an appointment appears for your procedure, which avoids having to monitor the site multiple times a day.
