Maximilien Fourt, Avocat
Maximilien Fourt, Avocat
Obtaining a Visiting Permit in the Context of a Judicial Investigation (pre-trial detention)

Obtaining a Visiting Permit in the Context of a Judicial Investigation (pre-trial detention)

How to obtain a prison visiting permit from the investigating judge to see a relative placed in pre-trial detention during a judicial investigation in France.

Obtaining a Visiting Permit in the Context of a Judicial Investigation (pre-trial detention)

English version

Maximilien Fourt
Avocat pénaliste
Rédigé le 15.12.2025
Mis à jour le 06.11.2026

Where to Send the Application?

In the context of a judicial investigation, the visiting permit request must be addressed to the investigating judge ("juge d'instruction") handling the case.

The application can be submitted in person at the court's case-handling department or sent by mail to the judge's address (mentioning the judge's full name and court address).

Required Documents

For immediate family members

  • Completed CERFA form (official application form)
  • Two passport-type photos no older than three months
  • Photocopy (both sides) of a valid ID card or residence permit
  • Birth certificate extract
  • Proof of familial link to the detained person (e.g. family booklet)
  • If sharing joint authority over a child with the detainee: relevant documentation
  • Pre-stamped, self-addressed envelope

For non-family visitors (friends, associates)

  • CERFA form
  • Two recent ID photos
  • Photocopy of valid ID/residence permit
  • Birth certificate extract
  • A letter explaining the nature of your relationship with the detained person
  • Pre-stamped, self-addressed envelope

Working With a French Criminal Lawyer

Maximilien Fourt regularly represents foreign customers under judicial investigation or in pre-trial detention before the Paris Judicial Court and nationwide, including overseas departments (Martinique, Guadeloupe, Guyane, Polynésie...)

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