What do i need translated exactly...????

[Julia01]

I am moving to France soon and would like to know exactly what i need translated into french. I am going to be claiming child benefit and income support for a while until i get myself sorted out. Do i need my marriage certifate translated into french, I am getting divorced but am keeping my married name. I am going to buy a property. How do i organise a translation, do i need to take the documents somewhere or can i post them (in the UK). Hope someone can advise, thanks.

[Will]

This may be totally unhelpful, but on the other hand it may be just what you want to read.

It seems to depend entirely on how the rules are followed in the département where you will be living, or sometimes on the individual fonctionnaire's interpretation of what is required. Reading the books can be a bit scary, as they will cover their own tracks by going for the worst case, that says you have to have certified translations, by an officially-approved translator, of everything.

To that, I say (guardedly) - rubbish. We, and many like us, have bought (and sold) houses in France, got jobs, set up businesses, joined the health care and social security systems and done countless other things, and although we have to present all sorts of paperwork, have never been asked to have one thing translated.

So you could send all your papers off to a certified translator if you want - alternatively you can save yourself a lot of effort and money and not bother. Should you come across anybody in France who wants you to get a translation, then offer a translation of your own, or by a French-speaking friend, and if that won't do then ask them to put you in touch with an official translator. Seems to work every time.

[La Vette]

I am in agreement with Will.  We were told lots of stories about needed things like your mother, father and grandparents dates of birth, everything translated and costs of around 200 euros per document.  None of that was true for us.  We have not had anything translated and have never been asked for anything.  I think in the days of the Carte Sejour it was necessary but has also gone.  When we have handed over our english version documents the French authority we were dealing with just take a photocopy.

Big sigh of relief, it is not that scarey here, but as Will said, different departements can have different interpretations of the rules.

[Alexis]

No, never needed anything translating either.

I'm a bit worried about your belief that you will be able to claim anything here.  There is nothing like French bureaucracy.  Believe me.  You might well be entitled to everything going but it could take six months for you to actually touch an euro.  Be carefull.  Plan on getting nothing then if you do receive something, it is a bonus.

Judging by the huge amounts of people who need Resto de la Coeur, Croix Rouge, Catholic Society and all the others, money is not easy to come by from social sources.

[Will]

I agree with Alexis, claiming anything in France is far from easy, even for the French. If you can take any benefits with you from Britain, which I think you can with some of them for a limited time, go for those. It's a little worrying to think you may be coming to France without a job offer or some other sort of assured income. Too many people do this and find it impossible to survive, though a few strike lucky.

Incidentally, I think the only thing that I was anywhere near asked to translate when I applied for the carte de sejour was the evidence of my having work - in my case a freelance contract letter from my main client. I just told the clerk at our mairie what it said (no written translation asked for or given), and everything went through. The only other slight difficulty was evidence of health cover, despite having valid E forms they had trouble recognising them because they were not E106 or E121. Again, just a verbal explanation (in my poor French) was sufficient, no official translation.

Of course, we can't guarantee you will have it this easy, but many people have done.

[Chancer]

I think that the poster meant that she would be claiming in the UK whilst sorting herself out and preparing for the move.

I cannot see the French authorities paying income support to someone who has the means to buy a house here but it could be that you have the right to move here and continue to claim UK benefits for 3 months.

I moved here using my own funds whilst recovering from malaria, I had been in receipt of incapacity benefit but did not know that I could have asked for permission and carried on claiming for 3 months.

[hoverfrog]

we didn't need anything translated - well not yet anyway!

What you must do, however, is make sure you have details of all vaccinations your children have had - preferably stamped/whatever verifications. Getting this info after the move is very dependent on who is on the desk at the surgery when you ring - and if they're having a good day!

[Julia01]

Thanks for that everyone.  Thats been a great help. So all I need to do for my children to attend school is  their health book? Does anyone know what happens if you are in temporary accomodation whilst house hunting, is it easy to get kids into temporary school, has anyone done this? thanks

[hoverfrog]

getting kids into school depends on their ages.

My friend has her grandchildren visit for 3 months at a time, and getting them into school involved signing them up at the mairie, and then visiting the school.

For école maternelle you have to take the child to a Dr for a medical first, but this was more of a formality for our 3 yr-old.

Here in France the BCG is compulsory before putting your child into any kind of establishment - and although we 'got away with it' for over a year our daughter is having her jab this afternoon!

As with everything, you have to start by going to the mairie...

[Julia01]

Well that sounds promising, thanks. Luckily i sorted out the kids BCG's when they were babies!!

[Loiseau]

Keep that divorce certificate preciously when you get it, Julia!

My husband was divorced (before he married me!), and the only time we ever had to produce the said certificate was when buying our second home in France - and on subsequent French property purchases.

No one ever wanted to see it in England though.

Angela

[Julia01]

oh ok but what happens if i buy the french property before my divorce comes through, does that affect me in anyway by owning a property in my name but still be married?