How to have a divorce pronounced abroad transcribed in France?

Verified 25 September 2024 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

You must contact the registrar or the Public Prosecutor. Transcription is the process of recording divorce on civil registers to make it known to third party. The procedure differs depending on whether the divorce has been granted within the European Union (EU) outside Denmark or not. We present you with the information you need to know.

Within the EU

You must send the request for transcription to the registrar competent. This depends on your situation.

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You are French and the wedding took place in France

The Registrar of the place of celebration of marriage is competent for the transcription of divorce pronounced abroad.

Who shall I contact

You must submit a request written, dated and signed.

It must specify the civil status documents which must be updated and be accompanied in particular by the following elements:

  • Copy of divorce in original or in certified copy. Divorce must be translated into French. The translation must be done by a certified translator.

Find a certified translator or interpreter registered with the Court of Appeal

You have to pay the translation fee.

  • Certificate of the foreign authority or jurisdiction that granted the divorce. This certificate shall be issued by the court or authority which granted the divorce. It contains an excerpt from the original divorce and attests that it can be executed.
  • Full Copy or extract from civil status documents (birth, marriage) which you are requesting to be updated. These acts may need to be legalized.

FYI  

The use of a lawyer is not mandatory for the transcript.

You're French and the wedding took place abroad

If the wedding celebrated abroad has been transcribed in France, the central civil registration service of Nantes is competent to transcribe a divorce pronounced by the foreigner,

Who shall I contact

  • Central Civil Registry Service (Scec)

    Attention: the Central Civil Registry Service does not welcome any public.

    Civil status (birth, marriage or death) of a Frenchman abroad

    Only by mail to:

    Central Civil Registry Service

    11 White House Street

    44941 Nantes Cedex 09

    You can apply for a civil status certificate through a online service.

    For more information, you can:

    • Go to diplomatie.gouv.fr
    • Call the+33 1 41 86 42 47 Monday to Friday from 9 am to 12 pm and from 1 pm to 4 pm
      Free access to video interpretation or instant speech transcription for the deaf or hard of hearing
    • Email courrier.scec@diplomatie.gouv.fr

If the marriage celebrated abroad has not been transcribed in France, the registrar of your place of birth is competent.

Who shall I contact

Warning  

If the marriage was celebrated abroad after the 1, you must have it transcribed to the french civil registry front to have divorce mentioned.

You must submit a request written, dated and signed.

It must specify the civil status documents which must be updated and be accompanied in particular by the following elements:

  • Copy of divorce in original or in certified copy. Divorce must be translated into French. The translation must be done by a certified translator.

Find a certified translator or interpreter registered with the Court of Appeal

You have to pay the translation fee.

  • Certificate of the foreign authority or jurisdiction that granted the divorce. This certificate shall be issued by the court or authority which granted the divorce. It contains an excerpt from the original divorce and attests that it can be executed.
  • Full Copy or extract from civil status documents (birth, marriage) which you are requesting to be updated. These acts may need to be legalized.

FYI  

The use of a lawyer is not mandatory for the transcript.

You are a foreigner and the wedding took place in France

The Registrar of the place of celebration of marriage is competent for the transcription of divorce pronounced abroad.

Who shall I contact

You must submit a request written, dated and signed.

It must specify the civil status documents which must be updated and be accompanied in particular by the following elements:

  • Copy of divorce in original or in certified copy. Divorce must be translated into French. The translation must be done by a certified translator.

Find a certified translator or interpreter registered with the Court of Appeal

You have to pay the translation fee.

  • Certificate of the foreign authority or jurisdiction that granted the divorce. This certificate shall be issued by the court or authority which granted the divorce. It contains an excerpt from the original divorce and attests that it can be executed.
  • Full Copy or extract from civil status documents (birth, marriage) which you are requesting to be updated. These acts may need to be legalized.

FYI  

The use of a lawyer is not mandatory for the transcript.

You are a foreigner and the wedding took place abroad

You're both foreign nationals and you've married abroad, you can't have it transcribed divorce in France.

Non-EU

Divorce outside the European Union and in Denmark must be subject to a checking of enforceability of the public prosecutor before it is transcribed on civil status records.

This procedure consists of check that divorce is not contrary to the rules ofpublic policy (e.g. a repudiation judgment). It is the public prosecutor who orders the mention of divorce on civil status documents as long as the divorce is in accordance with the rules of French private international law.

You must send a request in verification of opposability to the public prosecutor before the court on which the registrar of civil status of the place of marriage, if it has been celebrated in France.

If the marriage certificate is held by the Central Civil Registry Service (Scec), it is the public prosecutor of the judicial court of Nantes who is competent.

Who shall I contact

The use of a lawyer is not mandatory. However, if you want to hire a lawyer and you don't have enough resources, you can ask to have legal aid to cover all or part of the costs.

The application for third-party effectiveness shall be accompanied in particular by coins following:

  • Copy of divorce in original or certified copy
  • Proof of the definitive nature of the divorce (certificate of non-appeal, acquiescence, certificate by a lawyer..).
  • Translation into French of documents drawn up in a foreign language. This translation is done by a certified translator. You have to pay the translation fee.

Find a certified translator or interpreter registered with the Court of Appeal

  • Copy of the application before the foreign court if the divorce does not indicate the motives (this is the case if the reasons for the decision are not explained).
  • Proof of the spouses' domicile and nationality at the time of the divorce application if this is not indicated in the decision.
  • Civil status documents (birth, marriage) on which must be affixed the mention of foreigners divorce.

The application for third-party effectiveness may be accepted or rejected.

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The application for third-party effectiveness is accepted

The public prosecutor gives instructions to civil registrars to have divorce mentioned on birth and marriage certificates.

The application for third-party effects is refused

The refusal of the public prosecutor may be challenged by subpoena before the court of law.

The assistance of a lawyer is mandatory. If you don't have enough resources, you can apply for legal aid to cover all or part of these costs.

Who can help me?

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