We did it ! finally got a RDV attended /handed over documents and left .
We were asked for the following (there is no guarantee others will be asked for the same, it depends on your individual circumstances but it might be a help if you have to apply at this Prefecture ) We supplied the following for each of us :
Passports plus a copy
Original letters for the appointment
Stamped addressed envelope
Photo’s x 2 (Don’t cut or trim them- they do it for you)
Evidence of residency - asked for utility bill/service contract (copy)
Evidence of Pension statement (we used our P60 )
5yrs evidence of Avis D’Impot (from 2013 onwards )
Evidence of Cpam -Attestation de Droits a L’Assurance Maladie -Downloaded from Ameli Site
We were also asked for our Marriage Certificate (which we didn’t take as the list supplied did not ask for it , not a problem we were told, so we gave the date & my maiden name)
Date of our arrival in France (couldn’t remember exactly -so we guessed as it was over 10 yrs ago !)
Date of my retirement -but not my husband’s ??
All in all not too bad, lady was reserved but pleasant, we were both fingerprinted, received a document to keep until we receive notification (approx 3 months ), took 20 minutes each.
We would advise you to take at least 3 different types of evidence of proof of address
We took evidence for the previous 5yrs, but this was not asked for, nor were bank statements or bills etc
We hope this helps since the website is vague to say the least !
Good Luck
Did you have your P60 translated officially? I have my 5 years of UK Tax returns as I became resident this year, so I have had the page of Tax Computations translated as if I had the whole form dome there would have been 100 pages to translate @ 40 Euros a page. I just hope this is OK.
I must be missing the point here. Why would the préfecture want to see five years of UK tax returns? I thought the reason for producing five years of French avis d’imposition is to prove that you’ve been tax resident in France for five years. If you only moved this year you will be applying on the 3 month criteria not the 5 year criteria, so they won’t need five years documentation of anything. They’re not interested in how much were earning in the past, only in what your income is now and will be going forward.
Good job you didn’t have any more pages translated 
I am incredibly grateful for your reply. I did go to ask at our prefecture exactly what we needed and the receptionist at the bureau pour etrangers gave me a printed list which had a hand written addition of 5 years of Tax Returns. I explained I had UK returns and she trotted off to ask her superior and I was told to provide translations of them and make sure they were converted into Euros at the official rate. So I was trying to do this. I did have a Carte de Sejours from 2002 for 5 years as after that our Prefecture said they were not renewing them as we are all Europeans!!! But thank you again so much.
I should have said I have been resident back in the UK for 5 years and returned here this year.
That makes no difference. By being away from France for five years your right to residency starts again.
Thankyou I do understand that. But my point was I only have UK Tax returns to show the prefecture not French ones. I was told I had to show translated copies of them but I gather from Ms Watson that is not actually the case. Thank you very much for taking the time to reply.
The tax returns required by the prefecture are to show residence in France.
David that’s very kind of you to reply again. Very grateful.
Would you happen to know the length of time a CDS would be issued for? Our first ones were for 5 years but would they be issued year on year until 5 years has been reached? Thank you.
People I know who have been in France for less than three years have been issued a five year card, others only a one year one. There seems to be a bit of pot luck involved.
Thank you David