# TDS renewal timeframes



## saffron_gin

Hello gang!

Thanks to jweihl's report of incredible turnaround time for the TDS renewal and approval from his prefacture, I am only a little anxious lol as it is near two weeks since I sent off mine...


I understand that prefacture processing times will greatly vary...but if others who applied online for the TDS renewal, esp, the first one, would kindly report here the turnaround time, I would appreciate it!

TIA


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## mohsel

took my request 3 weeks to hear from them that they need an additional doc, 10 days after providing the doc I got notification of the decision (sort of recipisse-like doc) ..... never got a text that the titre is ready, but i booked a rdv to retreat it anyway 1 month after the decision and it was there


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## dpdapper

mohsel said:


> took my request 3 weeks to hear from them that they need an additional doc, 10 days after providing the doc I got notification of the decision (sort of recipisse-like doc) ..... never got a text that the titre is ready, but i booked a rdv to retreat it anyway 1 month after the decision and it was there


Just curious: what département are you in? Where I am (le Gard) the online process for requesting an appointment at the prefecture makes clear that you must have received an SMS or email telling that you new card is ready for pickup before making an appointment. I’ve received neither and I’ve been “approved” for the renewal of my CdS for over seven months. It’ll soon be time to renew again!


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## mohsel

dpdapper said:


> Just curious: what département are you in? Where I am (le Gard) the online process for requesting an appointment at the prefecture makes clear that you must have received an SMS or email telling that you new card is ready for pickup before making an appointment. I’ve received neither and I’ve been “approved” for the renewal of my CdS for over seven months. It’ll soon be time to renew again!


Isere .... Here the message/email was mandatory when you just had to show up anytime to collect your titre, now you have to have a RDV. the message also told you the amount of money to get on the timbre fiscale ... online, the approval letter had the amount written... and true it said wait till you get a notification, but this never came... (I knew mine was ready as I was asking about something else and I was told that I have to have my new titre in hand to do this request, and the lady was kind enough to tell me it was there, so I had to just get a RDV) ... my wife on the contrary, received nothing, her dossier was treated 2 weeks after mine .. and as we needed to travel outside the EU (which is not possible with the approval letter as it clearly states valid only within Schengen borders not to cross the EU border) ... for her, I picked a RDV and we got hers ...
After all this, a friend of mine told me that he was searching for something on the prefecture website and he found a note that they had problems with notification system, so if the document was applied for since long time, they asked people to get a RDV and show up to collect them... so may be it is the same with yours?


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## dpdapper

mohsel said:


> Isere .... Here the message/email was mandatory when you just had to show up anytime to collect your titre, now you have to have a RDV. the message also told you the amount of money to get on the timbre fiscale ... online, the approval letter had the amount written... and true it said wait till you get a notification, but this never came... (I knew mine was ready as I was asking about something else and I was told that I have to have my new titre in hand to do this request, and the lady was kind enough to tell me it was there, so I had to just get a RDV) ... my wife on the contrary, received nothing, her dossier was treated 2 weeks after mine .. and as we needed to travel outside the EU (which is not possible with the approval letter as it clearly states valid only within Schengen borders not to cross the EU border) ... for her, I picked a RDV and we got hers ...
> After all this, a friend of mine told me that he was searching for something on the prefecture website and he found a note that they had problems with notification system, so if the document was applied for since long time, they asked people to get a RDV and show up to collect them... so may be it is the same with yours?


Thanks. If only there was a way to contact the prefecture, or even get a response from them to the couple of messages I’ve sent via their website, I could find out if our cards were actually ready, as you were able to do. 🙄😡


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## mohsel

dpdapper said:


> Thanks. If only there was a way to contact the prefecture, or even get a response from them to the couple of messages I’ve sent via their website, I could find out if our cards were actually ready, as you were able to do. 🙄😡


Well, the prefecture de l'isere has an email that they might reply (tried that for a recipisse that was about to expire while being abroad and demanded to get the titre and it worked... but this was pre-covid, things changed a lot) ... hope that your prefecture has something like that.
I live near the prefecture, the only bottleneck is to find a proper RDV ... I suggest you try getting a RDV and go pick it up I am sure it is there, if not then there is a problem and you will trigger an action by your visit.


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## dpdapper

mohsel said:


> Well, the prefecture de l'isere has an email that they might reply (tried that for a recipisse that was about to expire while being abroad and demanded to get the titre and it worked... but this was pre-covid, things changed a lot) ... hope that your prefecture has something like that.
> I live near the prefecture, the only bottleneck is to find a proper RDV ... I suggest you try getting a RDV and go pick it up I am sure it is there, if not then there is a problem and you will trigger an action by your visit.


I have decided to follow your advice and have made appointments at the prefecture in Nîmes for next week. Hopefully we can get by the screener at the door who checks that you have an appointment and, IIRC, that you otherwise meet the requirements to be there. 🙄 Will report back next week.


