Summer temperatures oblige, the French men and women are now thinking about their holidays. Especially since due to the Covid-19 coronavirus epidemic, it has been difficult to leave for a while now. A number of countries have long continued to block the way for potential French nationals, due to differences in approach to health policy. That being said, it is far from being the only obstacle likely to stand in the way of holidaymakers. Those who have not thought of renewing their identity papers – and especially their passports – may well find themselves unable to leave. Unless you react very quickly!

In fact, France has two essential identity documents: the passport and the identity card. Depending on the case, it will be necessary to present one or the other to be able to leave the hexagonal ground. Moreover, these are not exactly the same procedures to have one or the other renewed.

In the case of the identity card, informs Dossier Familial on its site, you must complete and sign a cardboard application form for a national identity card. This involves providing the following documents:

For the renewal of the passport, it will then be necessary to present the following documents:

But what to do when the procedure takes too long, which unfortunately turns out to be quite common?

Did you start too late and are you unable to renew your passport quickly enough to be able to go on vacation outside the borders of the European Union? Do not panic. There are several tips for getting an appointment without (too) waiting.

As the French administration explains on its passport site pré-demande.fr, three tips could get you out of this mess. The first thing to do is therefore to “try your luck with various town halls”. “In some cities, making an appointment to have a passport is impossible. This is mainly due to a catch-up effect following the two years of health crisis”, specifies the platform.

If your town hall blocks, you have to try elsewhere. And sometimes do not hesitate to call on small towns…

If the town halls of large cities are likely to be saturated – despite the opening of new slots, as the official platform specifies -, it is always possible to move your appointment geographically. Nothing prevents, in fact, to cross the country up and down in the hope of renewing his passport. Be careful, however: many town halls give priority, de facto, to the requests of their constituents.

Alternatively, it is also possible to apply for a passport urgently. This express procedure theoretically makes it possible to recover a passport in 48 hours flat. That being said, such a procedure is only authorized for “good reasons”, which include a “serious family reason”, a professional mission” or a “serious illness”, a death…