Pressure at French prefectures

Many now have online booking systems for appointments, avoiding long queues – however in some areas they are fully booked up or giving appointments a year or more ahead.

The Dordogne prefecture said slots are booked up to the end of October, but that it does not plan to open up more until the start of October as it considers there is no point offering bookings too far ahead.

It said Britons should not resort to booking into slots reserved for non-Europeans and they will look to see if it is possible to free up more slots.

The Hérault prefecture is also fully booked. Meanwhile one reader was offered an appointment in September 2019 at the Deux-Sèvres prefecture in Niort. We contacted the prefecture for an explanation but staff declined to comment.