Getting an appointment at the prefecture of French Guiana in Cayenne first depends on the process: a large part of the submissions are now done on the ANEF, with physical appointments reserved for fingerprints, title handovers, and non-digital cases. This guide details the contact information, the distribution between the prefecture and sub-prefectures of French Guiana, the documents to prepare, and the recourse when slots are lacking.
In French Guiana, the sub-prefecture of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni handles a large portion of the procedures for foreigners in the western part of the territory, while the prefecture of Cayenne covers the rest.
Contact Information for the Prefecture of French Guiana in Cayenne
- Address: Rue Fiedmond, 97300 Cayenne
- Phone: 05 94 39 45 00
- Official website: www.guyane.gouv.fr
- Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 07:30-12:30
Opening hours and addresses may change; check them on the official website before going, especially for foreign services 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 Saint-Georges (Wednesday: 08:30-11:30 | Friday: 08:30-11:30)
- Sub-prefecture of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni (Monday to Friday: 08:00-11:00)
Your municipality of residence determines the district, and thus the competent site. For foreign procedures, many departments have centralized the processing at the prefecture; the sub-prefecture then only receives 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 from your address, see which prefecture my municipality depends on and the map of prefectures.
Making an Appointment at the Prefecture of French Guiana in Cayenne: Steps to Follow
- Identify the procedure. First application for a title (student, employee, private and family life…), renewal, duplicate, change of address, collection of a produced 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, change of address, extension of instruction certificate. No appointment is needed to submit.
- For what remains at the counter (fingerprints, title handover, non-digital submissions), open the "Make an Appointment" section of the website www.guyane.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 instead of refreshing the page: rendezvousprefecture.com allows you to receive an alert by email or SMS as soon as a slot opens for your procedure (create an alert).
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, 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 tax stamp paid and the old title or receipt; the taking of fingerprints, 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 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 constitutes an implicit refusal, which opens a 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's expiration: 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 "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 prefecture 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 Cayenne. The department's website specifies this procedure by procedure.
Can I go to the prefecture of French Guiana in Cayenne without an appointment?
For foreign procedures, no, unless otherwise stated on the department's website: the reception is by summons or by appointment made online. Some general receptions remain accessible freely during the indicated hours, but they do not process residence files.
What should I do if my title expires before the appointment?
Submit the renewal application on the ANEF within the four to two months window 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 wait.
How can I know when a slot opens up?
Slots are published in waves, without an announced calendar. An alert by email or SMS on rendezvousprefecture.com will notify you as soon as an appointment appears for your procedure, which avoids having to monitor the site multiple times a day.
