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Post by jhorner on Jun 13, 2016 13:32:36 GMT -5
This past weekend my wife received her confirmation of citizenship from Lux City. She had turned in her paperwork on November 25, 2015, so that may give you a sense of where they are in the process. Her citizenship became effective on the date atop the letter, so the answer to my previous question on whether just turning in your paperwork was enough is clearly "no;" it's official when you get this letter.
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Post by twoj on Jun 13, 2016 19:48:31 GMT -5
A Big Congratulations!!!
It must be quite the relief to complete! Will you be applying for the passport?
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AdA
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Post by AdA on Jun 14, 2016 6:49:56 GMT -5
This past weekend my wife received her confirmation of citizenship from Lux City. She had turned in her paperwork on November 25, 2015, so that may give you a sense of where they are in the process. Her citizenship became effective on the date atop the letter, so the answer to my previous question on whether just turning in your paperwork was enough is clearly "no;" it's official when you get this letter. As for me, I got my letter mid-March (with a citizenship date at the end of February) and I had turned in all the documents beginning of September last year. So I guess it's "the same rhythm" for a while now, you can hope 6 months to get the citizenship if nothing comes up, and 3 weeks more to get the letter if you live in North America. twoj, I got my ID and my passport. If you have any questions, I can try and answer them. |
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Post by twoj on Jun 14, 2016 10:39:57 GMT -5
Hi AdA
imitation being the sincerest form of flattery i couldn't resist changing the avatar, however i thought the UN flag a bit better for myself.
Yes, actually i'm interested where you applied, at the consulate in the US? did you apply for the passport and the identity card at the same time? what are the reqirements? (ie 2 passport photos, the letter stating you have nationality, etc) How much does it cost? for 5 /10 years?
I just got my French passport last week and now now i have an appointment to apply for the Carte nationale d’identité sécurisée.
What i'm also interested in is seeing if i can open up a bank account in France and/or Luxembourg. The information i found about France seems pretty unlikely unless a put in something like 4000Euros to avoid monthly banking fees, not to mention that most banks don't want to deal with comptes non-residents. I haven't looked into Luxembourg yet, maybe they are a bit better.
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AdA
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Post by AdA on Jun 14, 2016 12:28:31 GMT -5
Yeah, sure, because you're first and foremost Canadian!  As for me, I guess, I'm primarily European.....  I didn't apply through a consulate because the consulate of New York couldn't care less. Before going there, since it's quite a trip for me, I had a few questions. I emailed them my questions, once, and a second time a couple of weeks later, I'm still waiting for the answer. So, I decided I would not go to NYC just for this. And, as you may recall from a previous discussion, my parents live in France. I went to visit them and took the time to go to Luxembourg. I had done a lot of searching prior to my trip. And I can tell you what I found out. It may or may not apply to your situation if you apply abroad. Everyone that becomes Lux. through naturalization has a RNPP number, no need to apply for one. If you have kids, they're automatically linked to you. So when I phoned the guichet.lu center (CTIE), the guy could see my name, my number, my son's name and his number. However, he said he was not allowed to give the numbers to me by phone. By the way, the guy I had was VERY nice, he even took the time to phone me back an hour later once he had a definitive answer to my question. When I went in person to the office (I had to go there three times) every time they were nice. The requirements when you go there are simple: - an ID proving my identity (I took my French passport) + an ID proving my son's identity (his French passport too): I didn't give the American ones since they were in English and from out of the EU but I guess they're valid. - if you're married, you should provide a marriage certificate in order for them to update your file/their system. And only when they have done it, you can get a passport/ID with your spouse's name on it. - a bill (facture) with your address and your name on it: I gave the water bill - if you apply for a minor: you need to fill an attestation s/he lives with you if you have no official paper proving it. The reason is that in Lux. every city hall maintains a registry with all its inhabitants, even the minor ones, so it's very easy for a Lux. resident to provide the paper. However, if you live in France or the US, you can't provide it. Now, you can do it at the office, no problem about it. - you need to have paid the fees for the ID and to prove it: just print the receipt, they'll be happy with it. No need to transfer funds, you can pay online: www.guichet.public.lu/citoyens/fr/citoyennete/papiers-identite/carte-identite/nouv-carte-identite-adulte/index.html- take you driver's license, it has your name and address on it, I remember I've given it to them, I don't remember what for. - no need to bring a picture, they can take it at the office. - no need to bring you Certificate of citizenship, they can't care less since they can see your name on their system. The prices are here: www.guichet.public.lu/citoyens/fr/citoyennete/papiers-identite/carte-identite/nouv-carte-identite-adulte/index.htmlBasically, I paid 14 for mine and 5 for my son, and you add 1 because it's through the Internet (0.5 for each