Apostille or Embassy Legalisation: What France Requires

Last reviewed: 26 September 2026. Country requirements change. This page is re-checked periodically, and nothing on it replaces confirming the position with the French body that will receive your document.

The authentication part of sending a document to France is simple: an apostille. What trips people up is French-specific. French bodies usually want a translation by a sworn translator recognised in France, and for a wedding in France one of the key documents is issued by the Australian Embassy in Paris, not by anyone in Australia.

Check the current position before acting on this or any other page. Convention membership is a live fact. Confirm France's status against the HCCH status table for the Apostille Convention on the day you start. France has been a party since the Convention's earliest years, so an apostille is the expected route for documents within its scope.

The usual chain

1. Notarise in Australia, if the document is a private one (a power of attorney, an affidavit, a notarised copy)
2. DFAT apostille
3. Sworn translation into French

Legalisation at the French embassy should not be needed for a Convention-covered document. Australian public documents such as registry-issued birth certificates may be able to go to DFAT directly, without a notary; confirm with DFAT.

The order matters. French practice is generally to apostille the original first and then have everything translated, the apostille included. Translate first and you may pay for a second translation.

The sworn translator: traducteur assermenté

French authorities commonly require a traduction assermentée — a translation by a translator sworn as an expert before a French court of appeal (expert traducteur près la cour d'appel). France Diplomatie also refers to translators authorised by a French diplomatic or consular post abroad.

An Australian NAATI translation is a professional translation, but it is not a French sworn translation, and a mairie, préfecture or notaire may refuse it. Ask the receiving body:

• Do you require a translation by a translator sworn before a French court of appeal?
• Will you accept a translator authorised by the French embassy or a French consulate in Australia?
• Must the apostille and any notarial certificate be translated too?

The French consulate in Australia may be able to tell you which translators its own services accept. That is not a guarantee that a mairie in France will accept them, so confirm with the mairie.

Marriage in France

France is a popular place to marry, and it is also one of the more document-heavy. The wedding itself is a civil ceremony at the mairie, and the mairie decides what it needs. Points specific to France:

• A residence connection. A French mairie can only marry a couple if one of them, or a parent, has a qualifying residence connection with that commune. A destination wedding with no such link generally cannot be a legal French marriage. Ask the mairie before booking anything.
• A recent birth certificate. Mairies commonly ask for a full birth certificate issued within a recent period — for a certificate issued outside France, often six months. An old certificate will usually need to be reordered from the state or territory registry, then apostilled and translated.
• The certificat de coutume comes from Paris. Mairies ask foreign nationals for a certificate on their capacity to marry under their own law. For Australians this is a Certificate of No Impediment issued by the Australian Embassy in Paris. It is not something DFAT in Australia issues, and it is not something an Australian notary can provide. Check the embassy's current arrangements for applying, which may require attending in person.

Put the apostille, courier and translation time together and the birth certificate's recency window can run out before the file reaches the mairie. Order it last.

Property, inheritance and the French notaire

A sale, purchase or inheritance in France passes through a French notaire, a public official whose role is far wider than an Australian notary's. If you cannot attend in France, the notaire will usually prepare a procuration (power of attorney) in French for you to sign.

• Use their draft. Do not write your own. The notaire knows which powers the transaction needs.
• Ask what form of signature they need. For many transactions a signature witnessed by an Australian notary and apostilled by DFAT is enough. For some, the notaire may want a more formal notarial act. Ask before you book the appointment.
• Signing in a language you do not read. An Australian notary can generally witness your signature on a French document, provided they are satisfied you understand it. Expect to be asked for a translation or explanation.

Recency limits beyond marriage

Préfectures, courts and employers may also set a window for civil status documents and police certificates. The window depends on the body and purpose; ask for it before ordering fresh certificates.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need the French embassy to legalise my document? Not for a Convention-covered document. The embassy is still involved in visas and in services for French citizens, which are separate matters.

Will a mairie accept my Australian documents in English? Rarely without translation. Ask, but plan on a sworn French translation.

Can a friend who speaks French translate for me? Generally not for official use. French bodies expect a sworn translator.

How long does it take? It depends on DFAT processing, courier time and the translator's workload. Do not plan to a figure quoted on a blog, including this one.