Letters
French paperwork is at times worthy of a Kafka novel
Reader is struggling to update address on residency card
Some problems can be solved by a face-to-face meeting at the prefecture
RVillalon / Shutterstock
To the Editor,
Following your recent article on the problems around residency card renewals, I wish to share my experience. My wife and I have had some issues relating to moving departments.
Shortly after receiving our 10-year permanent residence cards in Dordogne, we moved to Lot-et-Garonne and had to start the process of getting the cards exchanged on the Anef website.
The process requires uploading a recent utility bill, but we have no landline and mobile bills are not permitted.
Our electricity and water providers only supply an annual bill – in our case, in December so the last one is too old to use and the next one is not due for over six months.
We tried using the notaire’s attestation of our house sale and purchase but this was rejected. So too, the utility supplier attestation of the contract we have in our names at the new address.
The Anef website has no ‘contact us’ facility through which we can explain the dilemma and the prefecture tells us they cannot help either.
Failure to exchange the cards within three months carries a fine but we have no way of complying.
We love living in France so much, but we do not appreciate the public administration worthy of a Kafka novel.
T.W., Lot-et-Garonne
Have you experienced a similar 'Catch-22' situation? How did you solve it? Let us know at letters@connexionfrance.com
