Necessity to translate documents

[frexpt]

Does anyone know whether it is (still) necessary to provide officially translated UK birth and marriage certs for a Carte Vitale application?

There appears to be contradictory information floating around. I have also been told that the UK might have raised some sort of an official challenge to the French stance, but I cannot find anything further.

[andyh4]

I think the only definitive answer you will get is from your local CPAM. Their website may give some clues.

When I was applying for change of status three years ago I had to provide translations to the Ardeche CPAM even though even at that stage some folk were reporting that translations were no longer required. So very French: there are the rules, and then there is the application of those rules - or not as the case may be.

[frexpt]

I think you are right. I am going into CPAM tomorrow to give them what we have. My understanding is that they will accept the certs in their original form, but may ask for translations in due course.

Since my original post, I have seen something to the effect that translated documents should not be requested for persons born in fellow EU countries, but we shall see!

[NormanH]

As andy says there is the theory (that EU citizens don't need to have translated documents) and the practice that some offices still demand them.

In any case I am not absolutely certain that it has passed into French law yet.

EU regulations have to be put into effect domestically in each country.

[Mac]

Having done our own dossier last year and helped 2 friends this year I have to say we were not asked to translate any documents either at the time or later. Maybe because all EU but non-French dossiers now go to the same office-no individual rules from different departments.

[AnOther]

Centrally processed or not (are you sure you're not talking about non S1 applications ?) AFAIK applications are still submitted via local CPAM offices in which case the only possible conclusive answer to the question is 'whatever they demand' and woe betide anybody who questions it or quotes EU rules to them !

Driving licences have been processed centrally since 2013 but that doesn't stop individual prefectures demanding translations of UK ones.

[idun]

I always think that fonctionnaires must be super clever if they can accept all EU paper work without an official translation and understand it.

More bloody EU nonsense, if that is the case.........

............after all, have you seen Lithuanian, or Bulgarian, or Greek??????? and I am sure that there are other EU languages that are equally 'different'.

And I daresay most of you haven't, but have you seen a french birth certificate?????? because that little gem does not look like anything in any way official,........ I do believe that one would call it a 'scrap' of paper!!!!

We had to have ours done when we moved to France and we paid a fortune for them, still they served for all those years, our Mairie keeping a copy of them.

[frexpt]

Okay....took all of our S1's and other papers into CPAM in Niort and "tout est bon". No mention of translations, but neither did the agent didn't want the proof of our residence that we had taken.

I have a feeling that there may be further requirements when we hear from them in two or three weeks.

Will report further!

[andyh4]

Good news Frexpt

Idun,

while layouts, data and information may differ from country to country. I really doubt there should be major problems except perhaps with Greece, Cyprus and Bulgaria where the scripts are non-Latin.

[mogs]

We supplied all our documents, those that were needed in English and were never asked to have them translated, and we've changed Departments from 22 to 24 in those 13 years since 2003.

[NormanH]

Just to avoid confusion.

This thread deals with documents for the Carte Vitale

Documents for a Carte de Séjour or to take French nationality which some people may be getting together still do require translation by a sworn translator, as do those for people getting married.

I have first hand recent experience of the first and have just helped a young woman who is marrying a French chap to find a translator.

[frexpt]

An update.......

Have now received immatriculation references and refunds have been made into our account for the feuilles de soins we left with CPAM, so it doesn't look like translated documents will be needed.

We haven't received the actual Cartes Vitales yet and in fact have not been asked for photos. I wonder if the electronic ones on our passports and driving licences will be used?

[andyh4]

You will have to supply new photos for the CV.

[frexpt]

I suppose that they will get around to asking for them eventually.