How to use a French civil status document abroad?

Verified 15 April 2024 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of Justice

The procedure to be followed is different depending on whether the civil status document is intended to be used in a country of the European Union or in another country:

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Using a French Civil Status Certificate in Europe

In order to use a French civil status document within the European Union, you do not need to apply forauthentication of the document. You don't have to get the certification from the European country where you live.

However, the civil status certificate must be written in the language of the country.

To help you obtain a translation of your document, at no additional cost, and to avoid the need for a certified translator, a simplified approach has been set up by the European Commission via a standard form multilingual.

This document makes it possible to provide a standardized translation of an extract of a French civil status document into several European languages, in order to facilitate its understanding and use in other European Union member countries.

It is considered to be a certified translation of the french civil status document.

Example :

This form is used during administrative procedures such as marriage or recognition of family.

Warning  

This form is intended for authorized national authorities only, i.e. you cannot pre-fill it.

For a birth certificate, you will have to contact the city hall that issued the certificate.

Therefore, when you approach another country of the European Union, this form, once filled in by the City Hall, must be attached to your French civil status document.

The city hall must fill you in the form free of charge. You can get it on site or request it online.

FYI  

you can consult the e-justice site for additional information related to the languages of use of each EU country.

Use a civil registration abroad

For other documents or if the document is destined for another (non-EU) country, the procedure varies according to their agreement: need for legalization, apostilles.

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