No prefecture appointment available or ANEF file stuck: what can you do?

Updated 29 October 2026

This is one of the most stressful situations for a foreign resident in France: the permit expires soon and the administration does not answer. This guide gives a general course of action. It does not replace advice from a lawyer or an association, especially if your permit has already expired.

1. First: keep evidence

Every step may be useful later before a judge. Keep:

• dated screenshots of your attempts to book an appointment (over several days and weeks);
• the ANEF filing certificate and every message received;
• copies of your letters and emails to the prefecture, and their acknowledgements.

Judges have already found that a few screenshots were not enough: show repeated, varied personal efforts.

2. Write to the prefecture

If your procedure is on ANEF, use the contact form in your space. Otherwise, send a registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt to the prefecture: your situation, your permit’s expiry date, your attempts, and your request (an appointment or an extension certificate). Prefectures must offer an alternative when the online service or online booking does not work: ask for it explicitly.

3. Contact the Défenseur des droits

The Défenseur des droits (the French ombudsman) handles complaints about public services, ANEF included. It is free, online or through a local delegate. It does not suspend any deadline, but it sometimes unblocks a file.

4. The “référé mesures utiles”

If nothing moves and the matter is urgent (permit expiring, job at risk, benefits suspended), you can ask the urgent-applications judge of the administrative court to order the prefecture to give you an appointment or a document (article L. 521-3 of the code de justice administrative). This application is admissible even without a prior decision by the administration. You must show urgency and that the measure is useful, with the evidence from step 1. A lawyer is not mandatory but strongly advised; legal aid is available depending on your income.

5. If the prefecture answered… with silence

For many permits, no answer 4 months after a complete application counts as an implicit refusal. You then have 2 months for an administrative appeal and/or a case before the administrative court. Do not miss this deadline.

Your wait counts too

The “application → decision” times shared on Dossiermap show, prefecture by prefecture, what is normal and what is not. They can also support a complaint. Add your dates, even if your file is stuck.

See times by prefecture · Share my dates

Sources

• Code de justice administrative, article L. 521-3 (référé mesures utiles)
• Service-Public: 10-year resident card, prefecture silence and appeals (checked 1 July 2026)
• Défenseur des droits

This guide is for information only and does not replace official texts or legal advice. Check your situation on service-public.gouv.fr or with your prefecture.

Something wrong or out of date? Let us know