# Help with Etat Civil Paperwork



## CaroleRivi (Mar 8, 2010)

I am a French Citizen who just had a baby in the US. Over the years, I havent' kept up with l'etat civil (divorce and remarriage) with the French government (I have lived in the US for over 20 years), but I want my baby to be recognized as a French citizen . I am looking for someone experienced with the French beaurocracie to handle the paperwork for me from A to Z, and charge me a flat and reasonable fee. I do have a current French passport and used to be registered at the consulate. There are no legal complications, I just work full-time, and with the baby have no time or energy to figure all the instructions on the French consulate website. thank you,


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## Bevdeforges (Nov 16, 2007)

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but from a quick scan of the French Consulate website (Los Angeles consulate - which covers those living in Arizona), you are going to have to at least produce a livret de famille for your current marriage, and a carte d'identité along with the birth certificate of your child. To renew your carte d'identité, you have to put in an appearance at the consulate, if I'm reading this right: 



> *La demande de CNIS ne se fait que sur comparution personnelle du demandeur au Consulat Général.* La prise d’empreinte digitale est obligatoire.
> Le délai d’obtention de la CNIS est d’environ 3 mois.
> 
> Pièces à présenter lors de votre visite au consulat :
> ...


The fact that they say it twice makes me think perhaps they mean it.

But it also says that, in order to renew your carte d'identité, you have to be à jour with your registration with the consulate. At least that you can do by mail - though without a carte d'identité it's going to take a few more documents.

However, if you're really not up for going through the paperwork right now, you technically have until the child's 18th birthday. And actually, you could just leave it up to the kid to claim or not claim his French nationality - at least according to this page from Service-Public. Nationalité française : enfant dont l'1 ou les 2 parents sont Français - Service-public.fr It just gets a whole bunch harder to prove Mom's nationality as the child gets older.
Cheers,
Bev


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