Prefecture Appointment Without Internet Access: Alternative Solutions

Digitalisation has made booking a préfcture slot for a residence permit, visa validation or naturalisation application almost 100 % online in 2025. Yet thousands of migrants in France still live without reliable internet, a smartphone or the digital skills demanded by the ANEF portal. If you—or a family member—cannot click the fateful “Prendre un rendez-vous” button, you are not out of options. This guide sets out practical, legal and community-based alternatives that ImmiFrance advisers use every week to secure appointments for clients who are offline.

Why Most Prefectures Force You Online

• Since the 2020–2024 digital transformation programme, 94 % of prefecture immigration services have moved to the ANEF or local booking platforms (Interior Ministry data, May 2025).
• Article R. 431-2 CESEDA now obliges applicants to submit online when a tele-service exists, allowing paper files only if digital means are “objectively impossible”.
• The Conseil d’État (ruling n° 465992, 28 June 2022) confirmed that prefectures must still guarantee effective access for people without internet or with disabilities.

That last point is your legal lever: when you show that online booking is impossible in practice, the prefecture must offer a reasonable alternative.

Step-by-Step Alternatives When You Have No Internet

1. Use Free Public Digital Access Points

France has more than 2 700 “France Services” houses, plus hundreds of municipal libraries equipped with computers and staff trained to help with ANEF procedures. Bring:

• Passport or current permit (if any)
• French phone number for ANEF SMS codes
• USB key to save your receipts

Search by postcode on the official map (service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F33676). Ask staff to print the confirmation de dépôt—vital evidence if the prefecture later claims you missed a deadline.

2. Call the Prefecture’s Voice Booking Line

Twenty-two départements still run a telephone service for certain appointment types (notably OQTF appeals, domestic-violence permits and “sans papier” work regularisation slots). Numbers vary; Paris uses 34 00, while Marseille keeps 04 84 35 40 13. When calling:

• Note date, time and agent’s name.
• Request an email or SMS summary. If unavailable, immediately draft a compte-rendu d’appel and send it to yourself by email for timestamp proof.

Internal link: see our “Prefecture Strike Calendar 2025” post on how call logs protect your rights.

3. Attend an Open-Desk (Guichet Libre Accès) Session

Some prefectures reserve early-morning slots—often the first Tuesday or Thursday—for walk-ins without prior booking. Check the prefecture website (“accueil général sans rendez-vous”) or ask associations such as La Cimade or Secours Catholique, which track local hours. Bring a paper copy of:

• Proof of residence (<3 months)
• Any expiring récépissé or visa
• A short letter explaining your digital exclusion (no computer/smartphone, rural 3G only, disability, etc.)

If staff refuse entry, request a refus écrit citing Article L.112-3 of the French Code des relations entre le public et l’administration (CRPA). This written refusal often triggers a supervisor who may grant you a paper booking form.

4. Delegate to a Trusted Third Party

Under Article L.526-1 CESEDA, you can mandate a relative, social worker, NGO volunteer or lawyer to file online for you. Draft a simple procuration (power of attorney) stating:

• Your identity and address
• The authorised person’s identity
• The precise action (e.g., “create ANEF account and book an appointment”) and validity period

Attach passport copies of both parties and, if possible, have the document notarised; see our guide on “Using Notaries to Authenticate Foreign Power of Attorney for Visa Files”.

5. Send a Registered Letter Requesting an Appointment

If all digital and in-person attempts fail, send a lettre recommandée avec AR to the prefecture’s bureau de l’immigration:

• Cite Article R.431-2 CESEDA and explain why online filing is impossible.
• Ask for a convocation or avis de réception confirming they took your request.
• Enclose copies of your passport, visa or récépissé, proof of address and the list of documents for your intended procedure.

Keep the postal receipt and the accusé de réception—they freeze the legal deadline, as confirmed by the Tribunal Administratif de Lyon (judgment n° 2301987, 15 Feb 2024). Read our “Lost Prefecture Mail” guide for extra tips on reconstructing proof.

6. Watch for Mobile Prefecture Buses and Pop-Up Desks

Several rural départements (Cantal, Ariège, Haute-Saône) now deploy “préfecture itinérante” buses where officers handle fingerprints and bookings on site. Schedules are published monthly on prefecture websites and town-hall noticeboards.

7. Leverage Legal Aid and NGOs

Dozens of associations offer face-to-face digital help:

• Permanences numériques by La Cimade (40 cities)
• Point-justice étrangers hosted in Maisons de la Justice et du Droit
• PIMMS Médiation centres nationwide

Services are free and often bilingual (Arabic, Bengali, Portuguese). Arrive early; daily quotas fill fast.

8. Hire a Professional Intermediary

Lawyers and registered legal advisers can file online on your behalf. ImmiFrance offers low-cost “offline kits” that include:

• Phone intake to capture your data
• Preparation of a complete digital dossier
• Booking and monitoring of the earliest slot released by the prefecture’s algorithm
• Delivery of printed confirmations to your address or designated NGO

We never charge per attempt—our fixed fee covers unlimited retries until you obtain a convocation.

Quick-Reference Table: Alternatives to Online Booking

Solution	Cost	Proof to Keep	Typical Timeline
France Services computer & staff	Free	Printed ANEF receipt	Same day to 2 days
Telephone booking line	Call charges	Call log + email/SMS	1 – 4 weeks
Walk-in open desk	Free	Ticket number or refusal letter	Same day
Third-party procuration	Free to €40 (notary)	Signed POA + agent’s receipt	1 – 2 weeks
Registered letter (CRPA)	~€6 postage	Postal receipt + AR	2 – 8 weeks
Mobile prefecture bus	Free	Appointment slip	Same day
ImmiFrance offline kit	From €99	Service contract + convocation	1 – 3 weeks

Legal Tips to Safeguard Your Deadlines

1. Always scan or photograph receipts immediately; paper fades and gets lost.
2. Set calendar reminders: most renewals must be filed 2 months before card expiry (Article R.433-11 CESEDA).
3. If the prefecture is on strike or its website crashes, record a screenshot of the error page with a visible timestamp (Ctrl+Shift+I → console). This evidence helped clients win référé mesures utiles orders in Nantes and Bobigny in 2024.
4. Should you receive an OQTF for “failure to present”, contact a lawyer within 48 hours and read our “OQTF Explained” guide.

When Internet Comes Back: Prepare Ahead

Even if you finally gain access to a connection, logging on without preparation wastes precious minutes at a mairie computer. Assemble beforehand:

• PDF scans (<5 MB) of all documents
• Clear naming convention (2025-06-10_Passport.pdf)
• Single-use email address if you fear future access loss

Our article “Digital FranceConnect: Creating a Secure Account for Online Immigration Services” walks you through the setup in 10 minutes.

How ImmiFrance Can Help Right Now

If you are stuck offline but your residence permit clock is ticking, ImmiFrance can:

• Locate the nearest free digital desk and book you a slot by phone.
• Draft a CRPA registered-letter request that compels the prefecture to answer.
• Provide a printed, prefecture-specific document kit delivered by post or Mondial Relay.
• Assign a bilingual lawyer to file an urgent court petition if your rights are at risk.

Call us on +33 1 86 76 71 60 (weekdays 09:00–18:00 CET) or request a callback via SMS “RDV” to 07 56 80 11 27. One of our advisers will outline the best alternative route within 30 minutes—no internet connection required.

Staying offline should never mean staying undocumented. With the right combination of public resources, legal safeguards and professional support, you can secure the prefecture appointment that unlocks your future in France.