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## saffron_gin

Hey guys, to post here that my first TDS renewal online application filed early July was found to have been positively reviewed and informed me in just over 2 weeks time...to my immense relief.

Thank you France and this forum.


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## dpdapper

saffron_gin said:


> Hey guys, to post here that my first TDS renewal online application filed early July was found to have been positively reviewed and informed me in just over 2 weeks time...to my immense relief.
> 
> Thank you France and this forum.


Never in doubt! 😉

Now comes the wait for them to produce your actual carte de séjour. 🙄


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## dpdapper

dpdapper said:


> I have decided to follow your advice and have made appointments at the prefecture in Nîmes for next week. Hopefully we can get by the screener at the door who checks that you have an appointment and, IIRC, that you otherwise meet the requirements to be there. 🙄 Will report back next week.


Arrived for our appointments and no drama whatsoever ensued. Turns out they’d had the cards since January, less than a month after approval of our renewals. We just never got the notice that they were ready for pickup. Thanks @moshel for the advice. 

Of course, it’s almost to time to start the renewal process again. 🙄


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## saffron_gin

dpdapper said:


> Never in doubt! 😉
> 
> Now comes the wait for them to produce your actual carte de séjour. 🙄


I really don't mind the wait lol just so relieved and happy to get the next 14ish months at hand...the first year thus far wasn't anything remotely like how I thought it might be, which is fine, as I am mostly feeling my way through here (although I had thought I would have likely felt my way into owning a little house for the near future by now)...after spending this time in rural france, I am now wondering if I might not try out a medium sized city like Toulouse or Montpellier, although renting long term a regular apartment as opposed to one in the gîte category is still way too mysterious to me.


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## saffron_gin

Follow up: Today I received a nice little letter from the prefecture inviting me make rdv with them...'a partir du...last date ' of validity of current TDS on passport - meaning I have to make rdv on or after that date yes? (just want to confirm for sure lol official business).

Unlike other depts. mine seems to be on the ball regarding notice to acquire the TDS.


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## Lydi

saffron_gin said:


> 'a partir du...last date ' of validity of current TDS on passport - meaning I have to make rdv on or after that date yes? (just want to confirm for sure lol official business).


Yes.


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## saffron_gin

dpdapper said:


> Just curious: what département are you in? Where I am (le Gard) the online process for requesting an appointment at the prefecture makes clear that you must have received an SMS or email telling that you new card is ready for pickup before making an appointment. I’ve received neither and I’ve been “approved” for the renewal of my CdS for over seven months. It’ll soon be time to renew again!


I am wondering about something...I received a cute little letter from Prefacture to make appointment after exp of current TDS to pick up new carte. I am exploring the possibility that I might have to be 'away' for a few months starting soon...which means I might not be here in Fr when the first date of retrieving carte arrives (mid sep) - what are the issues to consider if I went away and arrive back in say 3-4 months (health/caring situation of relative)...?


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## jweihl

saffron_gin said:


> Follow up: Today I received a nice little letter from the prefecture inviting me make rdv with them...'a partir du...last date ' of validity of current TDS on passport - meaning I have to make rdv on or after that date yes? (just want to confirm for sure lol official business).
> 
> Unlike other depts. mine seems to be on the ball regarding notice to acquire the TDS.


I too have been pretty impressed with government services here in the Gard (30). The local assurance maladie office seems on the ball (all four of us have now gotten our Carte Vitale), and we have each been given our approvals for the renewal of our titres de séjour. We're waiting for the "nice little letters" to arrive. Since your timeline was similar to ours, I guess we should be looking forward to finding them in the mailbox soon. Incidentally, Elizabeth was also approved for her permis de conduire and has been invited to send in her US license already.


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## saffron_gin

jweihl said:


> I too have been pretty impressed with government services here in the Gard (30). The local assurance maladie office seems on the ball (all four of us have now gotten our Carte Vitale), and we have each been given our approvals for the renewal of our titres de séjour. We're waiting for the "nice little letters" to arrive. Since your timeline was similar to ours, I guess we should be looking forward to finding them in the mailbox soon. Incidentally, Elizabeth was also approved for her permis de conduire and has been invited to send in her US license already.





haha beat you to something finally!

Got my carte vitale too near month ago...wow though about E.'s permit...i do know you all completed that part a long time before I did...I sent mine just about 3 months ago. But congrats.


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## saffron_gin

saffron_gin said:


> haha beat you to something finally!
> 
> Got my carte vitale too near month ago...wow though about E.'s permit...i do know you all completed that part a long time before I did...I sent mine just about 3 months ago. But congrats.


....i still know of people who sent off their licenses like ages ago, 1 year+ who haven't received anything from ANTS...so well done.


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