Complicated question on moving to france.

[Logic Pro]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

Ooh, boy - you're definitely in a bit of a mess.

1- OK, first of all, I wouldn't bother getting involved with France if you can avoid it. The law in France is pretty much dead set against name changes unless you have a really "compelling" reason and when it comes to bureaucracy, the French can really complicate any issue without even trying to.

2 Under which name are you living in Spain? It sounds as if your Spanish residence documents are in your Greek name - in which case I really wonder how they allowed you to name your kids after your US name. (France and Germany both have pretty strict regulations about naming children. Perhaps Spain is different.

3 Or perhaps that's why the French rejected the initial registration of your child's birth.)

4 If you're planning on staying in Spain, you probably should talk to a Spanish attorney to see what can and can't be done. It might be easier in the long run to "correct" your children's birth certificates in Spain, then get married under your Greek name. To get the kids any sort of US rights, you would need to report their births to the US Consulate and get them US passports. Maybe someone there can help - or can give you a list of dual-qualified attorneys (Spanish and US) who might be able to sort this one.
Cheers,
Bev

A1 Greece is lots more trouble then france with name changes, they used to put Greek Orthodox on everyone's ID (chinese or whatever) and tried running a Taliban Style theocracy before the EU came along.

I am posting cause i heard there are other ways to have this sorted out, i know one person that was born in america but yet where entitled to French Passports through relatives as well as another who got permanent residences through french moms of there children.,

I also thought about marriage before fixing the names or moving the family to the US, but i will need a document proving i am single either way from my place of birth, recently when i contacted the island i was born to request this paper with my mom there who was willing to pick it up, they refused to give it claiming only a Priest can but that he was questioning my faith now since i had kids before marriage., -> instead of allowing my mom to go to the town hall to get this paper., im told all this mambo jumbo religious jokes will be sorted out by a office in Athens soon., and the mandatory military duty will be over as well this year., maybe i can just wait and go back there to solve the mystery of all this after October.

A2 I live and work in europe under the EU ID., obviously the greek name. (as i mentioned in several posts)
Naming your chlldren at birth requires the fathers passport, which is my US name., simple as that, you can be from any country, France also allows it.

A3 France never rejected the family book, if they did we would of got a valid reason to why, like we live in Spain etc., but that is not the case, when we called they knew nothing about it so its time to do it again.


A4 I am all ready living and working in Spain., i have a residency card, SS and health care.

I also spoke to a Spanish Immigration Judge, he said every EU country will recognizes another EU national by there Passport or country ID card., if the passport is from a non EU country then other papers are required (work or student VISA etc)., the police of any EU country are only allowed to accept a EU passport, country ID card or documents translated with originals and copies of a name change in process to register or update a individual on record with a ID number in there country., in Spain they call it a NEI and in France it is a Carte Se Jour, and you only need these documents if you plan on living and working in a EU country, otherwise your free to travel as a EU national with no tourists limits or documents requires as non UE nationals need.

Again, the Greek Embassy says Greece will accept a file the change of name to all my documents and even birth records (adding it was changed) if that Embassy is near the court house aka town hall it was done and can validate it., but the Judge said try to ask about having it done through marriage in France or the children, there are many ways. (why im posting here)

From your post it seems that the only way is through a Greek Embassy.

[Bevdeforges]

As you say, it sounds as if the only way you're going to resolve this is through the Greek Embassy. (Though you may want to try going through the European ombudsman, as somehow, somewhere, some EU government is refusing to recognize a legal change in name that you made in the US.)

The problem with going through France is that, as a Greek (i.e. EU) national, you are no longer required to have a carte de sejour - and as a friend of mine recently found out, the French will no longer issue cartes de sejour to EU nationals to use for id. You're kind of expected to use your home country id these days. (Tough on the Brits, as they only have their passports.)

To take French nationality (and get that shot at changing your name), you have to be married for two years to a French person - or to have lived legally in France for something like 5 years. Though that doesn't really help you much.

The US seems to be one of the very few countries that doesn't really worry too much about what name you use as long as you're not trying to get away with something by doing so. I think maybe you've run into one of the reasons that may not be such a great idea (though I suspect that policy may have been tightened up since 9/11).

Sorry we don't seem to be able to help on this one. Maybe someone on the Spanish or Greek section of the forum would have another idea for you.
Cheers,
Bev

[Logic Pro]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

As you say, it sounds as if the only way you're going to resolve this is through the Greek Embassy.(Though you may want to try going through the European ombudsman, as somehow, somewhere, some EU government is refusing to recognize a legal change in name that you made in the US.)

The problem with going through France is that, as a Greek (i.e. EU) national, you are no longer required to have a carte de sejour - and as a friend of mine recently found out, the French will no longer issue cartes de sejour to EU nationals to use for id. You're kind of expected to use your home country id these days. (Tough on the Brits, as they only have their passports.)

