The File

Monday, February 13, 2006

Dear Postcards from Paris Reader,

Last week I received a letter from l'Assurance Maladie, the French national health insurance office. Even though I've been contributing to their coffers for months now and already have access to state health coverage, they can't officially deliver my carte vitale (the green health insurance card everyone carries) until they've fully reviewed my dossier.

Dossier = Extraordinary Amounts of Paperwork. Deep breath.

The French have nothing akin to our Paperwork Reduction Act. Au contraire; creating more paperasserie ( paperasse for short) seems to be a national talent.

Furnishing a pile of redundant papers to accomplish the smallest administrative task still drives me nuts. But at least now I'm informed…and prepared. At home in a safe place, I keep every personal document imaginable in a folder ominously marked "The File." When a request arises, I just flip through The File to find what's required.

If you plan to spend any time in France, and especially if you plan to own property, you'll need a dossier of your own. To get started, here are some documents to include:

* Proof of identity: First the easy part--keep copies of your passport, visa, and carte de séjour (renewable residence permit). You'll also need an original birth certificate accompanied by an official French translation by a traducteur assermenté (a translator with the authority of a notary). If you're married or have a civil partnership, keep originals of those documents, also officially translated into French. When a couple marries in France, they receive a livret de famille, in which their children's births are recorded. You may be asked for such a document, but since nothing similar exists for Americans, a birth certificate with your parents' names clearly indicated will usually suffice.

* Proof of residence: Usually a recent GDF (gas) or EDF (electric) bill with your name and address is enough to verify your residence. If you're staying with friends while looking for accommodation, you may need a letter (called an attestation d'hébergement) from them along with their GDF/EDF bill and I.D.

* Proof of employment: All non-Europeans working in France should have a number of documents that prove the right to work, including the initial approval from the Office des Migrations Internationales (OME) and a company employment contract. You will also need to show pay slips, with itemized social charges and deductions.

* Proof of sufficient funds: To demonstrate sufficient funds, keep updated statement copies from American and French bank accounts, investment accounts and retirement savings. You may also be asked for copies of your latest tax returns.

* Educational history: This might sound crazy, but for any kind of employment in France, you'll have to show notarized copies of all your diplomas--high school, university, and postgraduate. Keep official copies of your transcripts as well; for my visa application, I had to get my university transcript translated, grades and all. Also, if you've taken any exams (like the DELF, DALF or TCF) that attest to your proficiency in French, keep copies in your dossier.

* Medical history: A bit like the livret de famille, France also bestows a carnet de santé at birth, in which an individual's medical history is carefully recorded. For foreigners without an equivalent, a complete immunization record is fine.

The list seems overwhelming, but once you've assembled your dossier, administrative processes suddenly get a lot easier. You'll need the papers in your dossier for any number of things--opening a bank account, renewing your residence permit, enrolling your children in school, or renting an apartment. (NB: If you're purchasing property, the dossier will grow…so better enlist the help of experts).

When I told my friend Claire about my dossier and listed all the documents requested by l'Assurance Maladie, she nodded sympathetically. " Oui, c'est typiquement kafkaïen," she said. See? Even the French think so.
Amber Garrison
Editor, International Living's Postcards from Paris

Terms to note:
* dossier (do-see-ay): file
* la paperasserie (lah pah-peh-rass-eh-ree): a pejorative term for paperwork
* kafkaïen (kaf-kai-yen): a literary adjective referring to an individual lost in a mechanical, inhumane system