France Casier Judiciaire Bulletin No. 3 for Ecuador Residency Visa

France's official criminal record document is called the Casier Judiciaire (literally, "judicial record"). It is maintained by the Casier Judiciaire National (CJN) under the Ministère de la Justice and is the equivalent of a police clearance certificate in other countries.

The Casier Judiciaire is divided into three different versions, called bulletins, each with a different audience and a different level of detail:

• Bulletin n°1 — The complete record. It contains every entry on file, including dismissed and expunged items in certain cases. It is issued only to judicial authorities (judges, prosecutors, court clerks). Private individuals cannot obtain a copy of their own Bulletin n°1.
• Bulletin n°2 — A more limited extract. It is issued only to certain administrations, employers in regulated professions, and public bodies authorized by law (for example, when vetting candidates for positions involving contact with minors or for certain civil service roles). It is not available to private citizens for their own use.
• Bulletin n°3 — The most restricted extract. It contains only the most serious convictions (significant prison sentences, certain felony convictions, and specific bans). It is the only bulletin a private individual can request for themselves, and it is the version Ecuador requires for residency visa applications.

For most law-abiding applicants, Bulletin n°3 will come back marked "néant" ("nothing"), meaning no convictions to report.

Ecuador requires Bulletin n°3 for residency visa applicants who are French nationals or who have lived in France long enough to be required to provide a French background check. The document must be:

• Issued by the Casier Judiciaire National (CJN) in Nantes
• Apostilled by the appropriate French Cour d'Appel (Court of Appeal)
• Translated into Spanish by a sworn translator (traducteur assermenté)
• Issued within 180 days before your visa application submission

Important: Ecuador's 180-day window pauses while your visa application is under review. The clock does not run during processing — it only counts the days before and after Ecuador is actively reviewing your file.

Critical point on which bulletin to request: Do not ask a French employer, lawyer, or notary to give you a Bulletin n°2 or to obtain Bulletin n°1 on your behalf. Ecuadorian consulates and the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores expect Bulletin n°3, which is the version a private citizen is entitled to request. Submitting the wrong bulletin (or one obtained by a third party in violation of the access rules) will result in rejection.

The Casier Judiciaire Bulletin n°3 is issued by the Casier Judiciaire National (CJN), a central service of the Ministère de la Justice (Ministry of Justice). The CJN is physically located in Nantes, France, and operates a single national office — there are no regional or prefectural counters that issue Bulletin n°3.

The official website is:

[casier-judiciaire.justice.gouv.fr](https://casier-judiciaire.justice.gouv.fr/)

Key facts about the CJN:

• It is a central authority — your Bulletin n°3 is issued from a single national database, regardless of where in France you live or were born.
• It is free for the applicant to request a copy of their own Bulletin n°3.
• It serves both French nationals and foreign nationals born in France.
• Requests can be made online, by mail, or through a French consulate if you are applying from abroad.
• The CJN sends Bulletin n°3 by postal mail only — there is no electronic delivery to the applicant directly, although applicants abroad can have it sent to a French consulate for collection in some cases.

Because there is only one issuing office, the route to apostille is also centralized: the Cour d'Appel with jurisdiction over Nantes is the Cour d'Appel de Rennes, which is where the apostille is obtained (covered in the apostille section below).

There are three ways to request Bulletin n°3. Choose the one that fits your situation. The online method is fastest and recommended for almost all applicants who have internet access.

Method 1 — Online via the CJN Website (Recommended)

This is the fastest, simplest, and free method.

Step 1 — Go to the official CJN portal Navigate to casier-judiciaire.justice.gouv.fr and select the option to request your own Bulletin n°3 ("Demande de bulletin n°3").

Step 2 — Complete the online form The form requests:

• Full legal name (as it appears on your birth certificate, including any prior names or maiden names)
• Date of birth
• Place of birth (commune, département for those born in France; country for those born abroad)
• Father's full name
• Mother's full maiden name
• Current postal address (for delivery)

The form is in French. If your French is limited, ask a French-speaking friend or a translator to help you complete it — the CJN will reject forms with errors in the spelling of names or place of birth.

Step 3 — Submit the form There is no fee to pay. After submission, you receive an on-screen confirmation. The CJN will process your request and dispatch Bulletin n°3 by postal mail to the address you provided.

Step 4 — Receive Bulletin n°3 by mail Delivery is typically within about 2 weeks to a French address. Delivery to an address outside France takes longer (often 3–4 weeks) and depends on the postal service in your country of residence.

Method 2 — By Mail Using Form CJN1

If you do not have internet access, you can submit a paper form. Download form CJN1 from the CJN website (or request it from a mairie/town hall), fill it in by hand, and send it to:

Casier Judiciaire National — 44317 Nantes Cedex 3, France

The paper form requests the same identifying information as the online form. There is no fee and no stamps or stamped self-addressed envelopes are required. The CJN will dispatch your Bulletin n°3 by postal mail.

This method takes longer than the online method (typically 3–4 weeks total) because of the additional postal time for your request to reach Nantes.

