The dreaded Brexit!

[Evianers]

Just read in our inbox the article regarding applying for a Carte de Séjour [Permanente].

So far so good, but we understand that it is necessary also to have all documentation translated into French by a sworn translator, paying either per word, or if the document is not too long a flat fee of minimum 50.--

Nowhere does it state this in any of the different applications. But we are now wondering whether this is correct, and whether we need to hurry up and register before 29/03. What will happen if we procrastinate to when the left hand actually knows what the right hand is doing? Will we be penalised for late registration.

We are grateful for the guidance offered but from our point of view, it doesn't go far enough.

All knowledgeable responses will be gratefully received.

[woolybanana]

My departement did not require any translations but they are well versed in dealing with Brits. I suspect however that it varies from Dept to dept, as does the paperwork required.

It has been stated that those without the right papers will have their left hands cut off!?

I my experience the French are pretty tolerant when it comes to dates for getting stuff done.

[EuroTrash]

Evaniers I don't know your circumstances hence what documents you'll be providing but in my case, out of the 68 pages in my dossier, the only documents that were in English were my passport and my birth certificate. Attestations, EDF bills, avis d'impôts, URSSAF declarations etc are obviously all in French to start with. (Come to think of it even the passport might be multilingual, can't remember.) I did go along prior to my rendez vous to ask whether they would require a translation of my birth certificate and they said No, they had seen enough UK birth certificates to understand them. In fact I produced a non-assermenté translation (being a translator by profession) and took it with me just in case, but I didn't include it in the dossier and they didn't ask for it. So all good.

The lady I saw seemed very down to earth about it all and not the sort to make difficulties for the sake of it, although she did appear to be checking each document carefully one by one, the dates and figures and so forth, and I guess she would have asked for a translation if she hadn't been sure what a particular document was telling her.

[nomoss]

Of course things might be completely different where you are, but here in Aude wife & I supplied the following, which were accepted without question, and the Titres sent to us promptly.

* - Original shown, copy supplied.

To establish civil status

Passport * (List required proof of ID or Passport)

Marriage certificate*, with official translation, the only translation supplied, one copy each.

To justify domicile, dated less than 3 months ago

Acte for our house purchase*

Copy of latest Tax Foncières bill.

4 ID photos

To justify continuity of residence

Copies of (six-monthly) electricity bills for 5 years

Copies of Taxe d'Habitation bills for 5 years

Justification of Health Insurance

Copy of Attestation from CPAM

Justification of resources

UK pension statements for 5 years. Not translated, just the amount highlighted (in yellow)

Spanish pension statements for 5 years, not translated, amount highlighted

UK and French bank statements for 5 years, with pension deposits highlighted.

[woolybanana]

Yes, very comprehensive. One thing my departement liked was a letter from the commune saying how long I had been there etc. Bureaucracy speaks to bureaucracy, so to speak.

They also only wanted three monthly examples of bank staements though I had the lot. Where some were missing I substituted a near month. Only French bank accounts.

I highlighted the pension payments to make it easier for them.

[Judith]

It all depends on your department.  Some have you make an appt by email, some by online, some calling in.  Some want translations, some don't .. etc.

Look at your dept website and see what they say.  The advantage of doing it now is that you get it for free, as an EU citizen.  The French Gov are putting in place a scheme to allow it to be changed to whatever is required after  bl***y Br**t without too much extra hassle.

What you supply will also depend on your circumstances, employed, retired etc, so less helpful to give a list, but you need to prove you have been here for a requisite amount of time, plus they need to know where your income is coming from.  They will certainly need 5 years (or whatever you have) of avis d'impots (all pages) ... that gives them the amounts, and proof of residence plus the usual stuff to prove your civil state ...

[Evianers]

These responses are all wonderful = thank you very much for each and every one.

Obviously we shall have to find out exactly what the Haute Savoie [Annecy] require in the way of documentation. Only one [huge] problem, in that everything is in OH's name and nowhere does my humble name appear on French documents. He's fine, 'cos he's got an Oirisch passport. Lucky him - unfortunately I am not eligible having never lived there. His Mum was from Galway - boy has it stood him in good stead!

Still, we soldier on and have to find out whether what you indicate is correct. One of our fellow Brits here who opted for full naturalisation, has had to fork out over 1,000.-- in fees for this and that [she says] - no reason to doubt this figure. B%$^&&y  B$%£^it!!!!!

[Judith]

Sheila,

You can get your name added to the EDF bills and attestation online, and the attestation, which you can print off at any time is another way to prove what they need. Ou might be able to do this with other bills, EDF, landline and water are all acceptable as proof you live here permanently, usually one every 6 months and can be mixed up to prove it. 

