Where should the application be sent?
The visiting permit application for a convicted person serving their sentence at Paris - La Santé prison must be sent by post to the following address:
Monsieur le Directeur
Maison d'arrêt de Paris - La Santé
Service des permis de visite
42, rue de la Santé
75674 PARIS CEDEX 14
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 Paris - La Santé prison
Once your visiting permit has been granted, visits are booked exclusively by phone with the visiting service:
- Dedicated number (free call from France): 0800 730 100
- Service opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 7:30 am to 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm
- Prison switchboard: +33 1 86 21 80 20
The number and length of visits are set by the prison and will be confirmed when you book.
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 Paris - La Santé prison:
MA PARIS LA SANTÉ – Régie des comptes nominatifs
42, rue de la Santé – 75674 Paris Cedex 14
- Bank code: 10071
- Branch code: 75000
- Account number: 00001000733
- RIB key: 15
- IBAN: FR76 1007 1750 0000 0010 0073 315
The personal accounts office can be reached by phone on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm and from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
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 Paris-La Santé prison? A visiting permit application is generally processed within two to three weeks. If you have not received a reply within that time, it is advisable to chase the visiting permit service or to ask a lawyer to speed up the process.
Is the visiting permit valid for the whole family? No. The visiting permit is personal: each visitor, including members of the same family, must submit their own application and hold their own permit.
Does a lawyer need a visiting permit to meet a client in custody? No. Lawyers have access to the lawyers' visiting room without a visiting permit, simply by showing their professional card, which allows them to see their client without delay.
Contact your criminal defense lawyer
The office of Maître Maximilien Fourt, criminal defense lawyer registered with the Paris Bar, is a short trip from Paris-La Santé prison (43, rue Condorcet – 75009 Paris). This proximity allows him to act quickly, including in emergencies, for prisoners and their families.
Maître Fourt regularly works at Paris-La Santé prison, both at the pre-trial detention stage (hearings before the Liberty and Custody Judge or the investigating judge) and at the sentence enforcement stage, at adversarial hearings before the sentence enforcement judge, to obtain the release or sentence adjustment of his clients (electronic tag, day release, parole, temporary leave).
His firm supports families at every stage of a relative's imprisonment: difficulties obtaining a visiting permit, refusal by the prison, or preparing a sentence adjustment application.