person actually) so it was 20 euros for both of us. As for the passport office, my encounters with them weren't so nice. The first person I met was a stupid ASSHOLE and he even refused that I apply for a passport for my son. I had to come back a few days later. His problem, among many, was that I could not provide a proof my son was living with me. As I said before, the US does not do that, and I should have signed a paper in his office. Well, he didn't want to hear anything, even threatened me not to file MY passport's request. He said I should go to the US embassy for my son (proof he lives with me). Eventually I went to the CTIE, they couldn't believe their ears when I talked to them about him. I came back two days later to the passport office, had a much nicer guy (well, he was just professional), he took my son's picture, took my letter stating he was living with me, filed the application, and that was it! The requirements are the same: - bill with your name and your address - ID/passport - pay the fees prior to your visit: paiement-ppa.services-publics.lu/aeppa-fo/jsp/edit_formThey can't change anything on your file, so if you want to update your spouse's name or correct a mistake they made, it's in the CTIE. So it took me three visits (it should have been only two) once to apply for the ID and the passport (different locations, but 3 minutes apart) and once to get them. If there is no waiting time, it's very fast. I guess I stayed for 3 minutes at the passport's office (the second time, because with the dumb asshole, it took me at least 15 minutes just to get insulted) and maybe 10 at the CTIE for my son and me. You need to give your fingerprints and to sign. The ID is: 10 years for an adult, 2 years for my son (and I think 5 years for a minor over 4). The passport is: 5 years for everybody over 4 (so my son got only 2 years). Congrats on your French passport. It's the law in France that, if you're a French resident or a French citizen -even living overseas-, you can open a bank account. If banks deny you, you should go ask to the Banque de France. As I said to you in a previous post, I've had an account in France since being 8 or so, so it has never been an issue for me. As for Luxembourg, I am not too sure. I've worked there 15 or so years ago, and I opened an account there at the time. I still have it. I'm pretty sure you can open one in the main banks: BCEE (Spuerkess), BGL or BIL. Where do you live? Do you often go to Europe (France/Lux)? |
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Post by twoj on Jun 14, 2016 14:09:25 GMT -5
Yeah, sure, because you're first and foremost Canadian! As for me, I guess, I'm primarily European..... I guess a would be considered Canadian first but I like to think we must first consider ourselves humans and citizens of the world without nationality. That is excellent and precise information, I love it when people actually give the fine details that make a huge difference when preparing stuff like this! I'm not sure I follow this; are you saying that my spouse could get a Luxembourgian passport? would that not mean she would need to be given Luxembourgian nationality? I didn't think this was possible at this time that the spouse would automatically get nationality as well? I know that it automatically passes to the children but I didn't think it applies to the spouse?
fortunately running into these types of people is seldom these days but it seems there is always one, mine was the woman from the civil status department in Bonn, Germany, I guess its good that my German is too basic to tell her what an asshole she was. I digress!
Canada just recently offers the 10 year passport - the reality is that 5 years is a short period of time for a passport. I guess they only have the 5 year?
Congrats on your French passport. it's the law in France that, if you're a French resident or a French citizen -even living overseas-, you can open a bank account. If banks deny you, you should go ask to the Banque de France. As I said to you in a previous post, I've had an account in France since being 8 or so, so it has never been an issue for me. As for Luxembourg, I am not too sure. I've worked there 15 or so years ago, and I opened an account there at the time. I still have it. I'm pretty sure you can open one in the main banks: BCEE (Spuerkess), BGL or BIL. Thank you, these application for nationality is really big consumption in time, energy and money, I'm lucky that I can do some of the stuff during the day at work and that I work and live in a major city with access to certain things. I remember you telling me about it, and I did look up that information and look at the Banque de France. the problem with them is that their basic account will cost you like 10 Euros/ month unless you keep a balance of 4000euros or something like that - I guess if I had 4000euros hanging around I might do it but I was looking for a simple no-fee account for basic transactions, I know like most places it has become harder and harder to find these accounts.
We live in Montreal, Quebec. We seem to go to France every 1-2 years, we haven't gone to Luxembourg since the reason has been from my wife to see her family, and now to see our son. I will be taking a side trip to Luxembourg to deposit phase 1 this autumn but since my wife's family is mostly in Vendée, it is about 7.5 hours on the train to get there, the plane also takes 7.5 hours with stop-overs.
So I will need to see later, if and when I get the nationality, whether it is better to apply at the consulate here or do it next year in Luxembourg. It would make it a good reason to go back there and be able to meet some people and do some research. Even though there seems to be a contact person here in Montreal for Luxembourg, I think the only real consulate is in Ottawa, and even still I think they refer certain request, ie possibly passports, to the consulate in the US. I haven't researched this yet.
