Guess what. No Carte de Séjour in sight.
My old one expired last Saturday.
This is my fifth renewal. Every year the same damn papers.
- proof of habitation in the form of an EDF bill or France Télécom bill (the deed to the house is useless)
- copy of passport
- copy of old Carte de Séjour
- 4 pictures in black and white. No, in color. No, in black and white. No, in color. (this seems to change every year)
- copy of my Carte Vitale
- proof of income-they basically want to know I'm not going to leech off the system
- sometimes they want more proof of income in the form of an attestation from the bank
Or maybe they throw it away every year and start from scratch?
It will arrive someday.
This is exactly why I want to apply for citizenship in March! Pin It
9 comments:
Youe giant dossier sitting next to mine.... Mine renews over Christmas so I usually plan on 3 months. Did you ever read my 'saga'? When the first one was issued it had expired a month earlier! Yes, some kind soul typed in a date that had already expired...I could hear them giggling....
oh boy, do i hear ya on this one! i'm up for my 5th renewal next april (crossing my fingers for the 10 yr carte de résident), and then i'll be eligible for citizenship in sept 08. you can bet that i'll be waiting at the préfecture doors on sept 1, 2008 to get the paperwork!!
We did our fifth round this past June. We expire (again) in a few weeks. We've never had any trouble, and yes, they switched from color photos to b&w, and they only want three. But you still have to buy four.
What I can't figure out is why they want a copy of our birth certificates every year. But hey, I don't ask too many questions...
I need to read up on the 10 year carte. Do you have any resources for information on that ? Maybe I should ask Samantha...
katie
over Christmas is probably worse than in August!
I have read your carte de séjour saga and so did my husband. We can totally sympathize and think you've definitely had a more difficult time of it that we have!
I just don't understand why it has to be so difficult...
Good luck this year
sam
do they still issue the 10 year carte de résident? This is our 5th renewal so maybe we'll get one?
(yeah, right)
We think the sous-préfecture has it out for us for some reason. Thank heavens the mayor's office is helpful!
wcs
yeah, why do they ask for a birth certificate every year? As if it changes from year to year! So bizarre!!!
We didn't have trouble for the first renewal, but have ever since.
I don't know about the 10 year. I thought they had stopped issuing it last year when they changed the rules. Sam? Can you help us out with this?
Aaa, I'm just beginning my paperwork woes!... joy!
I didn't know the laws had changed regarding the carte de résident - the only change I know of is that those married to foreigners now have to wait four years to apply for citizenship, instead of two. I haven't been in for a few months now, but last time I went, the préfecture told me I could ask for one next time I renewed, and this was in April, after the laws had changed. But it couldn't hurt to ask next time you go in - all's they can do is say "non", right?
And as for the birth certificate question - a friend of mine told me that apparently French birth certificates CAN change. She explained it as follows :
"In France there are numbers on the "extrait d'acte de naissance" which indicate whether or not the person is a fully legally capable adult - one of them (he wouldn't say which one!) indicates that you don't have a power of attorney on you and that you're free to sign any contract you like."
Which is why they are constantly asking for birth certificates less than three months old - in France they can change, so they probably don't realize that it's not like that abroad!!
farfallina,
good luck in Italy! I'll be curious to read your stories about bureaucracy
sam
wow, thank you for clearing up that birth certificate thing...it was really a mystery to me! :)
When the laws changed last year we were told that we MIGHT be able to apply for a carte de résident after living in France for 5 years. This is our 4th renewal to receive our 5th carte de séjour, but we haven't lived here for 5 years yet. Each préfecture seems to make up their own rules, don't you think!?!
I appreciate the help and good luck applying for your citizenship in September 08!
Whew! I get exhausted thinking about all this...I guess I will just visit...
mimi
it is a royal pain, but well worth it!
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