Quite a lot of people around me ask why I don't request for the French nationality yet to which I reply I dont feel the need to be French.. yet. At work, I could go to most of the destinations without a visa. Or if needed, visas are easier to obtain from here anyway. I already used my 10-year US tourist visa to go to work without any problem.
But vacations start to be restraint because of my green passport. I need to prepare everything in advance (in destinations where I need a visa) whilst I could play my luck with last minute reservations which are cheaper most of the time.
So I fixed my objective. I need to file my application for naturalization during my maternity leave. And so I went yesterday. With me is a 1-cm-thick file comprising:
- Cerfa n°12753*01 : Request for Acquisition of French Nationality by Naturalization / Reintegration in 2 copies
- Photocopy of valid Resident Card
- NBI clearance : legalized and translated by the Philippine Embassy in Paris at 20€/page
- 2 ID pictures 35x40 mm with name and date of birth written at the back
- Birth Certificate (moi + my parents) : Original + photocopy, legalized and translated by the Philippine Embassy in Paris at 20€/page
- Photocopy of my passport + all pages with stamp
- PACS certificate : latest from Tribunal des Grandes Instances de Paris
- Birth Certificate of Louna
- Photocopy of Passport: Louna and Frenchguy
- Health record of Louna (vaccination)
- Certificate of Ownership (Acte de propriéte) + EDF/GDF bills
- Academic Certificate - Louna
- Job certificate
- Job contract
- Payslip for the last 3 months + payslip for the month of December for the last 3 years
- Diploma which I obtained here in France
- CAF certificate : any monthly financial aide obtained from government organizations
- Certificate of Tax on Revenu for the last 3 years
- Fiscal Situation Statement (revenu, propriétary and resident taxes) for the last 3 years obtained from trésor Public
But married individuals have other requirements to file. Please check out this site if you're interested.
As for my application, I was told that my file won't be opened in a few months. No surprises. My colleague has just obtained her French nationality after 2 years. She was interviewed prior to the obtention of her papers but apparently, the questions were the same as what I had during the obtention of my 10-year resident card which I wrote here. And future applicants, don't worry, you won't sing La Marseillaise.
PS: Ma Crèche Privée has just been updated - 8th Month Visit.
13 years ago
15 comments:
Good luck with the paperwork, Ana! As long as all your papers are ok, there aren't any other surprises except for the long wait. I'm surprised it can take up to two years to get the nationality though - I had a one year's wait, but then maybe it depends on where you file your application. And I didnt know they asked you all those questions about the 3 symbols of France, blahblah.
At first, I didn't want to change my nationality but I was convinced by husband that in traveling it will be easier to avoid getting foreign visa. So the rational thing to do is to obtain naturalization. On top of that it was only year 2005 that the Bill in the Philippines on having dual Nationality was approved so why not take the opportunity. We are lucky to have this great privilege. Good luck Ana and as Kala said as long as you provide them the needed documents there's no reason for you to worry or denial....it's the waiting that is long. I only waited for 1 year because it's Chirac time, I haven't go through responding questions, ngayon with Sarko they are more exigent, in which I understand.
I also thought about applying for British naturalisation for two years before I decided to give in. The list of requirements is as long as yours plus I had to take a Life in the UK test. So now, I'm just waiting, fingers crossed. :)
I hope you don't have to wait for 2 long years before you get naturalised! :)
Typo: I had a year's wait. Sorry!
Kala, lol, i didn't know too.. i was really surprised. but then, they granted me the 10-year resident card eventhough i didn't know anything about government functions lol.
i hope it will take a year nga lang. i think it depends sa nationality din.. because i had the same experience when i asked for the driver's license, the other applicant took him a year na and it wasn't released yet, mine was released in a few months lang yata.
Haze, yep, if the dual nationality thing is not yet applicable, i wont apply for naturalization either.. yep, i know, i should have applied before sarko was elected.. but u know me, tamad, lol.
