The Red Tape Nightmare

French administration loves paper work. Stacks and stacks of papers. If you ever decide to move here make sure you invest in some really awesome pens that don't cramp your hand, because you will be spending hours filling out documents with overall useless information. 

Furthermore, they sometimes ask for documents that don't exist. For example, the first woman we talked to informed us that to get married I needed an official document from the U.S. government stating that they had checked and verified with every single state that I was not, nor had ever been married. Official US government websites will let you know that this document does not exist, however some countries still require it. 

So here's the loophole. From an American they will accept an official notarized document stating you swear you're not married. That's it. The trouble is, when creating this document all the examples that I found on the internet either a) cost $500 or b) where written in Chinese. Just in case anyone finds themselves in the same situation that I was in, and they happen to stumble across this blog, here you go:

AFFIDAVIT OF SINGLE STATUS

On this date of (today’s date), I, (full name), residing at (full address including zip code & country)

BEING DULY SWORN DEPOSE AND SAY:

I was born on (date of birth) at (city and state), United States of America.  

I am an American citizen. My passport number is (insert number here).         

I am a (insert profession). I am employed by (name of institute), (institute’s address)

I am currently single and have never been married.

Signature of the Affiant:

Name in Print:

Subscribed and sworn to before me by (full name) on this____day of ________________.