The Prefecture in Caen. Carte Sejour Application
The French do administration very well. The Prefecture is the administration body for the Ministry of Interieur for each location. Check this link here to start https://www.welcometofrance.com/en/our-regions
When I first moved to France in 2016 it was before the deadline of Brexit.
I started the process of applying for the Carte Sejour at the Caen Prefecture.
Now it took me 4 trips to eventually be issued with my Carte Sejour, and after that the process was relatively straightforward as an online application and I now have my post – Brexit Carte Sejour all in order.
Here are a guidelines to help you.
If you are going to the Caen Prefecture head for the hippodrome and you should find parking easily. Closer to the Prefecture it is more difficult. The address of the Prefecture in Caen is 1 Rue Daniel Huet, 14000 Caen, France
My first trip was to go and actually schedule the second trip. You need to go really early in the morning and queue with all the other people wanting to apply for the permission to live in France.
The second trip was to start the actual interview procedure, and go through my written application form. Now I had a big problem because my birth certificate spelt my name with a C and not a K, and the French Administration Officer did not like that idea. So I had to return home, change my name by deed poll in the UK, be issued with that document and then get that document translated by the ‘official choice of translator’. So a third meeting was scheduled there and then at the second meeting.
The third trip I returned with all the documents I could think I would need and yet for some reason they still were not happy and asked me for more proof that I was employed. So a fourth meeting was arranged.
Whilst visiting the Prefecture you do witness people getting very angry and frustrated with the prefecture staff. This will get you nowhere fast. So for my fourth meeting I took a French colleague with me, a savvy professional lady who was already aghast that I was beginning my fourth meeting. My small suitcase contained every important document and some less important that I could imagine they would require.
We were ushered in to the long room with cubicles on the left hand side and the lady who had interviewed me before sat in front of me again, but this time it was different. There were a few questions about health care and wanting a copy of the Carte Vitale which they had already and I dutifully handed it over again. Then my French colleague started to ask them questions and then all of a sudden my finger prints were taken and then my carte sejour was granted.
So the three take-aways for me:
- Be prepared to have to be patient and get to the Prefecture early as you will have to queue.
- Be prepared and take all documents with you – mine were in a file (A-Z) in small wheely suitcase.
- Be accompanied by a french friend/colleague. This really helped me.
I am not sure of the procedures now coming into France after Brexit. The last person I know locally who applied to Caen had to have an x-ray on her lungs!
I am very grateful for my carte sejour, and hope this article helps you to be successful with your application.
There is more advice here
https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/N110
and the link i gave you at the beginning of the article
https://www.welcometofrance.com/en/our-regions
Good luck