Change of Residential Address and Waiting Period
؟ Question
I used to live in Bordeaux under the jurisdiction of the Bordeaux Prefecture, but now I have moved to Chemillé, a small commune under the Angers Prefecture. My question is: how long does it take to change the address from Bordeaux to my new address? Thank you.
✓ Answer
Welcome, Mr. El Ouali, and congratulations on moving to your new residence in Chemillé, located in the department of Maine-et-Loire under the Angers Prefecture. Thank you for placing your trust in the editorial board of the "France News" platform and its legal advisors.
Since you have moved from one department to another—from Gironde to Maine-et-Loire—the total timeframe for processing the address change request and issuing a new residence permit usually ranges between 4 to 8 weeks (and may sometimes extend to 2 to 3 months depending on administrative workload).
Here are the precise details regarding how the process unfolds, the timelines, and important notes:
01 — Steps and Processing Timelines:
The application is now fully digital and does not require booking an appointment; it is submitted via the platform:
ANEF (Étrangers en France), and the timeline proceeds as follows:
- Examination of the application and file transfer:
The new prefecture in Angers typically takes 2 to 4 weeks to verify the documents and transfer your digital file from Bordeaux. Once the file is accepted, you will receive a digital certificate called:
(Attestation de décision favorable)
- Printing the new permit:
After approval is issued, the process of printing/fabricating the new residence permit (which will bear your new address in Chemillé) and sending it to the prefecture takes about 3 to 4 weeks.
You will receive an SMS text message inviting you to come and collect it.
02 — Legal Deadlines and Fees:
- Legal deadline available to you:
French law grants you a maximum period of 3 months from the date of your actual move to declare your new address.
- Fees:
Due to the change of department (Département), a new permit must be re-printed/fabricated. The fee is usually 25 euros in the form of a tax stamp (Timbre fiscal), which you pay upon collecting the card, whereas the online application itself is completely free of charge.
03 — Very Important Tips to Avoid Delays:
- Proof of address (Justificatif de domicile):
Make sure that the proof of address document in Chemillé (such as an EDF electricity bill, a lease agreement, or an internet bill) is recent and dated within the last 3 months.
- Imminent expiration of your permit:
If your current residence permit is set to expire in less than 3 months, do not submit a standalone address change request. Instead, wait and directly submit an application for "renewal of the residence permit" (Renouvellement), including your new address and proof of address in Angers, in order to save time and fees.
We wish you all the best and success.
Warm regards from the France News team.
Since you have moved from one department to another—from Gironde to Maine-et-Loire—the total timeframe for processing the address change request and issuing a new residence permit usually ranges between 4 to 8 weeks (and may sometimes extend to 2 to 3 months depending on administrative workload).
Here are the precise details regarding how the process unfolds, the timelines, and important notes:
01 — Steps and Processing Timelines:
The application is now fully digital and does not require booking an appointment; it is submitted via the platform:
ANEF (Étrangers en France), and the timeline proceeds as follows:
- Examination of the application and file transfer:
The new prefecture in Angers typically takes 2 to 4 weeks to verify the documents and transfer your digital file from Bordeaux. Once the file is accepted, you will receive a digital certificate called:
(Attestation de décision favorable)
- Printing the new permit:
After approval is issued, the process of printing/fabricating the new residence permit (which will bear your new address in Chemillé) and sending it to the prefecture takes about 3 to 4 weeks.
You will receive an SMS text message inviting you to come and collect it.
02 — Legal Deadlines and Fees:
- Legal deadline available to you:
French law grants you a maximum period of 3 months from the date of your actual move to declare your new address.
- Fees:
Due to the change of department (Département), a new permit must be re-printed/fabricated. The fee is usually 25 euros in the form of a tax stamp (Timbre fiscal), which you pay upon collecting the card, whereas the online application itself is completely free of charge.
03 — Very Important Tips to Avoid Delays:
- Proof of address (Justificatif de domicile):
Make sure that the proof of address document in Chemillé (such as an EDF electricity bill, a lease agreement, or an internet bill) is recent and dated within the last 3 months.
- Imminent expiration of your permit:
If your current residence permit is set to expire in less than 3 months, do not submit a standalone address change request. Instead, wait and directly submit an application for "renewal of the residence permit" (Renouvellement), including your new address and proof of address in Angers, in order to save time and fees.
We wish you all the best and success.
Warm regards from the France News team.
⚠ This consultation is for general information and does not replace advice from a specialist for your specific case.
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