NICE · ALPES-MARITIMES
The prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes is in Nice, which makes this the address every residence file in the department ultimately answers to.
Book a free 30-min callYour prefecture
The Alpes-Maritimes is divided into two arrondissements. Nice is the prefecture and covers 101 communes; Grasse is the sub-prefecture and covers the other 62. If you live in Nice itself, or in one of the communes attached to the Nice arrondissement, your residence file belongs to the prefecture here.
In practice, most of the process now happens on the ANEF portal rather than at a counter, and that is precisely where files stall. You cannot walk in and ask someone to look at your account. When a file goes quiet, knowing which service to contact, in which language, with which reference, is most of the battle.
FR : Page locale Nice. Préfecture des Alpes-Maritimes, arrondissement de Nice, 101 communes. Angle aéroport et EES pour se distinguer.
Local reality
Nice handles the largest volume of residence files in the Alpes-Maritimes. Volume means queues, and it means a file with one thing missing goes to the back of a very long line rather than being fixed on the spot.
Nice Côte d'Azur is an external Schengen border. Since April 2026 the EU Entry Exit System is fully operational there, and holding a valid French residence permit is what keeps you exempt from biometric enrolment every time you fly.
Retirees, remote workers, students, seasonal staff and families, all on different statuses. The right route for your neighbour is very often the wrong one for you.
What we handle in Nice
Saint-Laurent-du-Var, Cagnes-sur-Mer, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Vence, Carros and the surrounding communes. Almost everything is handled remotely, so being fifteen minutes further up the hill changes nothing.
Nice, in practice
If you live in Nice or in one of the 101 communes of the Nice arrondissement, yes. The other 62 communes of the Alpes-Maritimes, including Antibes, Cannes, Valbonne and Mougins, answer to the sub-prefecture in Grasse. In practice most of the process happens on the ANEF portal rather than at a counter.
Not if you hold a valid French residence permit or a long-stay visa. The EU Entry Exit System has been fully operational since 10 April 2026, but holders of a residence permit are exempt from biometric enrolment. That exemption is one more reason not to let a card lapse.
No. Residence applications go through the ANEF portal, and you cannot walk in and ask someone to look at your online account. When a file goes quiet, knowing which service to contact, with which reference and in which language, is most of the battle, and that is what we do.
No commitment
Thirty minutes, in English, no charge. We tell you what applies to your situation and what it will take.
Book my free callFR : Appel de 30 minutes offert. Demande urgente avant le rendez-vous, message direct au 07 46 37 71 29.
