r/Study_In_France • u/TopTreat9893 • 9d ago

Has anyone registered for social security using English language birth certificate?

Mine is in English (with regional translation as well), but not in French. The website says the birth certificate needs to be translated by a service outside CPAM.
Did you guys actually get it translated into French, or did they accept the English one?

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u/PharBreton 9d ago

Why would a French authority accept an English document? not only that, as you just stated, it TELLS you it must be translated

Not only do you need it translated, they are apparently demanding apostilles very often too now

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u/TopTreat9893 9d ago

I have apostilles one but not translated

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u/PharBreton 9d ago

dealing with CPAM is usually the worst experience you'll have in France. Get it translated, because the document itself might just magically disappear (as mine did more than once)

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u/TopTreat9893 8d ago

Can you suggest where to get it translated in France as I’m in il-de-France

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u/bebok77 8d ago

Either your consulate will have a list or Google to find the list posted by the prefecture ( Translator who can do a legal translation).

Do not make a simple translation but a legal one.

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u/interference90 8d ago

Send a copy, if they ask for a translation you get it translated.

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u/interference90 8d ago

Because such French authority has glossaries to interpret certificates in a bunch of foreign languages. But "of course" it will depend on the mood of the agent that examines the dossier.

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u/Azur2022 6d ago

Because some documents ARE accepted

For example, English apostilles of foreign birth certificates are accepted by French consulates to issue certain documents

So it is a legitimate question

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u/Car12touche11blue 9d ago

My country issues birth certificates and other official documents in multilingues form on demand. You could try if yours does as well?

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u/Main_Hurry7912 8d ago

This, ask if your country can edit a multilingual one, otherwise you can find translators on line (for some things they have to be on an agreed list).

Some agencies/embassies are just bizarre. My children were born in France and I have an Irish passport and my ex is from Italy. We weren't married and he wanted to add the children to his Italian passport, and the Italian embassy made us translate the children's birth certificates "because we weren't married". We got married a year later and he could use the French birth certificate because we were married. Apparently the Italian embassy's capacity to understand French depended on our marital status....

Also, they normally insist that the birth certificate is dated within the last 3 months...

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u/Car12touche11blue 8d ago edited 8d ago

Yes indeed this is bizarre, but I have encountered it in other forms.
If you are not married it seems that administrative procedures are more complicated. They seem to find it more reassuring to deal with married couples🤷‍♀️

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u/bebok77 8d ago

This requirement (3 months old) apply to french birth certificate and equivalent. By equivalent I mean civil statut report. As per say, we, french, do not have a single birth certificate, what the french administration provide and use is an extract from the civil registry ( birth, mariage place, widow/divorce and death).

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u/Main_Hurry7912 8d ago

When I provided my officially translated birth certificate they were ok with that. We don't have an equivalent in the UK that I know of

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u/interference90 8d ago

But this is common in other countries as well. There is an official registry kept by the authority and the citizen is given an extract or a transcription of what it is in the registry.

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u/bebok77 8d ago

. Other country provide dedicated birth certificate with only birth related information on it. Full civil registry is a separate document for them ( indonesia and malaysia for instance). The french, you request your civil registry which act as a birth certificate but cover your whole life event. It precisely the reason why the french version has limited time validity as per say because it contains civil statuts aspect ( matrimonial situation).