# Can We Go To A Neighboring Prefecture?



## Peasant

Just planning ahead.

Our prefecture currently has a six month wait for appointments to renew a CDS, so is it possible (legal) to do a little "prefecture shopping" and see if another prefecture 100-200 km away has a much shorter wait time?


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## Bevdeforges

I seriously doubt it. Several years ago there were proposals to do away with the departemental level of administration altogether - but the uproar that caused put an end to that suggestion. Take whatever appointment you can get (see if it's possible to go to a sous-prefecture) and hang onto whatever acknowledgment or receipt you get back from them. If you at least have an appointment, they may contact you when/if they figure out a way to break through the log-jam, whether to schedule something at a sous-prefecture or other office or to submit stuff online somehow.


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## conky2

I think you are correct Bev. Back in 2018 my Maire's office directed me to Moulins Prefecture for my CDS renewal, but on contacting them they told me that my 'sector' was handled by the sous-prefecture in Montluçon who had issued the original.


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## senorfrog

Peasant said:


> Just planning ahead.
> 
> Our prefecture currently has a six month wait for appointments to renew a CDS, so is it possible (legal) to do a little "prefecture shopping" and see if another prefecture 100-200 km away has a much shorter wait time?


Hi, Just thought I'd share this from todays Le Monde...Good luck with your application.
Titres de séjour : des préfectures et des tribunaux administratifs exsangues


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## BackinFrance

I would not be holding my breath for things to improve because there are simply not enough staff. Unless that is fixed, which won't be any time soon, the backlog will just get worse. OTOH it means in practice that the French state cannot take any action against the majority of applicants, and even if they try to do so their chances of success are remote. However it gets complicated for those expats wanting or needing to leave France temporarily.


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## Nomoss

senorfrog said:


> Hi, Just thought I'd share this from todays Le Monde...Good luck with your application.
> Titres de séjour : des préfectures et des tribunaux administratifs exsangues


Personally, I'd rather be in a virtual than an actual queue.
I've spent hours in queues at Prefectures in France.
In Spain you can at least pay a Gestor to do most of the queueing for you.


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