France is a popular destination for weddings, with its picturesque châteaux, vineyards and coastlines providing the ideal backdrop for your special day. When getting married abroad, it is important to understand the legal requirements, to ensure that the administrative procedures do not get in the way of your celebrations.
Types of Marriage in France
There are four types of marriage available in France:
- Civil marriage (mariage civil): If you wish for your marriage in France to be legally recognised, civil marriage is the only option under French law. The ceremony can only take place at a local town hall (mairie) and is conducted by the mayor or their representative. The procedure will be conducted exclusively in French, although you can request an interpreter if necessary. You must have a minimum of two and a maximum of four witnesses. A civil marriage is a legal requirement before a religious or symbolic ceremony can take place.
- Religious ceremony: For religious couples, you can celebrate your marriage in a religious ceremony once you have been legally married in a civil ceremony. This can be in any religious building and can follow the procedures, traditions and requirements of any denomination. It is important to note, though, that religious marriages are not legally binding in France, so you must follow the civil marriage procedure first if you want your marriage to be recognised under French law.
- Symbolic ceremony: If you are not religious, you can have a symbolic ceremony in many locations in France, allowing you to add a personal touch to your special day. From châteaux to vineyards, hotels to beaches, many venues across France offer bespoke packages for destination weddings.
- PACS (Pacte Civil de Solidarité – Civil Solidarity Pact): The PACS is a simpler legal arrangement than civil marriage, approximately equivalent to a civil partnership in the UK and elsewhere. It provides many of the legal and fiscal advantages of marriage under French law but does not come with the same inheritance or citizenship benefits. A PACS is easier to dissolve than a marriage and has fewer restrictions than a civil marriage, but it is not legally recognised in some circumstances and jurisdictions. The PACS was originally introduced as an alternative to marriage for same-sex couples before same-sex civil marriage was legalised. However, same-sex civil marriage has been legal in France since 2013, so both civil marriage and PACS are available to same-sex and mixed-sex couples.
Requirements for Civil Marriage in France
As the only legally recognised form of marriage in France, civil marriage has many legal requirements, both before and during the ceremony.
The basic requirements to be eligible to marry in France are as follows:
- Both parties must be at least 18 years of age on the date of the marriage.
- Both parties must be single or in a PACS.
- You may be in a PACS with anyone; it does not necessarily need to be with the person you intend to marry. Civil marriage immediately ends any pre-existing PACS.
- If either party is married, you must legally end your marriage before you can marry someone else.
- Non-French nationals must provide a certificate of celibacy to prove that they are single.
- Marriage between immediate family members is not allowed. This includes any immediate relatives of your current or previous spouse.
- At least one of the parties must have been resident in the municipality where the marriage will take place for a continuous period of at least 40 days before the marriage.
Necessary Documents for Civil Marriage in France
In addition to meeting the eligibility requirements, you will also need to apply for and present the following documents in order to get married in France:
- Both parties’ birth certificates. These must be official copies less than six months old.
- Proof of residence in France, such as utility bills, or an official declaration from a spouse’s parent.
- Valid ID or passport. Both the original and a photocopy are required.
- Certificate of Celibacy (Certificat de Célibat) for each party, confirming that you are single. This can be obtained from a French civil registry, embassy, consulate or notary public.
- Certificate of Custom Law (Certificat de Coutume) if either party is not a French citizen, confirming that you are free to marry under your home country’s laws.
- Divorce certificate or former spouse’s death certificate, if applicable.
- If you have a prenuptial agreement, it must be notarised by a French notary public and accompanied by a Certificat de Notaire.
- Valid ID and a personal information form for all witnesses.
All documents must either be in French or accompanied by a sworn translation into French. Business Language Services has over 30 years of experience providing translations into French and can provide sworn translations, as well as all other forms of certification.
Legal Recognition of Marriages in France
Only civil marriages are legally binding under French law, and in order for your civil marriage to be legally recognised, it must be transcribed into the civil registration records in the mairie, embassy or consulate where the ceremony was held. You will then receive a family record book (livret de famille) and your birth certificate will be updated with your marriage details.
For foreign nationals who decide to get married in France, it is also important that your French marriage is legally recognised in your home country. To do this, you will need to have your French marriage certificate and/or family record book translated from French into the language of your home country. This translation might need to be legalised, depending on the specific purpose for which it is needed.
Marrying in France for Non-Residents
The strict legal requirements for civil marriage in France make it challenging for people who are not residents of France. Therefore, most non-French couples looking to get married in France opt to get legally married in their home country and then only have a religious or symbolic ceremony in France. This will allow you to combine the best of both worlds: celebrating your marriage in an idyllic French setting, while enjoying the simpler legal processes in your home country.
If you are looking to get married in France, Business Language Services can make the process of translating any necessary documentation as simple as possible. To find out more or get a quote, speak to one of our friendly project managers on +44 (0)29 2066 7666 or send an email to in**@*************************co.uk
