Practical information
Night-by-night emergency accommodation, and the reception and situation assessment centres: how to get there, and what leaving costs you.
August 1, 2026
Check before relying on this information
September 1, 2026
For one night, call 115. Call after 14:00. A place is given one night at a time: you have to call again every day, and there is no guarantee.
If you cannot get through to 115, or language is in the way, Utopia 56 can call for you on +33 7 53 91 85 96.
For longer, there are the CAES — reception and situation assessment centres. Buses leave Monday to Friday from rue des Huttes, near the “Z.I. des Dunes” stop. The documents this page comes from do not give the same time: one says 08:30, the other 09:30. Come early.
The length of the stay differs between the documents too: the legal information sheet says thirty days, the August 2026 guide says two weeks. Plan for the shorter one and ask when you arrive.
The bus takes you out of Calais. You do not know which town in advance. You are housed and fed there, and you meet someone who explains the asylum procedure to you.
One thing matters: if you claim asylum from a CAES and then leave of your own accord, you lose the asylum seeker's allowance (the ADA). It is a real decision, and it is better made knowing that consequence.
Going to a CAES does not oblige you to claim asylum in France. But if you do want to claim asylum in France, it is the simplest route out of Calais.
Reviewed public information for Calais. Confirm time-sensitive details with the provider.