Method 3 — Via a French Consulate (For Applicants Abroad)

If you are a French national or French-born foreign national currently residing outside France, you can apply through the French consulate or embassy in your country of residence. Many consulates accept Bulletin n°3 requests as part of their standard administrative services.

Procedure:

• Contact your local French consulate and ask for the procedure for requesting Bulletin n°3.
• Most consulates will accept your request and forward it to the CJN in Nantes.
• The CJN can send Bulletin n°3 either to your personal address abroad or to the French consulate for you to collect in person, depending on consular practice.

This method is useful if international mail delivery to your country is unreliable, or if you prefer to collect the document at the consulate rather than receive it by mail.

Processing times via consulate vary widely (often 4–8 weeks) because of the consulate-to-CJN-to-consulate routing.

Which Method Should You Use?

The Casier Judiciaire request is unusual in that it requires very little supporting documentation compared to background checks from many other countries. The CJN identifies you from the information you provide on the form, cross-referenced against your civil registration record.

For French nationals or foreign nationals born in France:

• No documents are required to be submitted with the online or mailed CJN1 form. The form itself contains all required identifying information.
• Make sure the spelling of your name, date of birth, place of birth, and parents' names exactly matches your French civil registration (état civil). A mismatch is the most common reason for delays or for receiving a Bulletin n°3 issued in the wrong name.
• If you have a prior name (for example, a maiden name or a name from a previous marriage), include it. Convictions can be recorded under prior names.

For French citizens or foreign nationals born outside France:

• The CJN may request additional proof of identity and place of birth to ensure they are pulling the correct record. This is typically required for applicants whose place of birth is not a French commune.
• You may be asked to submit (by mail or upload, depending on the channel):
• A copy of your passport or French national identity card
• A copy of a birth certificate from your country of birth (translated into French if it is in another language)

For all applicants — Recommended to have on hand (even if not initially requested):

• Passport (used later for the apostille step and for your Ecuador visa application)
• A copy of your French residency card (titre de séjour) if you are a foreign national resident in France

Note on accuracy: The single most important factor in a successful Bulletin n°3 request is matching the names and dates on your French civil record exactly. The CJN database is name-based — typos, accents, or alternate spellings can cause your record to be returned blank when it should not be, or, more commonly, can cause the document to be returned to you with a note that the request could not be processed.

From CJN application to Bulletin n°3 in hand: approximately 2 weeks for online or mailed requests delivered to a French address.

Breakdown:

• CJN receives your request: same day (online) or 1–3 days (paper form by mail)
• CJN processes and prints Bulletin n°3: 5–10 working days
• Postal delivery to a French address: 1–3 working days after dispatch
• Postal delivery to an address abroad: 1–3 weeks after dispatch, depending on country

Realistic total timelines:

Factors that cause delays:

• Misspelled name, incorrect date of birth, or non-matching parents' names — the CJN will return your request with a note asking for clarification, restarting the clock.
• Foreign place of birth — may trigger an additional verification step.
• Holiday periods in France (especially August and the December–January window) — administrative response times slow noticeably.
• International postal delays.

Allow 4 weeks as a conservative planning buffer if you are in France, and 6–8 weeks if you are applying from abroad.

Bulletin n°3 is FREE.

There is no government fee for an individual to request their own Bulletin n°3 from the CJN. This applies regardless of whether you apply online, by mail, or via a French consulate.

• Online request: free
• Mailed CJN1 form: free (no stamps or self-addressed envelopes required)
• Consular request: free in terms of CJN fees (consulates may charge a small administrative or postage fee in some cases — confirm with your consulate)

Do not pay third-party websites that offer to "obtain" your Bulletin n°3 for a fee. These services do nothing more than submit the same free CJN form on your behalf, often with markup of €30–€100 or more. Apply directly via casier-judiciaire.justice.gouv.fr — the official portal is straightforward and entirely free.

The only costs in this whole process are:

1. The Spanish translation (covered below)
2. Postage and travel costs for the apostille if you choose to handle it by mail or in person
3. (Optionally) a small fee paid to a service agency if you choose to outsource the apostille step

France is a member of the Hague Apostille Convention of 1961, which means French public documents (including the Casier Judiciaire) can be authenticated for international use through an apostille rather than a full embassy legalization process. Ecuador accepts apostilled documents.

Important difference from most other countries: In France, the apostille is not issued by the Ministry of Justice or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is issued by the Cour d'Appel (Court of Appeal) that has territorial jurisdiction over the office that issued the document.

Which Cour d'Appel Issues the Apostille for Bulletin n°3?

Because Bulletin n°3 is issued by the CJN in Nantes, the Cour d'Appel with jurisdiction is:

Cour d'Appel de Rennes Service Apostille Rennes, France

All Bulletin n°3 apostille requests go to the Cour d'Appel de Rennes, regardless of where you live in France or where you were born. This is a frequent source of confusion — applicants sometimes try to apostille Bulletin n°3 at the Cour d'Appel of their own département (for example, Paris or Aix-en-Provence), and the request is rejected because that court does not have territorial jurisdiction over Nantes.

