Please can someone who knows, help me with a problem,

Being early retirees, obtained form S1 from UK and today we went to CPAM in Niort to register for the health service, duly armed as advised by Newcastle, to take our birth certificates and proof of residence.

Nice lady at CPAM, however, advised me a new directive came in 01/04/2012 stating birth certificates have to be translated into French and certified as true copy, also, that our birth certificates also need to be stamped as true copies. I had not heard of this and before going to CPAM checked loads of forums to see what we needed to take to make sure only one trip necessary as takes an hour to get there.

I was given details of translators and assume will have to now get these documents translated however, how is the translator going to prove its a true copy and, how do I get our original birth certifcates certified as true copies? I am also assuming it is going to be quite costly to do these.

In the meantime, we cannot get into the Health System and assume we are also not covered by UK system as S1 says cover started on 21 May.

Help anyone with advice or knowledge of what we do now?

Our French is not good and now have headache having tried to figure out what we were being told.

thanks

Paula and Alan

CPAM have an English-speaking telephone helpline and I've found them to be very helpful.

08 11 36 36 46

During working hours of course.

Not sure if they can solve all your problems, but at least they'll be able to help you in English.

Bon chance!

Hi, We also had to do this.I cannot remember if we also sent a copy of our passports, just ask the translator what he needs.We paid 35 euro's for each birth certificate.

Hi. I have also just been asked for this. A friend has been though this system and she got a French birth Cert and then produced a similar one for herself using the French format. Then took this and original UK birth cert to the Mairie and they stamped and signed it for her free of charge.

I have done this and am awaiting the outcome. Can send you a copy of mine if you want to use the same format.

thanks for all the advice, it was very much appreciated, especially the english speaking helpline.

We have now arranged for certified copies of our english documents from Somerset House and will get them translated at the same time, Expensive but worth it to know they are all done.

thanks again
Paula and Alan

Hi Paula and Alan

We have got to go through this process too. When you say you're going to have your certified copies translated at the same time, do you mean that Somerset House will produce French copies? Sorry if I'm being thick, I'm just not sure what you mean!!

Regards

Roz

I wonder what, if any, hoops a French national has to jump through to get registered with the NHS.