Beating bureaucracy!

Greatnan, I did mine at the prefecture and needed my marriage certificate too. She was a bit sniffy about the fact that the electricity bill for proof of residence was six months old as well.

They can be really picky, can't they? I have a dossier with my birth, marriage, divorce and change of name deed, and I always carry my passport and all my driving documents. I have the form from the DVLA, photocopies of both parts of my licence, my last tax return, my latest bill from EDF, two new photographs and my kitchen sink!
They did give me list at the first sous prefecture and I have now ticked off everything on it.
I don't know how expats manage if their French is not up to it.

I had a European driving licence before I arrived in France. When I went to the prefecture to check it all out to see if I needed a French one I received a shrug and a bemused 'pourquoi' . Anyway, ended up getting one because it seemed like a sensible idea.
I remember the day as being very cold and wet, the prefecture a grey, dark building but can't remember the admin being a problem.
Agreed though - it's best to take all and any papers from the year dot to be on the safe side.

Zut alors…

The confusion maybe due to the fact that a new law was planned in France for all drivers over 70 to have a medical (a good idea I think)- due to come into force in 2013. However, the law has been delayed but will probably be implemented in the next year.

Agree about expats not speaking the language. My daughter in Spain has had nightmarish problems with bureaucracy there- and it took months for them to be resolved, and she speaks fluent Spanish.

Expats in Switzerland are also complaining bitterly. We we came here, we had great difficulty to get our car registered here, as the Model we have does not exist on their computer (only difference is that ours has cloth seats, and not leather!!!). In the end the guy at the garage, who deals regularly with the administration said 'give me the keys and go for a meal- and I'll sort the b*****ers out. All done in minutes (and my French is pretty good... as I am a local born and bred).

Routine medicals are a feature of the new photocard licence which they failed to introduce in January and delayed until September.

It amazes me when I watch those programmes where people move lock,stock and barrel to another country and don't bother learning the language before they go. It's part and parcel of the adventure isn't it? And being able to immerse yourself in the culture and enjoy the people.