Specifics re. docs for Carte de Sejour

[cooperk]

Hi all - I did try to search for this. Pls point me there if I'm missing it...

I am wondering if there is a list of the docs I'll need to apply for a carte de sejour (I'm the Canadian/US spouse of a UK citizen. Kids all have UK citizenship also).

I believe I need the following: Proof of residence - (lease, utility bill); Certified copy of marriage certificate (married in Hawaii). ? is this a translation certified by ? who? Or is it a translation DONE by a 'certified translator'? In either case am I better off getting this done by someone in France? Any suggestions on where I could find such a person? We'll be moving to Paris.

Do I need the hubby and kids' passports translated? Will I need something that says that the UK recognises our marriage, and if so how does one get such a thing and from where? Does it need to be translated as well?

I think I also need proof of 'means'. Will a bank statment w significant savings do the trick? Anything I'm missing?

Thanks all for your extremely helpful advice!!

Cheers,
Kim

Seems to me you're on the right track with the above. Photocopies of the passport were enough in our case. The Mairie did ask for birth certs of all kids living with us, hesitated over whether or not they needed translating (from Thai), but I already had one translated into English and no further questions were asked by the prefecture.

A certified translation is one done by an approved translator. In France this means a sworn translator appointed to one of the regional courts. However for obvious reasons French embassies/consulates abroad have lists of their own approved translators in the country concerned, so I would ask the consulate/embassy wherever you are in Canada whether they have a list. It's easy enough to get translations done once in France, but you'll find it costs about 30 or 40 euros a page at best.

Evidence of means of you and/or your husband? Yes recent bank statements will help, plus any indication of employment you or he is to take up, should that be the case. I also submitted my insured status (medical) in France, to which contract my Thai wife had been added.

I'm not sure if the prefecture needs the document from the UK consulate saying that the UK recognises your Hawaii marriage. They didn't ask for it, but I submitted it anyway because I had it. The only reason I had one is because unlike you - who as a Canadian citizen can just turn up in France and get a passport stamp on entry giving you three months stay in the Schengen area - my wife as a Thai national had to obtain a 3 month Schengen visa in advance, and this was one of the requirements. We got it from the UK consulate in Chiang Mai before leaving Thailand. I can't be sure it's really needed, because prefectures in France answer to a different ministry than French embassies/consulates abroad, and are rarely reading from the same page.

[Bevdeforges]

As Frogblogger said, you're definitely on the right track.

One thing you need to get used to if you're going to live in France is that each prefecture has their own unique way of doing things. Your best approach is to pay a visit to the prefecture early on and ask them for their list of required documents for what you want to do. It's virtually guaranteed they'll have something on there that wasn't on any "uniform" listing put out by the Service Public or any other national level website.

I normally figure three visits to the prefecture (or any other public office) to accomplish a single task. One to get their list of requirements, the second to submit everything on the list, and a third to fill in any gaps (misunderstandings or alternate interpretations of what is on the list, documents you simply couldn't obtain so they suggest an alternative, etc.). Sometimes you get lucky and you can cut it to two trips - but don't count on it.

If you get translations done by a "certified" translator in France, you may be able to avoid the need for "certified" copies of some documents. Part of the reason the "certified" translators charge so much is that they are supposed to be verifying (to a certain extent) the validity of the document they are translating. (E.g. you need a translator certified not only for the English language, but for the country that issued the document being translated - a UK certified translator is not valid for translating a US document.) In fact, I suspect it just means they have the template for the translation already set up in their computer, so they know its the right form.
Cheers,
Bev

[cooperk]

Thanks FB and Bev. You guys are so helpful, it's MUCH appreciated! Should be an adventure, I'm sure I'll have more questions as the move approaches!

One other thing - I don't know where you'll be living in France, but if you're any distance from the nearest prefecture, the local Mairie to where you are living - no matter how small - is supposed to be equipped to deal with carte de sejour applications, and somewhere in their system they'll have the 'Demande de Carte de Sejour pour Epoux de Ressortissant de l'Union Europeenne' form. Our Mairie filled it in for my wife themselves. They very rarely get asked for these, and will probably have to call the Prefecture to find out what's needed, but it's a helluva lot easier doing it this way than traipsing all the way to the Prefecture and queuing for an age, several times. Plus the onus is on the Mairie to get it right so they will confirm exactly what you need to get the application right first attempt.