How long have you been in the US? and what area of France are you from? Did you learn any Luxemburgish while you were there?
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AdA
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Post by AdA on Jun 14, 2016 17:31:53 GMT -5
No, you don't understand, but since you're a man, I guess I should have expected it! (no offence to you being a man, it's just men usually don't think about it) Women must have their IDs under their maiden names. But they can add their husband's names if they want it, and for equality purposes, men can add their wife's name too. It does not mean their wife can become Luxembourgian, just that it's written something like Jean Martin époux Dupont, Dupont being his wife's name. Unfortunately you can't choose the duration of your passport, I would have applied for 10, believe me! You should have a look here: washington.mae.lu/fr/Embassy-Info/JurisdictionsTo sum it up, you can choose where to apply for an ID/passport: either in Luxembourg City or at any US consulate you choose. If I had had this choice, I'd have gone to DC! Unfortunately for US residents, we cannot choose where to go. It seems that they don't have anything official in Canada.
I've lived in the US for 10 years. And I'm from Lorraine, which is adjacent to Luxembourg (but, still, a pain in the ass to drive there). I tried to learn Luxembourgish but when I applied, it was full so I gave up. I never really needed it since I was living in Luxembourg City.
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Post by twoj on Jun 15, 2016 9:07:08 GMT -5
-Guilty as charged 
Interesting, so I guess that would realistically leave NYC or Luxembourg, I guess it will depend if we go to Europe next year, although I would like to go to luxembourg for a few days just myself, but it becomes a bit expensive if it is a short trip. Well at least now I know what the options are.
When you worked in Luxembourg what languages did you use at work or out in public?
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AdA
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Post by AdA on Jun 15, 2016 21:24:55 GMT -5
In Luxembourg City, everybody or almost speaks French, as well as in the south and west. There are a lot of foreigners, French, Belgian, and Portuguese mostly, all French and Belgians speak French obviously (they're from the French speaking part of Belgium) and for Portuguese, they usually can speak it too. If you go north or east, so closer to Germany, you should better speak German. They'll try to understand your rusty German, but not French. (what I'm saying here is general)
A lot of people speak English too in Luxembourg City since there are so many foreigners. But not so much in the countryside. For the other languages, it depends.
At work, I used French and English. |
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bt008
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Post by bt008 on Aug 4, 2016 4:09:49 GMT -5
Just made my declaration at Bierger. Phase 2 complete!
Phase 3, pub crawl!
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Post by Simon on Aug 4, 2016 22:54:47 GMT -5
Just made my declaration at Bierger. Phase 2 complete! Phase 3, pub crawl! Scott's Pub, in the Grund, is a nice place to have a pint on a sunny afternoon. Especially out on the patio looking up at the city. |
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Post by twoj on Aug 5, 2016 6:11:36 GMT -5
Just made my declaration at Bierger. Phase 2 complete! Phase 3, pub crawl! Congratulations!
Were you able to speak Luxembourgian by the end of Phase 3? 
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bt008
New Member
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Post by bt008 on Aug 5, 2016 7:16:58 GMT -5
Just made my declaration at Bierger. Phase 2 complete! Phase 3, pub crawl! Congratulations!
Were you able to speak Luxembourgian by the end of Phase 3?
At the time,, yes.  |
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Post by twoj on Sept 6, 2016 1:33:21 GMT -5
Phase 2 complete as Well!!!!!
Had a great interview with Didier HATZ at the Bierger-Center, very nice guy.
he didn't like that my certified passport copy was with my expired passport - but he just made a copy on the spot.
Just a note when you come in the Bierger Center you get a ticket from the machine, the machine has tickets A, B and C, for the applications it is B - Naturalizations, the layout of the place was a bit strange that I didn't see any indication where the B rooms were, which in my case turned out to be behind the information desk at the entrance. A great experience and extremely happy to complete that part.
Phase 3 - Off to Vianden to admire the country, and complain about all the non-Luxembourgers blocking the roads!
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Post by twoj on Feb 16, 2017 11:31:58 GMT -5
-Mission Accomplished!
Just received my letter yesterday - officially accepted
For those wondering about the timing
Submitted Phase 2 on 2016-Sep-5
Nationality officially recovered on 2017-Fev-03 : 151 days (~ 5 months)
Received enveloppe on 2017-Fev-15 (in Canada) : 163 days (5 months - 10 days)
Time to celebrate with the eau-de-vie I got in Vianden - 9 generations and not much has changed :-)
Next up: Passport & Nationality Card...
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As for me, I guess, I'm primarily European..... 
