A little 'background first: I’m starting the process of applying for French nationality and one of the requirements is a criminal records check. I’m American and apparently the only acceptable background check is from the FBI.
To get the FBI report, one has to submit a fingerprint card (available on the FBI website) with the ‘dabs’ taken by a professional. So, there’s a place in Paris that does this, but I’m in Aix and not planning a trip to Paris anytime soon.
My question is: Has anyone had experience with walking into the local cop shop and asking them to take your fingerprints?
Thank you in advance.
Morning Sam
Do not know if this is relevant but we are going to our Prefecture on Tuesday to have our fingerprints taken for our WA CdS.
Could it be worth asking at your Marie or the Prefecture if they could oblige ?
Good luck
Andy
2 Likes
this group might well be able to answer your question:
2 Likes
Thanks for the recommendation.
I have looked at that bunch before, and just realized, yet again, that it’s a fairly pricey subscription service. Plus the demographic slants heavily towards the Asian community.
I also just checked some reviews and the big complaint is that it’s an ‘albatross’ credit card operation that you can only stop with great difficulty. I’ll give it a pass. But again, thank you.
On edit.
It’s possible to join for free, but many aspects are closed off unless you ‘subscribe’.
Plus I just looked at their forums and there is heavy duty support for #LOSER45 there. So it’s pretty much a non-starter.
1 Like
What is Loser45? Something Trumpian? (Don’t want to google in case it takes me into the nether world)
1 Like
Oh god you have started something now!
I hope not.
Those are my terms for ‘He Who Shall Not Be Named’ or as President Biden refers to him ‘The Former Guy’. It’s in the tradition of ‘damnatio memoriae’ which my father used in relation to FDR. He always referred to him as ‘that S.O.B’. Hence #LOSER45 means the 45 pResident who lost the election of 2020. #IMPOTUSx2 is ‘Impeached President of the US times 2’.
Hope that clears it up.
5 Likes
Yes, thank you. Lovely, although I can think of much more scathing names for the orange one.
I try to be as scathing as possible. But still remaining ‘Safe For Work’.
2 Likes
Hello, Sam,
Do not bother with fingerprints and the FBI. They will refuse the background check and certificate that you want anyway. Go to the nearest US consulate (or to the embassy in Paris, if you have to) and swear that you have never been convicted of a crime in any state. They will give you a notarized statement that you said that in front of them. That is what you present, probably with a notarized translation.
Good luck
3 Likes
Thank you for this.
I had asked in the FB about background checks, and no one even mentioned this as an option.
Is that how you did it?
Thanks
Or a private forensic laboratory? Laboratoire médico-légal privé
1 Like
Sam,
Yes, it is. I do not know about the consulates, but in Paris, they were very familiar with the requirement. The French accepted the letter without any problem.
Good luck!
How long ago did you apply for nationality here?
The requirements for documents seem to vary from prefecture to prefecture, though a national certified background check seems to be essential unless one has lived in France over 10 years.
Hello, I will be going through the same process soon in France and I wanted to see how things worked out for @Sam_Gish?
Did you end up requesting the FBI background check or did you use a notarized statement from the embassy? Thank you!
Charles
When I posted the original topic, I was investigating background checks, FBI fingerprints, etc. I haven’t started the nationality application yet.
Allow at least three years for your application to go through currently. Obviously it depends on how busy the dept dealing with the application is but my son has been waiting over three years despite living here for nearly 30years, doinghis schooling in France and now a fonctionnaire and it isn’t even this dept where we live dealing with it but one for the Occitanie Rousillon region only. We know they are doing the dossier as every so often more info is required including all birth details of his 2year old so you will have to be very patient as they don’t like people trying to hurry them up. I should also add he has had a full CDS and then TDS since the day we arrived in the early 90’s so they have the info already including dabs for the last CDS brexit card.
1 Like
Thanks for the timeline!
I’m not overly concerned about the timeline. It should be a fairly simple application as no children past or future are involved, my wife isn’t applying (Language skills), we haven’t moved house since we got here, and I’m basically looking forward to the process as an intellectual exercise.
It would be nice to die as a citoyen, but if I don’t? I don’t.
1 Like