Plus it's a good way to get to know the clerks at the Mairie, and with the right amount of patience and smiles, they will often go out of their way to help you. Good contacts for the future, a lot of info you will need about everything from local taxes to when you can light a bonfire to planning permission is available from the French town hall.

Oh, and make sure you have proper passport photos (exact size/background white/no toothy smile etc), it has to be just right for the CdS.

[cooperk]

THanks. Will do. I'll be in Paris. Will the Mairie tell me to go to the Prefecture? (hope not). Where would I look for the exact specs for the photos?

Originally Posted by frogblogger

One other thing - I don't know where you'll be living in France, but if you're any distance from the nearest prefecture, the local Mairie to where you are living - no matter how small - is supposed to be equipped to deal with carte de sejour applications, and somewhere in their system they'll have the 'Demande de Carte de Sejour pour Epoux de Ressortissant de l'Union Europeenne' form. Our Mairie filled it in for my wife themselves. They very rarely get asked for these, and will probably have to call the Prefecture to find out what's needed, but it's a helluva lot easier doing it this way than traipsing all the way to the Prefecture and queuing for an age, several times. Plus the onus is on the Mairie to get it right so they will confirm exactly what you need to get the application right first attempt.

Plus it's a good way to get to know the clerks at the Mairie, and with the right amount of patience and smiles, they will often go out of their way to help you. Good contacts for the future, a lot of info you will need about everything from local taxes to when you can light a bonfire to planning permission is available from the French town hall.

Oh, and make sure you have proper passport photos (exact size/background white/no toothy smile etc), it has to be just right for the CdS.

Interesting thread. I am going to the Prefecture in Nice tomorrow to make the first attempt at getting a carte de Sejour for my Thai wife. I am attaching the list of documents that was given to me by the prefecture (they sent it to me by email) although I am sure it will vary slightly across different Prefectures.

For photos, the photo booth we went to had all the specs for official ID photos.

One question: I am thinking the carte de Sejour will allow my wife to work in France and also to travel to other Schengen countries. Can anyone confirm this?

[Bevdeforges]

Originally Posted by Ade100

One question: I am thinking the carte de Sejour will allow my wife to work in France and also to travel to other Schengen countries. Can anyone confirm this?

As the spouse of an EU national, yes, she should have the right to work and to travel within the Schengen region on her carte de séjour.

Thanks for posting that paper from your prefecture. I note they ask for a birth certificate with mention of the marriage. It's sometimes necessary to explain to the folks at the prefecture that other countries don't always update birth documents for events like marriage, divorce and death.

Your marriage certificate ought to suffice, though if your spouse has been married before, they may want either a divorce certificate or a death certificate for the ex-spouse. You can normally argue them out of this (nicely - just explain the difference in documentation) - but it's safest not to mention any prior marriages in the first place if they aren't relevant to the event at hand.
Cheers,
Bev

Originally Posted by Ade100

Interesting thread. I am going to the Prefecture in Nice tomorrow to make the first attempt at getting a carte de Sejour for my wife. I am attaching the list of documents that was given to me by the prefecture (they sent it to me by email) although I am sure it will vary slightly across different Prefectures.

For photos, the photo booth we went to had all the specs for official ID photos.

One question: I am thinking the carte de Sejour will allow my wife to work in France and also to travel to other Schengen countries. Can anyone confirm this?

Yes thanks for that list Ade. My Thai wife got her CdS, valid ten years, specifically mentioning the right to work, and yes she can travel within the Schengen area with this supporting document.

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

As the spouse of an EU national, yes, she should have the right to work and to travel within the Schengen region on her carte de séjour.

Thanks for posting that paper from your prefecture. I note they ask for a birth certificate with mention of the marriage. It's sometimes necessary to explain to the folks at the prefecture that other countries don't always update birth documents for events like marriage, divorce and death.

Your marriage certificate ought to suffice, though if your spouse has been married before, they may want either a divorce certificate or a death certificate for the ex-spouse. You can normally argue them out of this (nicely - just explain the difference in documentation) - but it's safest not to mention any prior marriages in the first place if they aren't relevant to the event at hand.
Cheers,
Bev

Yes I was a bit concerned about this. I am taking an official translation of our marriage certificate (she wasn't married before - as far as I know :-)). I'll let you know how it goes.