Soy, goodluck to us. yeah, hope it wont take me two years to wait nga.. but im taking the worst scenario so i wont get disappointed ;)
Geri, you're right. and to think I bought our printer/photocopier/scanner for that purpose, lol. but well, at least i'll get rid of that paper preparations now..
YAY! You finally started your naturalization :) If your papers are good & complete, you have nothing to worry about. The wait was a year for me & I had an interview with the police here in our barrio (where one of the police after seeing my photo asked, "Tell me, are you Ms. Philippines?" Cheesy but it made me comfortable for the rest of the 10 page interview!) LOL on singing La Marseillaise. Thank goodness they don't make us sing it!
wow, that's a lot of requirements analyse! its so expensive to have things translated no?
one of the reasons why we decided to take Canadian citizenship immediately is the passport to go places easily.
Makis, wohoo! that's a good start for an interview. When I had the interview for the 10-year resident card, the guy was intimidating at first but ended up answering the questionnaire for me, lol, esp when the questions were about government functions.. so ok, i'll have to ask you then when it's time for me to be interviewed..
Caryn, oh yes. I think it's cheaper in Manila.. but well, sending the papers there cost a lot too..
Evi, ow, that's my main reason actually, lol.
You said that you didn't feel the need to be French. I had the same arguments on being British but it was the only way I could get freedom to travel.
Looking at that list of documents, I feel quite lucky because applying for British citizenship didn't need any paperworks from the Philippines. Not even my birth certificate. Just my Philippine passport. Oh, and I only had to wait months not years. But that was because the company I am working for, did it - fasttracked - for me using an agency. However, I believe the normal wait here is 9-12 months.
And we do need to sing "God Save The Queen!"
good luck! my husband dont see the need, yet i know i am restricted when we go around for vacation coz i would be needing visa in some countries. am legible to apply next year, and right now, there is hullaballo about tests and interviews, ewan ko ba. but am sure we wont be singing the anthem as most of them dont even know how to sing it!
Charlie, lucky you.. except for the "God Save The Queen!" part, lol.
Raqgold, lol, dito din; yung mga mahilig lang yata sa football and marunong kumanta ng national anthem nila, lol.
Lol, they really do that in other countries? I mean singing the National Anthem. That's mean hehehe...
Goodluck for your application!
Wow, that's a long wait and a long list of requirements. Mine took 3 or 4 months, I think, from the date the application was submitted to the date it was approved, and not a lot of paperwork needed.
By the way, we need to reapply for Filipino citizenship if we "change" nationalities - I asked a friend who's a consul at the Phil embassy in Paris so the info is straight from the horse's mouth. Basically, if you get your new nationality automatically, you keep your Filipino citizenship by default, but if you actively applied for the new nationality (as is the case here), you'll have to reapply for Filipino citizenship afterwards. Hassle tuloy!
Anyway, good luck on the application and hope it doesn't take too long!
Ako, congrats agad.You are going to be french, ikaw pa. Eto pala sample ng interview, daw:
Bonjour madame. Je dois d’abord vous poser des questions sur la stabilité de votre résidence en France. Vous habitez en France depuis combien de temps?
- Depuis 6 ans.
- Et pour quelles raisons avez-vous choisi la France?
- Je suis venue ici pour étudier le français et j’ai rencontré mon mari.
- Vous avez donc des attaches affectives ici?
- Oui, la famille de mon mari et nos deux enfants sont nés en France et sont de nationalité française.
- Je ne vais pas vous poser des questions sur votre niveau de langue. De toute évidence vous parlez le français couramment. En revanche, je dois m’assurer de votre bonne moralité et vérifier votre casier judiciaire.
- Mon casier judiciaire est vierge.
- Que faites-vous dans la vie?
the rests are not important questions, but those above are some sort of exercise for you(and me soon) during interviews.
VOILA, bon courage!
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