Find an immigration lawyer in France

How it works

1. You fill in a short formSix short questions: type of case, city, first name and phone number, email (optional), contact language, legal aid. The form is in French, but you can choose English as your contact language.
2. Your request goes to one lawyerIt is sent to a partner lawyer in your city, whose name you are given. The lawyer decides whether to follow up. If there is no partner lawyer in your city yet, your request is sent to no one and we show you the nearest free legal advice services.
3. You talk directly with the lawyerDo not send documents or tell your story in the form. You will explain your situation to the lawyer, who is bound by professional secrecy.

Key deadlines for an OQTF

An OQTF is an order to leave French territory. It can be challenged before the administrative court (tribunal administratif), but the time limit is short and starts on the day you are notified.

• 1 month in the general case, when you are free (CESEDA, article R911-1). A letter to the préfet does not extend this deadline.
• 7 days if you are under house arrest (assignation à résidence) or in prison (CESEDA, article L921-1).
• 48 hours if you are held in a detention centre (CESEDA, article R921-2-1).

The deadline keeps running while you look for a lawyer, including during the referral. Other deadlines (refused residence permit, refused visa, naturalisation, asylum) are listed in French on our table of appeal deadlines. We never calculate a personal deadline.

Legal aid (aide juridictionnelle)

Legal aid is paid by the French State and can cover all or part of the lawyer’s fees, depending on your income. To challenge an OQTF or a re-entry ban, legal aid is granted with no residence condition. In other cases, you generally need to live habitually in France, but a valid residence permit is not required. For an OQTF, ask for legal aid and a court-appointed lawyer in the appeal itself: do not wait for a reply from the legal aid office.

You can test your situation on the official legal aid simulator (in French). More details in French: legal aid for foreign nationals.

Free advice and language

According to service-public.gouv.fr, anyone can see a lawyer for free at the drop-in sessions organised by bar associations and points-justice, whatever their nationality or situation. Only the first consultation is free. Before the administrative court, for an OQTF judged in the fast procedure, you can ask for an interpreter. Ask each lawyer which languages they speak.

Be careful with people who are not lawyers and ask for money to « fix » your file. You can check that a lawyer is registered in the national directory of French lawyers. Read more in French: beware of fake advisers.