French Naturalization: what justification if you are divorced or widowed?

Verified 01 January 2026 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

If you are divorced or widowed, you must provide supporting documents to make a application for french naturalization.

Depending on your situation, prepare the following supporting documents:

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You are divorced

You must provide the following:

  • Divorce decision or act of repudiation, and proof of the finality of the divorce or repudiation
  • Documents of the various marriages and proof of their dissolution: legal separation decision or non-conciliation order or divorce decision or act of repudiation and proof of the finality of the divorce or repudiation.

You broke your Civil partnerships

You must provide a proof of dissolution of Civil partnerships: titleContent.

You are a widower

You must provide the death certificate of your spouse.

One simulator allows to have the custom list of documents to be provided. However, depending on your situation, other documents may be requested.

What documents are required for my naturalization file?

To be accepted, documents attached to a application for french naturalization must comply with the following rules:

Deed of civil status

One deed of civil status must be provided in full and in original in the language of the country of origin.

A French civil status document must be issued within 3 months.

A copy of a foreigner civil status document must be accompanied, if necessary, by a copy of the decision in execution of which it has been drawn up, rectified or amended.

Copy or original of a document

You can provide copies of the requested documents with the exception of civil status documents.

However, you must be able to present the originals of the documents if necessary.

A copy of a foreigner act must be accompanied, if necessary, by a copy of the decision in implementation of which it has been drawn up, rectified or amended.

Translation

You must attach a French translation of each document written in a foreign language. You must provide the original translation. The translation must be done by a certified translator or authorized to intervene with the judicial or administrative authorities of another european countries. If you are abroad, contact the French Embassy or Consulate for a list of accredited translators.

The translation of a multilingual extract of a birth certificate or marriage certificate in which one of the languages is french is not necessary for a person of full age.

In addition, to avoid having to translate certain documents issued by a the European Union, one multilingual form can be joined. Consult the e-justice site for further information.

Legalization or Apostille

Certain documents issued abroad must be legalized or apostillate to be accepted in France. Ask the French embassy or consulate in the country concerned for legalization, and the embassy or consulate of the country concerned for the apostille.

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