By Parviz Malakouti-Fitzgerald, Esq.
You can get a copy of your french background check (Extrait de casier Judiciaire) for free, with about twenty minutes of time, and one to three days of waiting. Your fingerprints are not required.
In this article, we’ll call it “the background check” or “the Extrait.”
Article Outline:
It's common to be asked for this type of background check if you are a French citizen applying for citizenship or residency in another country OR if you ever lived in France for a period of time.
This article is a step by step guide on how to order your own French background check.
This can be critical for obtaining a foreign citizenship, residency, or visa, as well as necessary for other purposes.
Make the Initial request - Step by Step
First you go to the Casier Judiciaire Nacional website. This is part of the French Ministry of Justice.
If you don’t have a FranceConnect account, scroll to the bottom and click on “Faire ma demande sans FranceConnect.”
At the next page, if you were born outside of France then click “hors de France”
Then fill out your email address “Courriel” and mailing address “Votre adresse postale.”
Also, if your current mailing address is outside of France, click “Adresse postale à l'étranger”
Fill out the security code at the bottom then press the blue button that reads “Continuer.”
At the next screen, you fill out a bunch of biographical information about yourself.
At the bottom of this very same screen, you are requested to upload 1-4 pieces of evidence of your identity where the prompt reads “Mes justificatifs d'identité”
Presumably, most people use their passport or a state-issued driver license. We have verified that the Palau digital residency ID can be used and accepted.
After you have uploaded your evidence of identity, click on the blue button that reads “Etape Suivante.”
Then you are brought to a screen with a summary (“Récapitulatif”) of your biographical information that you are asked to review.
If all your biographical information is correct, hit the blue button on the lower right hand side that reads “Valider mes information.”
But if you need to correct some information, hit the button that reads “Corriger mes informations.”
ONCE YOU PRESS “VALIDER MES INFORMATION”, YOUR REQUEST WILL BE SUBMITTED.
Confirm the Request (via Link Emailed to You)
You’ll then receive an email containing an eight digit alphanumeric reference code, shortly after making your submission (as described above). The email's subject line will read:
Importantly, the email will ask you to confirm your Casier request within three days.
Open the email and confirm your request by clicking on the blue button that reads “Accéder à l’écran de information.”
Then you at the next screen, you're brought to, you click “Confirmer votre demande.”
Then you’ll be brought to a screen confirming your request “Accusé de confirmation.”
At this point, you've successfully completed your request. Now you have to wait.
Receive the Email Containing the Link
to Background Check
Within a few days (1-3 days, in our experience), you will receive an email with the subject line that reads:
This is the email that contains a link to download your Extrait de Casier Judiciare - your French backbround check!
You only have ten days to access and download your background check. Open the email and click on the blue button that reads “Obtenir la réponse à votre demande d’extrait de casier judiciaire.”
Download the Extrait de Casier Judiciaire
Once you click the blue button mentioned above, you'll be brought to a screen asking you for your name, date of birth, and the alphanumeric code mentioned above.
Once you enter that information, you’ll be brought to a page where you can download your background check as a PDF.
Success!
Note: you may have to also apostille the document to use it for whatever purpose you need it for.
Sample of French Extrait de Casier Judiciaire
Here's what the background check looks like for a person with no criminal record on file with the French Ministry of Justice.
Learn More About Second Citizenship
To learn about how to request your FBI background check, click here for our library of articles.
To book a consultation with Malakouti Law to discuss our second citizenship services, click here.
Each immigration and citizenship case is particular and you should consult with a qualified immigration and citizenship lawyer about your case before taking any steps. The Law Office of Parviz Malakouti does not guarantee the accuracy of information presented nor assume responsibility for actions taken in reliance of this information. The information in this page could become outdated. Attorney marketing.