Certified translation of a criminal record (extract)
Have your foreign criminal record extract (police record, criminal record check, certificado de antecedentes) translated by a translator registered with a French Court of Appeal. Required for naturalisation, long-stay visas, public-sector employment and adoption.
When do you need to translate your foreign criminal record?
The certified translation of a foreign criminal record extract is required for all administrative procedures where a French authority must verify the absence of a criminal record. In practice, here are the most common cases:
French naturalisation application · filed at the prefecture or consulate. The criminal record must be provided for the country of origin and for every country where the applicant has resided for more than 6 months since turning 18. See our page on translation for naturalisation.
Long-stay visa (VLS-TS, student, employee, talent passport, family reunification) · see visa & residence permit.
International adoption · file submitted to the Mission for International Adoption (MAI) and the MEAE. See adoption.
Long-term resident card · 10 years.
Approval as a registered childminder or foster carer.
Registration with the bar, setting up a regulated business.
Obtaining a "talent passport" residence permit or an EU Blue Card.
Good to know: for naturalisation, the prefecture requests the criminal record from every country where you have lived for more than 6 months since turning 18. If you have lived in three countries, expect three different extracts to translate.
French bulletin n°3 and foreign equivalents
The French criminal record comes in three formats:
Bulletin n°1: the full record, reserved for judicial authorities.
Bulletin n°2: a restricted record, accessible to administrations and certain employers.
Bulletin n°3: a record of the most serious convictions, the only bulletin an individual can request for themselves.
For administrative procedures concerning someone born abroad or who has lived abroad, the equivalent of bulletin n°3 must be obtained in each relevant country, then translated. Names vary:
United Kingdom, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia: Criminal Record Check, Police Certificate, ACRO Certificate, DBS Check (UK), RCMP Criminal Record Check (Canada), FBI Identity History Summary (USA).
Spain: Certificado de Antecedentes Penales.
Italy: Certificato del Casellario Giudiziale / Certificato dei Carichi Pendenti.
Germany: Führungszeugnis.
Portugal: Certificado do Registo Criminal.
Netherlands: Verklaring Omtrent het Gedrag (VOG).
Belgium: Extrait de casier judiciaire (article 595 of the Code of Criminal Procedure).
Brazil: Certidão de Antecedentes Criminais.
Morocco: Anthropometric record / criminal record (fiche anthropométrique).
Russia / Ukraine: Справка о несудимости.
Validity period and the 3-month rule
The 3-month rule is almost universal in France: the criminal record extract · like the birth certificate · must be less than 3 months old on the date the file is submitted to the French administration.
The certified translation itself never expires, but it must be based on a source document that is itself still valid. The ideal sequence is therefore:
Request the extract from the competent service of the relevant country (day 0).
Have the apostille affixed if required (day 0 to day 15, depending on the country).
Order the certified translation (day 15 to day 17).
Submit the administrative file (before day 90).
Warning: if your prefecture appointment is in 4 months, do not order too far in advance. A criminal record that is too old is systematically rejected. It is better to order all extracts at the same time, within a window of 3 to 8 weeks before submitting the file.
Documents accepted by country
France · Bulletin n°3
Apply online at casier-judiciaire.justice.gouv.fr. Free postal delivery within 15 days.
United Kingdom · ACRO / DBS
ACRO Police Certificate (around £55) or Basic DBS. 10-15 working days.
USA · FBI Identity Summary
Fingerprints + FBI request. Apostille affixed by the Department of State in Washington.
Canada · RCMP
Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Fingerprints required. 2-4 weeks.
Spain · Antecedentes penales
Ministerio de Justicia. Apply online with clave or digital certificate. 3-10 days.
Italy · Casellario Giudiziale
Procura della Repubblica at the court of residence. May include carichi pendenti (pending charges).
Germany · Führungszeugnis
Bundesamt für Justiz. Apply online, 5-15 days. No apostille needed for France.
Maghreb & Africa
Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire: request from the court in the place of birth; legalisation required.
Apostille and legalisation by country
EU countries
Since EU Regulation 2016/1191 of 16 February 2019, criminal record extracts issued by a Member State are exempt from apostille, provided they are accompanied by the multilingual standard form. Translation nonetheless remains mandatory (unless an officially multilingual form is accepted by the prefecture).
Countries signatories to the Hague Convention (outside the EU)
An apostille is required: it is affixed by the competent authority in the issuing country before translation. For the United States, for example, this is the Department of State in Washington for an FBI Identity Summary. For the United Kingdom, it is the FCDO (Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office).
Non-signatory countries
Double legalisation is required: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country + the French consulate. See our dedicated page apostille & legalisation for the procedure applicable to your country.
Confidentiality guaranteed: your criminal record contains sensitive personal data. Our servers are hosted in France, your documents are encrypted in transit and at rest, and only the sworn translator assigned to your file has access to it. Automatic deletion 30 days after delivery.
Languages available
We translate criminal records to and from more than 60 languages, with sworn translators specialised in legal and criminal terminology:
European languages: English (UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Ireland), German, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil), Dutch, Polish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Greek.
A clear scan or photo of the complete extract. If you have an apostille, attach it to the same document: it must appear on the final translation.
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Select language and turnaround
Choose the source language and turnaround time. The all-inclusive price is shown instantly. Secure payment by card or bank transfer.
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Receive your certified translation
Signed PDF by secure email, then the paper original by tracked post. Ready to submit at the prefecture or attach to your online file.
Expert tip: if your naturalisation file requires 3 criminal records (France + 2 foreign countries), order them all on the same day. The €99 multi-country pack saves you €17 and guarantees consistent formatting.
Frequently asked questions about criminal record translation
Why translate your foreign criminal record?
Any naturalisation application, long-stay visa, public-sector employment, adoption, or permanent residence procedure in France requires a recent criminal record extract (less than 3 months old), translated by a French sworn translator. An untranslated record has no value before the administration.
How much does it cost to translate a criminal record?
€39 for a standard one-page extract, delivered in 48h. 24h express service is €59, 10h urgent service €79. A multi-country pack (3 extracts) is €99.
How long is a criminal record valid in France?
Almost all French administrations require an extract less than 3 months old at the date the file is submitted. The document must be issued and then translated within that timeframe. The translation itself never expires, but the source document does.
Which bulletin should you request?
Bulletin n°3: the one a private individual can request for themselves (the equivalent of foreign police records). It is the document required for naturalisation and most administrative procedures.
Bulletins n°1 (reserved for the judiciary) and n°2 (reserved for certain administrations and employers) cannot be requested directly by an individual.
Is an apostille required on a criminal record?
EU: apostille exemption since 2019. Hague Convention countries outside the EU: yes, apostille affixed in the issuing country before translation. Other countries: double legalisation (local ministry + French consulate).
How many criminal records are required for naturalisation?
An extract from your country of origin, plus an extract for every country where you have resided for more than 6 months since turning 18. If you have lived in France plus 2 other countries, expect 3 extracts (French record + 2 translated foreign records).
Is my personal data secure?
Yes. Servers hosted in France, encryption in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256), access strictly limited to the assigned sworn translator. Documents automatically deleted 30 days after delivery. GDPR compliant.
Which languages do you translate?
More than 60 languages: English (UK/USA/Canada/Australia), Spanish, Portuguese (Portugal/Brazil), German, Italian, Arabic, Russian, Ukrainian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Romanian, Bulgarian, Turkish, Persian, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Tamil, and many more.