You can get OH to do a letter saying you live with him, as another route.

You will need to make an appointment for each of you, if possible one after the other, and you can go into each.  The second will be quicker as they have already much of the common info from the first application, but you take all the originals, though it is  likely they will only look at the original for passport and possibly certificates (we had translations, which helps the legibility, esp with hand written ones, but you should need then in theory, but some ask).

Then you need to take a copy of the originals for each of you, ie 2 copies - sorry!  Put them in order, not stapled together, in the order requested, or at least so you can find them quickly, when asked for them.  Take more than you think, you  never know what might be suitable.  They did not ask for our CVs though maybe they should have, but we had them anyway - attestation also for your primary caisse.  You do not need a mutuelle, on top, though some ask .. one of us does, one of us doesn't , made no difference.

That's when you get as far as interview!

Look at this site for the best up to date info:

http://www.remaininfrance.org

Hope that helps.

[EuroTrash]

I put my documents in a series of plastic wallets in a ring binder, with each wallet labelled, eg Factures EDF 2014, Factures EDF 2015... Avis d'impot 2014, Avis d'impot 2015... Cotisations T1 2014, Cotisations T2 2014, .....

Then another identical ring binder with the copies.

Took ages but I needed to do it to be clear in my head that I hadn't left anything out, and the lady at the préfecture actually complimented me on how clear it was, so I felt it hadn't been a total waste of time..

[woolybanana]

Yes, EuroTrash, good approach, did something similar but all in same file.

But I also printed off the list of required documents, showed it to the lady then gave them to her in the list order, having said “ Voici ce que vous demandez, madame”. She said something about being well organized as she checked and photocopied them.

Then, with a smile, she absented herself for a few seconds as she took the copied docs Into an inner office, then took the fingerprints, and asked me to wait a few minutes as they prepared the receipt/temporary document.

Simples really when you know what they want.

[Evianers]

[quote user="woolybanana"]Yes, EuroTrash, good approach, did something similar but all in same file.

But I also printed off the list of required documents, showed it to the lady then gave them to her in the list order, having said “ Voici ce que vous demandez, madame”. She said something about being well organized as she checked and photocopied them.

Then, with a smile, she absented herself for a few seconds as she took the copied docs Into an inner office, then took the fingerprints, and asked me to wait a few minutes as they prepared the receipt/temporary document.

Simples really when you know what they want.[/quote]

wb : fingerprints!!!!!!

no-one has yet said anything to us about fingerprints. becomes worse and worse,

but thank you everyone once again for your kind and very useful contributions

[nomoss]

[quote user="Evianers"]

wb : fingerprints!!!!!!

no-one has yet said anything to us about fingerprints. becomes worse and worse,

but thank you everyone once again for your kind and very useful contributions

[/quote]

I'm not sure what is bad about fingerprints, unless you have a big brother complex or are on the run from something[:D]

We have had them taken in many other countries; on our Spanish "Residencias" there is a reproduction of one, the right index finger I believe, on the actual card.

They were taken at the Prefecture during our rdv for the CdeS, but they used a little machine on which we placed our fingers. No more messy black ink[:)]

The machine didn't actually work very well, it kept giving warnings to do it again, but the young lady just said never mind eventually, and ignored it.

[woolybanana]

I guess they will start using eye recognition next and even ear prints!

Fingerprints took a few minutes and involved all fingers.

I offered toes but she laughed and said ‘not yet’.

[EuroTrash]

I took the fingerprinting as a good sign because I reckoned she wouldn't have bothered if she hadn't been pretty sure my dossier was complete and the card would be issued without a follow up visit.

A very simple process but you have to make sure you don't let your fingers touch each other when you put them down on the screen, because once they've touched the screen you can't move them, and you don't want the fingerprints to overlap. Motor coordination isn't one of my best skills.

[nomoss]

[quote user="woolybanana"]I guess they will start using eye recognition next and even ear prints!

Fingerprints took a few minutes and involved all fingers............. [/quote]

I wouldn't worry too much what they collect.

Does anyone really believe any country has the manpower to even look at all the data requiring decisions these days, even if the IT systems do the donkey work of trying to sort and evaluate it? Even assuming it works properly at all.

The UK is a good example, they can't keep track of who's coming and going, the NHS IT system is a disaster, and they can't even run the trains on time. Mussolini did better 75 years ago[:D]

[woolybanana]

I actually gettne impression that the French are trying to simplify their admin where they can