Certified Translation of Civil Status Documents
Do you need an officially certified translation of a birth certificate, marriage certificate, divorce decree or death certificate for use in France?
Claudia Florentin, sworn translator-interpreter and court-appointed expert before the Court of Appeal (France) translates your civil status documents with an official stamp and signature, in the following language combinations: English-French, French-English, Spanish-French and French-Spanish.
A certified translation by a sworn translator (traducteur assermenté) is a mandatory requirement whenever a foreign civil status document is submitted to a French authority, whether a prefecture, court, university, town hall or notary.
When is a certified translation required?
Birth certificates
French citizenship application (naturalisation). A certified translation of your birth certificate is systematically required as part of the naturalisation file submitted to the prefecture.
Residence permit (titre de séjour). Applications for a first residence permit, renewal or change of status require the certified translation of your birth certificate.
Marriage in France. The town hall (mairie) requires a certified translation of each foreign spouse’s birth certificate, usually less than three months old.
Transcription of a foreign civil status record. When a foreign birth certificate must be registered with the French Central Civil Status Office (Service Central d’État Civil, Nantes), the certified translation is mandatory.
University enrolment. French universities and grandes écoles require a certified translation of the birth certificate as part of the admissions file.
Marriage certificates
Transcription of a foreign marriage. A marriage celebrated abroad must be transcribed at the French consulate or the Nantes civil status office. The certified translation of the marriage certificate is required.
Divorce proceedings in France. French courts require a certified translation of the foreign marriage certificate when handling divorce cases involving foreign nationals.
Residence permit for a spouse. The prefecture requires a certified translation of the marriage certificate for spousal visa and residence permit applications.
Change of marital status. Any administrative update to your civil status in France (name change, social security, tax records) may require a certified translation of your marriage certificate.
Divorce decrees
Remarriage in France. A certified translation of your divorce decree is required by the town hall before a new marriage can be celebrated.
Recognition of a foreign divorce in France (exequatur). A foreign divorce judgment must be recognised by a French court through an exequatur procedure. The certified translation of the full judgment is mandatory.
Residence permit and nationality applications. The prefecture may request a certified translation of the divorce decree to verify your current marital status.
Property and inheritance matters. Notaries require a certified translation of the divorce decree when handling real estate transactions or inheritance cases involving divorced foreign nationals.
Death certificates
International succession. When a person who held assets in France passes away abroad, the certified translation of the death certificate is the first document required by the notary handling the estate.
Transcription of a foreign death. A death that occurred abroad must be transcribed in the French civil registers. The certified translation of the death certificate is mandatory.
Insurance and pension claims. French insurance companies, pension funds and social security offices require a certified translation of the death certificate to process survivor benefits and close accounts.
Consular formalities. Embassies and consulates require certified translations of death certificates for repatriation, estate settlement and administrative closure.
Your document, whatever the country of issue
Each country issues civil status documents in different formats and under different names. We translate documents from all English-speaking countries.
United Kingdom. Birth certificate (full or short form, GRO), marriage certificate, decree absolute (divorce, now called « final order » since April 2022), death certificate · United States. Birth certificate or certificate of live birth (Vital Records Office, format varies by state), marriage certificate or marriage license, divorce decree or divorce judgment, death certificate · Canada. Birth certificate (provincial Vital Statistics Office), marriage certificate, divorce certificate or certificate of divorce (federal), death certificate · Australia. Birth certificate (Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, by state), marriage certificate, divorce order (Federal Circuit Court), death certificate · India. Birth certificate (Municipal Corporation or Gram Panchayat), marriage certificate (registrar of marriages, both civil and religious marriages), divorce decree (family court), death certificate · Ireland. Birth certificate, marriage certificate, decree of divorce (Circuit Court), death certificate (all issued by the General Register Office) · South Africa. Unabridged birth certificate (Department of Home Affairs, the « unabridged » version is required for international use), marriage certificate, divorce order (High Court), death certificate · Nigeria. Birth certificate (National Population Commission), marriage certificate (federal or customary), certified true copy of divorce decree, death certificate · Ghana. Birth certificate (Births and Deaths Registry), marriage certificate, divorce decree, death certificate · New Zealand. Birth certificate, marriage certificate, dissolution order, death certificate (Department of Internal Affairs).
A Question or Need a Quote?
I am available to answer your questions and discuss your translation requirements. Feel free to contact me for a personalised, no-obligation quotation. I will get back to you as quickly as possible.