How to use a French civil status document abroad?

Verified 13 August 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)

The approach to be followed is different depending on whether the civil status document is intended to be used in a country of l'' (UE) or in another country:

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Use a French civil status certificate in a country of the UE

In order to use a French civil status document within the, you do not need to request theauthentication of the act. You also don't have to get the certification the European country in which you reside.

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

To help you get a translation of your document, at no additional cost, and to avoid the need to resort to a certified translator, a simplified approach has been put in place by the European Commission through a type 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 member countries of the UE. It is considered a certified translation of the french civil status certificate.

Example :

This form is used for administrative procedures such as marriage or recognition of kinship.

Warning  

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

For a birth certificate, you must contact the town hall that issued the birth certificate.

Therefore, when you approach another country of the, this form, once completed by the town hall, must be attached to your French civil status certificate.

The town hall must fill out the form for free. You can get it on site or apply online.

FYI  

You can consult the e-justice site for additional information on the languages of use of each country of the UE.

Using a civil status document abroad

To present a French document to a foreign authority (out of UE), the prior authentication of the signature of the authority which issued the document may be required (legalization or apostille).

Legalization and the Apostille attest to the following information :

  • Veracity of the signature of the author of the document
  • Quality in which the signatory of the document has acted
  • If necessary, theidentity of seal or stamp which is mentioned on the document.

In practice, legalization and the apostille are a official stamp added to the document.

To check whether the document should be legalized, apostilled or is exempt from formality, you should consult the summary of rules by country updated by the ministry of foreign affairs

You can also inquire at the embassy or consulate in France of the country of destination.

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