French Police Clearance Certificate or French Police Bulletin Number 3
Mentioned below are some instances when a police clearance certificate is required:
- When a person is applying for a passport,
- When a person is planning on immigrating to another country,
- When applying for certain types of jobs. Certain employers insist on a police clearance certificate,
- When a person plans to marry a foreigner in the partner’s country
The French police clearance certificate is called «Bulletin No. 3» (in French it is «Casier Judiciaire National n°3» or «Extrait de Casier Judiciaire«). French police and judicial records are very well maintained and easy to access. France’s «Directorate of Criminal Affairs and Pardons» is the authority responsible for maintaining a central record of all French criminal records. These centralized criminal records are maintained in Nantes, a city in the West of French and the capital of the French region of «Pays de la Loire».
To simplify the process of obtaining the French Bulletin No. 3, French authorities offer the below methods of applying for a Bulletin No. 3.:
- Applicant can personally visit and apply at the «Directorate of Criminal Affairs and Pardons» office in Nantes
- Applicant can apply online
- Applicant can send an email to the office in Nantes and they will communicate on the next steps to get a Bulletin No. 3
- Applicant can fill up the Bulletin No. 3 application form and either mail by post or fax it to the office in Nantes
The French authorities are usually quick to respond to request for police clearance certificate. The Bulletin No. 3 is always sent by registered post to the address stated by the applicant. It is never given to anyone other than the applicant. The Bulletin No. 3 is always in French and is printed on a special paper. The Bulletin No. 3 is issued free of cost to all applicants.
Not just French nationals, but also foreigners who have stayed in France, can apply for a French police clearance certificate. Since the certificate is in French, the recipient may want to use the services of a professional translation agency to create a French certified translation of the French police clearance certificate.
If you are wondering why the French police clearance certificate is called «Bulletin No. 3», it is because the French authorities also issue «Bulletin No. 1» (only issued to authorized judicial personnel) and «Bulletin No. 2» (only issued to specified government and private entities). Bulletin No. 3 is issued to individuals. Individuals do not have access to Bulletin No. 1 and 2.