Several French departments—among them Seine-et-Marne and Doubs—confirmed that their préfectures and sous-préfectures will shut to the public on 25–26 December and again on 2 January. While most online services via the ANEF portal remain active, biometrics appointments and urgent enquiries will only resume on 29 December or 5 January, depending on the locality.
Foreign nationals whose récépissé expires during the closure window can download an online attestation, but immigration lawyers warn that police sometimes request the paper receipt during spot checks. Students returning for the spring term and assignees onboarding in early January should therefore verify that their titre de séjour or VLS-TS validation does not lapse.
If navigating these dates feels daunting, VisaHQ can streamline the process. Through its France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/), the company tracks prefecture schedules, sends expiration reminders, and helps applicants assemble compliant files so that once counters reopen, a single visit is usually enough—an advantage for students, assignees, and HR teams pressed for time.
![Holiday Closures at French Préfectures Could Stall Residence-Permit Renewals Until January]()
Courier services note that residence cards printed at the national production centre in Charleville-Mézières will not be dispatched while prefectures are closed, potentially adding another week of delay. Employers sponsoring transfers under the Talent Passport or ICT categories are advised to adjust start dates or arrange remote onboarding.
The Interior Ministry says holiday closures are routine and that 90 % of filings are now digital, but concedes that first-issue biometrics “cannot yet be dematerialised.” Business groups argue that staggered staff holidays should not paralyse a critical public service, and have asked for extended validity of interim receipts.
Until new self-service biometric kiosks are rolled out nationwide—planned for late 2026—physical presence at a prefecture will remain a bottleneck, particularly during holiday periods.
Foreign nationals whose récépissé expires during the closure window can download an online attestation, but immigration lawyers warn that police sometimes request the paper receipt during spot checks. Students returning for the spring term and assignees onboarding in early January should therefore verify that their titre de séjour or VLS-TS validation does not lapse.
If navigating these dates feels daunting, VisaHQ can streamline the process. Through its France portal (https://www.visahq.com/france/), the company tracks prefecture schedules, sends expiration reminders, and helps applicants assemble compliant files so that once counters reopen, a single visit is usually enough—an advantage for students, assignees, and HR teams pressed for time.
Courier services note that residence cards printed at the national production centre in Charleville-Mézières will not be dispatched while prefectures are closed, potentially adding another week of delay. Employers sponsoring transfers under the Talent Passport or ICT categories are advised to adjust start dates or arrange remote onboarding.
The Interior Ministry says holiday closures are routine and that 90 % of filings are now digital, but concedes that first-issue biometrics “cannot yet be dematerialised.” Business groups argue that staggered staff holidays should not paralyse a critical public service, and have asked for extended validity of interim receipts.
Until new self-service biometric kiosks are rolled out nationwide—planned for late 2026—physical presence at a prefecture will remain a bottleneck, particularly during holiday periods.
