Notarized Lease Question

[PastryMan]

Hello. My apologies if this quesion has been answered before, but I was not able to find the answer in past threads...

I am applying for a 6 month non-professional long stay visa, and the last thing I need to do for my paperwork is get my French lease notarized. It's all in French, signed in ink by both parties, etc. I just don't know if I can have a regular American notary take care of it or if I need to have a real notaire handle it. I'd just hate for the Consulate to turn it down because it wasn't handled properly.

Any insight would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[Bevdeforges]

Not sure exactly what you're trying to do here. In the US, a "notary" authenticates a person's signature - usually when the person has to sign a document without being present with the other parties signing the document. That's the sort of "notarization" that the US Consulate in Paris can do for you (for a fee, of course).

A French "notaire" is a sort of specialized property lawyer, who can draw up certain types of documents involving the sale of a property, various documents involved in what the Americans call "family law" (stuff related to inheritance, gifts and marital property arrangements).

Which consulate is asking you to get your French lease "notarized"? And to what purpose?
Cheers,
Bev

[PastryMan]

Hello. It is for the DC consulate. Perhaps their phrasing is odd when they say, "Notarized deed of your house/appartment or Rent contract for the stay in France (for a whole year if a minimum stay of one year is intented) with the address of the rented place, tenant contact information, montly rent amount." The notarization might only be for the house, and there might be no notarization for the rent contract I have. I am just so paranoid about their procedures I don't want to get turned away at the door cause of something silly.

[Bevdeforges]

I suspect the "notarized" part applies only to the house deed. Basically, they are checking that you have a place to live once you get there.
Cheers,
Bev