Getting French Passport in the UK

[Teddybear154]

I hope I'm posting this in right place and some one can give me some advice. My husband is french I'm British. He has lived and worked in the uk paying tax and national 8ndurance for 20 years.

For the last year we have been trying to apply for settled status. But in order to Apply for settled status he needs a new French passport as his old one has expired. 

We have been trying to get a new french passport but have been told that he will have to travel to London as London is the only place left in uk where you can get a Frenvh passport.

The problem is we live up in the north on the border almost in to Scotland. It's over 6 hours each way to get to london.  On top of this My husband cant drive due to a  medical condition, he has random attacks that can happen any time. He also cant travel alone. 

So if he went to London I would have to go with him, which would be hard as we have 4 children with special needs and medical condition and would have to bring them with us too as have no one who could look after them. We would have to travel by train and it would cost alot of money we could not travel both ways in on day so would have to stay in a hotel. Over all it would cost us anything up to £600 or even more just to get there and back plies passport fees and we csnt afford this.

When my husband got his last passport we went to Newcastle. Which was much closer for us. We are happy to go to Edinburgh, Newcastle, liverpool or Manchester which are all closer but have been told we cant. He has to go to London.

It seems ridiculous does any one know if there is any way to get a french passport without going to London. Can they not make special arrangements due to medical reason or something. 

It seems very discriminating against disabled and sick people who cant travel to London.

If my husband cant get a new French passport the reality is he cant apply for settled status and next year he will be kicked out. This is causing us great worry. 

Any advice would be much appreciated thanks in advance

[firstship]

There is a French Consulate General in Edinburgh who you can contact by email who will give you the correct advice

FS

[BankFodder]

Doesn't he have a national identity card? Can't he use that instead of a passport?

[Teddybear154]

No he does not have a national identity card as we thought they were scrapped years ago, also we did not see the point as he already had a passport. Did not realise we would have these problems renewing passport when expired. Also again to get a national identity card you have to travel to London apparently.

[BankFodder]

Well I'm very sorry. I don't really have any idea at all what you might be able to do. All I can suggest is to call the French embassy and start discussing the disability issues. It does sound pretty amazing that they are not aware of those kind of possibilities but I'm sorry to say – and I have some experience of French bureaucracy – that I have never found them very flexible or consumer-facing.

As your husband is a French citizen, he has a right to an identity card – at the very least – and it seems to me that the French authorities should not allow issues such as disability to get in the way of asserting this right.

[firstship]

Teddybear have you contacted the French Consulate General in Edinburgh initially by email and ask the question can you get a passport renewal at the Edinburgh Office

FS

[ericsbrother]

they will want to see you t make sure the person asking is the one standing in front of them

Yes, it can be a consular matter so find out if nearest office will help. you may find someone closer then Edinburgh as honorary consuls can probably sign the paperwork off

[Teddybear154]

Thanks every one for your replies. First ship my husband has emailed French Consulate General in Edinburgh but have not had a reply yet.

ericsbrother I under stand that they need to see him to make sure the person applying for passport is that person. We have no problem with that  but we have been told that honorary consulates are no longer are aloud to do passports. My husband phoned both the Liverpool and Newcastle ones and was told the only place you can get a french passport is in London now. 

I think it's totally unacceptable to expect you to travel hundreds of miles to other end of country. And it is discriminating against people who cant travel for medical reasons.

 

that's why I  was wondering if there was any one who has been in  a similar situation and has managed to get a French passport with out going to  London but going somewhere closer.

 

we have no problem going to some where closer just cant get to London.