Where should the application be sent?
The visiting permit application for a convicted person serving their sentence at Osny-Pontoise prison must be sent by post to the following address:
Monsieur le Chef d'établissement
Centre Pénitentiaire d'Osny-Pontoise
Service des Parloirs
Chemin Vert – BP 32
95524 CERGY-PONTOISE CEDEX
Remand prisoner or convicted prisoner: a different procedure
The procedure described above applies to people who have been definitively convicted. If your relative is in pre-trial detention awaiting trial, the visiting permit application must be sent not to the prison governor, but:
- to the investigating judge in charge of the case, if a judicial investigation is open;
- to the public prosecutor or the president of the trial court, depending on the stage of the proceedings, once the investigation is closed.
Maître Maximilien FOURT's firm supports its clients at each of these stages — police custody, investigation, pre-trial detention, trial and then sentence enforcement — and knows which authority a visiting permit application should be sent to depending on the exact situation of the case.
Which documents should be provided?
Documents to be provided by family members
- CERFA form no. 13960*02
- Two passport photos taken within the last three months
- A double-sided photocopy of a valid identity card or residence permit
- A birth certificate extract
- Any document proving your family relationship with the prisoner (copy of the family record book…)
- Any document proving shared parental authority over a child
- A stamped envelope addressed to yourself
Documents to be provided by friends or relatives who are not family members
- CERFA form no. 13960*02
- Two passport photos taken within the last three months
- A double-sided photocopy of a valid identity card or residence permit
- A birth certificate extract
- A letter explaining the nature of your relationship with the prisoner
- A stamped envelope addressed to yourself
Booking a visit at Osny-Pontoise prison
Once your visiting permit has been granted, visits are booked by phone:
- Visit bookings (free number from France): 0805 050 062 — available only on Tuesdays, from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm
- Visiting permit service: open Monday to Friday, from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm
- Prison switchboard: +33 1 82 31 27 00
As the booking window is very limited (a single weekly slot), you are strongly advised to plan ahead. If you encounter difficulties, a lawyer can usefully pass on an urgent request to the prison.
Bringing belongings to a prisoner
During the visit, the prisoner can hand over dirty laundry to visitors and receive clean laundry in exchange, in principle once a week. The exact arrangements (days, times, drop-off without a visit) are set by each prison and provided at the family reception area.
Please note: some clothing is prohibited, including:
- Clothing resembling a uniform: combat trousers, balaclavas, hoods, blue, khaki or camouflage-print parkas
- Blue shirts, red/orange T-shirts or polo shirts, work overalls, navy blue trousers
- Clothing with laces or hoods, leather clothing or clothing with metal plates
- Belts, hats, caps, ties, scarves, leather gloves
- Dress shoes or shoes containing metal
- Dressing gowns, bathrobes, djellabas, kimonos, boubous, bath towels
Sending money to a prisoner
To make a transfer ("money order") to a prisoner, use the bank details of the personal accounts office of Osny-Pontoise prison:
Régie des comptes nominatifs du Centre Pénitentiaire d'Osny-Pontoise
Chemin Vert – BP 32 – 95524 Cergy-Pontoise Cedex
- The bank details of the accounts office are not published: they are sent directly by the prison to each visiting permit holder
- The transfer must state: surname, first name and prisoner number of the prisoner
You can also request this document by post from the visiting permit service, at the address above.
Important: the transfer order must include, in the description or reference, the surname, first name and prison number of the prisoner.
Visiting permit refused: what are the remedies?
A visiting permit may be refused, in particular for reasons of security or good order within the prison. The refusal must state its reasons. Several remedies are available:
- an informal appeal to the authority that took the decision (prison governor, investigating judge or sentence enforcement judge);
- an appeal before the competent administrative court, including, in urgent cases, through an emergency application for the protection of a fundamental freedom (référé-liberté);
- the involvement of a lawyer, who can usefully support the application by setting out the guarantees offered by the visitor and the value of the visit for the prisoner's rehabilitation.
Maître Maximilien FOURT's firm regularly assists families faced with the refusal of a visiting permit, alongside its work on the substance of the criminal case (pre-trial detention or sentence adjustment).
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to obtain a visiting permit at Osny-Pontoise prison? Generally allow two to three weeks. As visit booking slots are limited, it is advisable to act without delay as soon as the permit is issued.
What can I do if the visiting permit is refused? An informal appeal can be sent to the prison governor or the competent judge. If the refusal persists or is unjustified, a lawyer can bring an appeal before the administrative court.
Does a lawyer need a visiting permit? No, lawyers have direct access to the lawyers' visiting room without a visiting permit, on presentation of their professional card.
Contact your criminal defense lawyer
Maître Maximilien Fourt's firm regularly supports prisoners at Osny-Pontoise prison and their families, both during pre-trial detention and during the enforcement of a sentence.
Drawing on his established expertise in sentence adjustment, Maître Fourt appears before the Val-d'Oise sentence enforcement judge to obtain the release or sentence adjustment of his clients (electronic tag, day release, parole), while helping families cope with the constraints specific to this prison, in particular the time needed to book a visit.