To take French nationality (and get that shot at changing your name), you have to be married for two years to a French person - or to have lived legally in France for something like 5 years. Though that doesn't really help you much.

The US seems to be one of the very few countries that doesn't really worry too much about what name you use as long as you're not trying to get away with something by doing so. I think maybe you've run into one of the reasons that may not be such a great idea (though I suspect that policy may have been tightened up since 9/11).

Sorry we don't seem to be able to help on this one. Maybe someone on the Spanish or Greek section of the forum would have another idea for you.
Cheers,
Bev

Thanks for your help, and you all helped allot., are you kidding., it is far from over.,

1. I am expecting the French Embassy to get back to me about all possibilities. (Family Book, Marriage)
2. I am also expecting to hear from the Greek Embassy as well, who will inform me of the new laws like no Mandatory Military duty and maybe they can provide proof i am single via Athens.


If 1 and 2 fails, i just get a list of some lawyers from the Greek Embassy in San Francisco to authenticate my name change documents aka US naturalization papers when i became a citizen (when i actually changed my name.

Too bad they could not just look at the US passport and see it was done AFTER I WAS BORN to tell my new name from the old one. but money makes the world go around so it makes it even more complicated to sort things out, example: i avoided the new greek Passport until 3 years after it was expired, they changed it 3 times since 1995 and charged people 80€., no way worth 240€ of trouble to have the latest passport, Sweden upgraded there systems i heard to a even more expensive hi tech paranoia method with eye detection., remind you finger prints are still the most unique.

[Bevdeforges]

Not to sound too cynical or anything but I wouldn't hold my breath about the French embassy getting back to you. I got married here in France, and they do require a birth certificate and they go by the name that's on that (and you have to have that officially translated at 60€ per page even though it's a fill-in-the-blanks form where most of the English words are nearly identical to the French translations).

Even though I had one of those certificat de coutume things drawn up by a dual-qualified lawyer, who indicated that he had examined all my paperwork and declared me "eligible to be married" they made me submit all the paperwork along with certified translations.

The lawyer had told me that, at least in a couple of arrondissements in Paris, they would often waive the certified translations if all the papers were cited in the certificat de coutume - but our town mairie was having nothing of it.

That's the one thing you have to be careful of in France. One official can tell you one thing (or you can read it on the "official" government website) but if the person you happen to be dealing with thinks differently or has different order from "on high" you're stuffed.

Anyhow - good luck (or break a leg - whichever tradition you follow). Keep in touch - I'll be interested to hear how things work out for you.
Cheers,
Bev

[Logic Pro]

Originally Posted by Bevdeforges

Not to sound too cynical or anything but I wouldn't hold my breath about the French embassy getting back to you. I got married here in France, and they do require a birth certificate and they go by the name that's on that (and you have to have that officially translated at 60€ per page even though it's a fill-in-the-blanks form where most of the English words are nearly identical to the French translations).

Even though I had one of those certificat de coutume things drawn up by a dual-qualified lawyer, who indicated that he had examined all my paperwork and declared me "eligible to be married" they made me submit all the paperwork along with certified translations.

The lawyer had told me that, at least in a couple of arrondissements in Paris, they would often waive the certified translations if all the papers were cited in the certificat de coutume - but our town mairie was having nothing of it.

That's the one thing you have to be careful of in France. One official can tell you one thing (or you can read it on the "official" government website) but if the person you happen to be dealing with thinks differently or has different order from "on high" you're stuffed.

Anyhow - good luck (or break a leg - whichever tradition you follow). Keep in touch - I'll be interested to hear how things work out for you.
Cheers,
Bev

Well one thing for sure now is you can file a complaint against miss treatment by any employees now in all EU countries., especially discrimination and if they refuse to abide by there own rules etc., they get a instant fine if the inspect them and find out too., but always have a witness.

I once video taped a woman with my mobile phone at a supermarket in Barcelona Spain who tossed my groceries on the floor for no reason but the fact i was not from there, then on camera she said if i did not like the way she threw my bags down to get out of her country (Catalonia), later i recorded her on camera refusing to give me this paper the store has to stamp to file a complaint, and the store had to fire her and pay a fine.

France has tons of issues like this too, especially the south where they are less tolerant towards non french nationals and voted for Lepen.

So far it looks good to go in France., a friend who had 2 kids with a french girl told me he did this years ago., they had the family book of the kids, he lived in the states and provided from there and all they told him was if he decides to live in France he will have to bring his Passport, thats all.

As for marriage, he needed a translated birth certificate, blood test (now not required anymore since Feb), and a document from the FBI proving he has no criminal history., this was in Paris and not required in other parts of France.

We are doing this in the south of france, the town hall knows my to be wife since she was born and i just heard it will be a matter of what papers they need to register, no funny stuff like you mentioned., so lucky