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We have to get our birth certificate copies translated before we can go to the next stage of getting our carte vitae.

Does anyone know of one, either in Ceret or in Perpignan?

Are you sure?

We simply took our UK original Uk certificates to CPAM in Perpignan. They photocopied them and returned the originals to us, no translation was required.

This topic has been discussed here before and I believe that a number of other people also commented that a translation was not required.

We just took our birth certs to CPAM Perp and they photocopied them.

Beware though - if you have a newish one, eg a replacement, it will have a watermark through it with the coat of arms/honi soit qui mal y pense thing, and this doesn't show up on a photocopy. On the old ones, this is printed on the cert. If queried they will have to hold a new one up to the light! The official simply wrote in my dossier that the cert had been seen

Yes we have tried this at CPAM and things have changed now, just recently you have to have your birth cert certified by a registered translator, there is no other way.

I have found a translator now

karen.king@wanadoo.fr

she will do it for 36 euros.

"Old rope" and "money" spring to mind

On the other hand, I'm wondering if people are taking advantage of you. Since you arrived you've been asking for various English-speaking professionals and I wonder if you would find the process all a lot simpler by investing in some good French lessons rather than translators, interpreters and English-speaking versiona of the people you need.

My experience has been that if people feel you need English-speaking, you'll be asked to pay a premium for that extra service.

But I would not be a registered translator.

If AJS is more comfotable using a translator to get some important formal necessities out of the way then what is wrong with that?

They can work on their French whilst they live here, but the important things need doing properly and be understood by all.

Was everyone on here fluent when they landed?

In a different life, I got mine translated by the French Consulate in South Ken !

And it was free

Howard Whatmore wrote: Was everyone on here fluent when they landed?

Hardly a word having failed "O-level" French

Russell.

At least you took the exam Russell, I was so bad I wasnt allowed to continue the class and had to do something else in place of french.

I was so bad I wasnt allowed to continue the class

But you're making up for it now and taking lessons, trying to learn. I was fluent when I arrived as I am very lucky to be bilingual, but I do understand how those of you who struggle with the language feel. When I am in Spain, despite knowing enough Spanish to make myself understood, I feel so frustrated not to be able to express myself properly.

Keep at it, those of you who are trying to learn french. It doesn't have to be perfect or even nearly perfect. Just the trying to learn will make you feel more confident - and yes, sometimes very frustrated as you forget it all an hour later but it is going in - even if only a couple of words remain in your head, they are all piling up and eventually they will all come together and you will find you are understanding and communicating better. And remember, mistakes and an english accent are very sexy to the french, just as the Sachel Distel accent is sexy to the Brits!

(Sorry - know this thread is not about learning French but it seemed relevant when I started it!

I am by no means fluent and have great difficulty understanding the differnet accents but I now know enough to get by and (something I wasnt at school) confident enough (or perhaps more with age dont care about looking stupid) to make my self reasonably understood! I have learnt more with my teacher over here than I ever learnt at school.

Or you could try my way...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edYHlnhxyOI

Sue wrote:(or perhaps more with age dont care about looking stupid)

de la part de Helen

Advice:
Throw in a few "Ma foi..." and "Bof" and you'll sound very authentic. If you add "Purée" here & there you'll be taken for a genuine native of Perpignan.
(To be taken for a Toulousain use "Put***" and "Mer**" when you stop for breath)

That was so funny marguerite and steve, I will be doing this.

I'm fluent in French, English, German and not bad at a couple of others. I can do that "You know I'm listening" body language in all of them

It all started with a very talkative mother-in-law

There is a lot of people on this thread missing the point. No matter how good you can speak the French language you still have to use a registered translator to officially translate the required documents to get the carte vitae. I assume this was not always the case but it is now.

So it is not a case of learning the language although you should do but following new rules that require a registered translator.

You could try Hubert. He is very good.

Hubert Rogeron

rogeron23@gmail.com

Cheers

John

I have received my temporary SS number, sent my original Birth Cert off as requested ( which is old and long), it eventually came back with no other documentation.I have waited 4 months, thinking the summer was the hold up, but no request for a photo. My husbands card app went through last year without a hitch. I rang the help line and they have informed me that the cert needs translating.. The office in Perp has seen my certificate before, would it be worth taking it again with the temporary SS no doc? or should I get it translated( next problem is getting a scanner large enough to scan it) .. If so does anyone know of a more local official translator?

I had my son's birth certificate translated last year by a lady in Perpignan and found it expensive. considering it was only a couple of lines and I am a trained translator myself - but not agréé.

Will try and find the number but have totally forgotten the name. Went to her house and she did it there and then. Wish I could get paid 50 ish euros (can't remember exactly. Might have been more) for a quickie!

Try La Jonq Kate!!

Helene Fussel Fontanet Agréé près la Cour d'Appel de Montpellier,)

12 rue Denis Diderot, Jardins St Jacques, 66000 PERPIGNAN
Tel 04.68.35.06.05
excellent and a professional

Perhaps they've changed the rules but when we came here 6 years ago, we were not asked for official translations of our birth certificates and we had 4 of them from different countries. OK, we're registered with the MSA and not the CAF but even so, this does seem like a bit of a scam.

Thank you will try Helene

I was asked for one when I changed to RSI. I had previously had a C.V with CPAM without too much effort.
So I decided to send the paperwork to the head office in Montpellier and not to the office in Perpignan - result one Carte Vitale.

opas wrote:I was asked for one when I changed to RSI. I had previously had a C.V with CPAM without too much effort.
So I decided to send the paperwork to the head office in Montpellier and not to the office in Perpignan - result one Carte Vitale.

I think you will find that CPAM des Pyrénées-Orientales
BP 89928
66013 PERPIGNAN CEDEX 9

Is the Head Office, for the PO !
Montpellier will be for Herault (34)

They most probably returned your docs, to Perpignan.

Correct about CPAM , but I actually said I sent it to Montpellier head office to affiliate with RAM.

http://www.rsi.fr/pied-de-page/adresses ... s-rsi.html