Carte Sejour and children "coverage"

General Discussion
1

Hi


I am new to this group but thrilled with the discussions as I am learning much just from following and reading. I do have a question about the carte sejour. We bought a maison secondaire in 2008 in the Languedoc for holidays and have been using this regularly. We moved temporarily in January so my daughters can have total french immersion in the ecole and college. We received our visas (to expire in late July) in the US and I obtained the long stay visas a month or so ago. I applied for the carte sejour and will go back next week to pick up the recipesse. My question is about the children. Do they get a carte sejour or do they fall under the parent's carte. If so, how can they be guaranteed to re-enter France when we return to the US in late July (to our primary residence)?


I read somewhere that I can apply for travel cards for them. Anyone know anything about this?


Thanks for any counsel, insights, suggestions.


E


2

Just wanted to say that my daughters' carte de circulation is now in my hands. It was faster than my carte sejour. It was ok for only one parent to have the carte sejour. But both parents have to be present (with the children) at the sous prefecture when applying for the cards because they note this on the application.

Thanks everyone for the helpful advise and insight.

3

Hi Beth,

Thanks for the insight. We are returning to France in two weeks for the reentree so I will apply thereafter. I asked the French consulate here for a visa for the girls but they refused saying that I, their mom, was already a resident (carte sejour holder). So they instructed me to get the circulation cards at our sous prefecture.

Appreciate all the insight, sharing of experiences as we embark on this unpredictable journey (smile).

Elizabeth

4

Hi Elizabeth,

We're from California and have been here near Perpignan for 3 years and when we got the girls circulation cards I don't think it mattered if just one of us was there, as long as we had all the documentation for both parents. I've NEVER been asked for them though, so who knows if they are really necessary! Good luck!

Beth

www.move2france.info

5

Ashley,

Quick question. Your note mention that you have a carte sejour (titre de sejour) but you did not mention one for your husband. Is it possible to get the travel cards for my daughters with just mine? My husband has to work in the US b/c of his job and to be a resource to us in France (he visits often).

I reapplied for a visitor visa at the our french consulate in DC and they told me they can't have one since I'm a resident (received my carte sejour last July 22). And they told me to just go back to France and get the travel cards for the girls.

Thanks!

Elizabeth

6

Hi Ashley,

Thank you!! I have all of those documents except for French translation of my husband's birth certificate (who's working in the US). Will see if I can get by with what I have.

Appreciate all the helpful counsel.

Elizabeth

7

Hi Elizabeth,

My husband and I had the same issue. I came to France for work and now have a titre de sejour, but our daughter who was 14 at the time needed to have her own carte. She got a "document de circulation pour etranger mineur". It's an actual carte that is laminated and has her photo on it. Unlike the titre de sejour which is good for 1 to 3 years, hers is good until she turns 18. Then she has to apply for a titre or carte de sejour.

The documents I had to have for her was her birth certificate and the translation of it into French by a certified translator, my birth certificate and my husband's and both of those translated into French, our mariage certificate and that also translated into French, my titre de sejour and my husband's and my work contract.

Funny enough, her carte was easier to get than mine. Good luck and hopefully your prefecteur is faster than ours!

Ashley

8

Thanks Natasha. I will bring my children's passport. I was surfing all afternoone yesterday and, I think, found the answer. I will have to apply for a demande de circulation or travel card which has its own set of paper/document requirements. I will ask for this when I return on Wed to pick up my recipesse. If I don't get these before we depart in mid July, then I will just go through the visa process for them. If you hear of anything else, I would appreciate it.

9

Hi, I believe they fall under their parents but I"m not sure, I actually have my app't in Beziers later this month so I"m going to be sure to ask and will let you know. Did you bring your kids' passports to your appointment?