Good morning, can anyone advise which Certs to get translated and who will need them initially. Arriving France August to reside near Tarbes for a permanent move. Bank, Notaires all done and just want to cover any early eventualities in the chaos of the early months!!
Thanks
Less and less need for translations these days, and if they do want them then it is often recently dated and/or translated by a french qualified translator. So you may well be wasting your money. What you will need is the long version of your birth certificates, marriage certificates, (& degree absolute if you have one).
Hello Anthony
I would wait to be asked for any translations. If you don’t have the long version of your birth certificate then you should wait until you need it. Usually a certificate less than 3 months old will be needed so you should order it only when required.
Thanks for the advice Mandy and Jane. We’ll hold off for the moment…
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It is no longer necessary to translate certificates.
Please look up this subject on this site and you will find all the necessary info you need.
I agree with what you say Jane…
but… a Brit who is in the throes of gaining French Nationality… had to have all the family certificates translated by one of the “approved”. ( We were discussing his situation last weekend) He told me… he felt it was impossible to argue with the Officials when they insisted he have them done… He wanted his dossier to move forward, so he got everything translated. All is going well, he had his “language” interview last week and is waiting for the next step…
In other words… hope for the best… but be prepared to have things translated if push comes to shove… 
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No way Stella.
I fought the French health official on behalf of all UK retirees. It took me two years but they had to eventually admit to the EU Commission that they had misunderstood the regulations.
In all the years that I have lived in France I have never been asked for an official translation of any document. That’s including way back when a CDS was obligatory !
As for French nationality, I won’t be going down that road, don’t see the need, but maybe for newer arrivals, folk who work here, they might want some reassurance !
I’ve never had any documents translated inc. reregistering car, house purchase, Carte Vitale etc.
However I can see that applying for citizenship there is some necessity.