Want to Buy French ID Card? Check This Out Before You Buy

Well, howdy there! You wanna get yourself a French ID card, huh? It ain’t rocket science, but it ain’t like pickin’ apples neither. Let me tell ya what I know, hear?

First off, you gotta understand what this here thing is. It’s like a little card, see? Got your picture on it, your name, and where you live. It’s an official paper that says you are who you say you are, over there in France. They call it a “carte nationale d’identité,” or CNI for short. Fancy, huh?

Now, why would ya want one? Well, I reckon it makes things easier if you’re gonna be hangin’ around France for a spell. You know, openin’ a bank account, gettin’ a job, or even just showin’ the police you ain’t some troublemaker. It’s like your golden ticket, kinda.

Getting this card, well, it takes some doin’. It ain’t free, not always. The first time you get it, or when you gotta renew it ’cause it’s old, that’s free. But if you lose it or some fella steals it, then you gotta pay. Last I heard, it’s about 25 euros, or maybe 12.50 if you’re way down in French Guiana. That’s a chunk of change, let me tell ya.

And speakin’ of changin’, they got a new card now. Started givin’ ’em out in 2021, I think. Smaller, like a credit card. Fancy again, with a little chip in it, I bet.

So, how do you get this card? Well, you gotta go through some hoops, that’s for sure. There’s this website, somethin’ called ANTS. Sounds like somethin’ that gets in your picnic basket, don’t it? Anyways, you gotta go there and do a pre-application thing. That’s like tellin’ them ahead of time that you’re comin’. Saves you some waitin’ time later, they say. If you don’t do that, well, you might be sittin’ around for a while.

• First, go to the ANTS website.
• Do the pre-application thingy.
• Get all your papers together.
• Go to the office and apply.
• Wait, wait, wait.
• Get your card!

And what papers you need? Well, they’ll want to know who you are, for sure. Birth certificate, that’s a big one. And if it’s your first time, they’re gonna wanna see your mama and papa’s names on that paper. No mama and papa names, no card. They’re strict about that, it seems.

And if you got family over there, like a brother or sister, their papers might help too. Specially if they got them new cards, or passports even. Speakin’ of passports, that’s another way to show who you are over in France, if you got one. But if you’re readin’ this, I figure you want the ID card, right?

Now, listen here, things ain’t always quick. Sometimes, you gotta wait a long time to get this card. Weeks, even months. Seems like everybody wants one these days. So, you gotta be patient, like waitin’ for the corn to grow.

And remember, this here card ain’t just for French folks. If you’re a foreigner livin’ over there, you can get one too. But you gotta be a resident, you know, livin’ there for real. And you need some kind of French paper to prove it, like a passport or maybe another ID card they gave you already. They got these things called “Identité Numérique” now too. Kinda like a digital ID I guess. You need a French ID or passport to get one of those too.

And listen, this here is important. This card, it ain’t somethin’ you gotta have. Not like food or water. It’s non-compulsory as they say. But it sure makes life easier if you’re gonna be in France for a while.

So, that’s the long and short of it. It ain’t easy, but it ain’t impossible neither. Just gotta get your ducks in a row, fill out the right papers, and be patient. And if you’re lucky, you’ll have that French ID card in your hand before you know it. Good luck to ya, I say!