Apostille Process

Option A: By Mail (Most Common)

Mail your original Bulletin n°3 to the Service Apostille at the Cour d'Appel de Rennes with a cover letter requesting an apostille for use in Ecuador. Include:

• The original Bulletin n°3
• A cover letter with your name, the country where the document will be used (Ecuador), your return address, and a contact phone number
• A self-addressed stamped envelope for the return of the apostilled document (registered or tracked mail is strongly recommended)

The Cour d'Appel affixes the apostille directly to the document (or to an attached page) and returns it by post.

Option B: In Person at the Cour d'Appel de Rennes

If you live near Rennes (or are willing to travel), you can submit the document in person at the Service Apostille of the Cour d'Appel. Procedures and counter hours vary; confirm by phone before traveling. Some applicants are able to obtain the apostille the same day or within a few days; others receive it by mail afterward.

Option C: Via a Service Agency

A number of private agencies in France will handle the apostille process on your behalf for a service fee (typically €30–€80). They collect your original document by mail or in person, submit it to the Cour d'Appel de Rennes, and return the apostilled document to you. This is helpful if you are abroad or short on time.

Cost of the Apostille

The apostille itself is free in France. The Cour d'Appel does not charge a government fee for issuing an apostille. The only costs are:

• Postage to send the document to Rennes
• Postage for the return envelope
• (Optionally) the service fee charged by a private agency if you use one

Do not be confused by service agency websites that quote an "apostille fee" — the only fee they charge is their own service fee. The apostille itself is free.

Apostille Processing Time

1–4 weeks from the date the Cour d'Appel de Rennes receives your document, depending on the court's current workload and the time of year. Add postal time on each side.

Conservative estimate from sending your document to Rennes to receiving it apostilled: 3–5 weeks total.

Avoid the August and December–January periods if possible, as French courts and administrations operate at reduced capacity during these times.

Bulletin n°3 is issued in French. Ecuador requires all foreign-language documents to be translated into Spanish by a certified or sworn translator. Your apostilled Bulletin n°3 must be accompanied by a certified Spanish translation.

Requirements for the translation:

• Translated by a certified/sworn translator (traducteur assermenté) — not a machine translation, and not a casual bilingual friend.
• The translation must accompany the apostilled original — translate after the apostille is affixed so the translator can include the apostille text in the Spanish version.
• The translator's certification, signature, and seal must be included on the translation.

Two options for sworn translation:

1. A French traducteur assermenté — Sworn translators in France are listed by each Cour d'Appel and can produce a French-to-Spanish translation that is legally valid in France. Their translations are accepted by Ecuador in most cases.
2. A certified translator working in Ecuador / for the Ecuadorian market — Some applicants find it simpler to send the apostilled document to a service that specializes in producing Spanish translations for Ecuadorian immigration. This avoids any risk that the French sworn translator's certification format will not be recognized in Ecuador.

[EcuadorTranslations.com](https://ecuadortranslations.com) provides certified Spanish translation services for French Casier Judiciaire documents (Bulletin n°3). Translations are produced by professionals familiar with Ecuador's immigration document requirements and are accepted by the Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana.

Translation turnaround: Typically 2–5 business days. Typical cost for a French Bulletin n°3 translation: approximately $150 USD depending on volume and turnaround.

Do not translate Bulletin n°3 yourself, even if you are fluent in Spanish — only translations bearing the seal and certification of a sworn or certified translator will be accepted by Ecuadorian authorities.

When submitting your Bulletin n°3 as part of an Ecuador residency visa application (Pensioner, Rentista, Investor, Professional, Permanent by Marriage, or other residency category), Ecuador requires:

1. Issued within 180 days of the date you file your visa application
2. Apostilled by the Cour d'Appel de Rennes
3. Translated into Spanish by a sworn or certified translator

Critical note on the 180-day validity window:

The 180-day clock measures from the issue date of Bulletin n°3 to the date you submit your visa application — not to the date Ecuador approves or denies it. Ecuador's visa processing time does not count against the 180-day window. The clock pauses while Ecuador is actively reviewing your application. You will not be penalized for Ecuador taking several weeks or months to process your file. Plan your Bulletin n°3 timing relative to your application submission date, not your anticipated approval date.

Practical implication: Get your Bulletin n°3, apostille, and Spanish translation completed and in hand before you submit your EcuaGo application. Do not request your Bulletin n°3 so early that it will be older than 180 days by the time you are ready to file with Ecuador.

Which residency visas require Bulletin n°3?

All Ecuadorian residency visa categories require a criminal background check from the country (or countries) where the applicant has resided in recent years. French applicants — and applicants of other nationalities who have spent significant time in France — must include a French Bulletin n°3 as part of:

• Pensioner visa (Visa de Jubilado / Pensionista)
• Rentista visa (Visa de Rentista)
• Investor visa (Visa de Inversionista)
• Professional visa (Visa de Profesional)
• Permanent residency by marriage (Visa de Residencia Permanente por Matrimonio)
• Permanent residency by family ties
• Amparo dependent visas

If you have lived in multiple countries in the years before applying, Ecuador may require a background check from each country of residence — confirm requirements with your visa specialist.