Do son's diplomas need translating?
Electricians are among those professions which need suitable diplomas to practise in France
Q: MY SON is in the process of coming to live in France.
He is a fully-qualified electrician in the UK and has worked as one for the last 12 years.
Do all of his certificates have to be translated into French for him
to start up as an auto-entrepreneur?
A: Electricians are among those professions which need suitable diplomas to practise in France, whether under the simplified auto-entrepreneur system or not.
An adviser from the Calvados chambre de métiers, Jacqueline Galizzi, said although you can register online as an auto-entrepreneur and you do not have to formally register as an artisan at the chamber, it is still your point of contact (or your centre de formalités).
They are entitled to ask for evidence of either three years' professional experience or suitable British qualifications, which should be the equivalent of at least the French CAP (certificat d'aptitude professionnelle), which certifies basic competence in a trade.
You should have it translated by a traducteur assermenté - one who has sworn in a court of appeal and whose translations have legal force. Check they are assermenté - other terms like agrée (approved) are sometimes used but do not have such a precise meaning.
What is more, a law is expected to be passed requiring all artisan (tradespeople) auto-entrepreneurs to register formally on the répertoire des métiers at their local chamber, as people with traditional business set-ups have to do.
Should that happen, you will need to show certificates to the chamber in order to join the repertoire.
