IT'S OFFICIAL !!!

What does the French flag have do with what is official?

                                           We are officially French citizens!!  

We are still able to keep our American citizenship but now instead of having to renew our resident card every 10 years we have French identity cards.

 We started the process on August 22, 2008.  We had to fill out lots of papers; get a copy of our birth certificates and also a copy of our parents birth certificates.  We also had to get copies of their marriage licenses and a copy of ours too.  A lot of it we were able to do through internet.   To make them official we had to have an apostille put on them.  


Once we had everything here in France we had to have all of the documents translated into French.  We also had to get papers from the mission about how much money we make, how much we pay in income tax here and in the States.  What's interesting is that the whole process takes so much time and by the time we gave some of the papers we had to get them again because here in France all official papers have to be less than three months old.  We also had a visit to the police.  All routine, of course.


Our last paper was taken to the immigration office in January 2010.  We didn't hear anything more until January 2011 when we received the official letter that we were French citizens.  

When we arrived back in France we went to the immigration office three times.  The first two times it was closed.  The first time it was closed because of a long weekend (Ascension) and the second time because the hours for the office had changed.  Finally we were able to pick up the papers.

 There is our new birth certificate and another of our marriage certificate, a paper that says we are naturalized FRENCH and a livret de famille.  What's funny is that on our marriage license it has us married on the 16th of May.  That is the date that it was signed in the registrar's office.  Even though we were married on the 17th,  here they take the civil date and not the religious ceremony date.  The "livret de famille" is given to add the names of any children that are born to the couple.  Sorry, Esther and Elizabeth, we only have one child in our livret de famille.

 Yesterday we went and picked up our identity cards.  It is good for 10 years but doesn't cost anything to get it renewed.  Which will make life a lot easier for staying in France.


So instead of saying: "until next time" I'll say: "à bientôt"!!!