Have your divorce judgment, court record, or foreign court decision translated by a legal translator registered with a French Court of Appeal. Essential for remarriage, a marginal note, an inheritance procedure, or exequatur proceedings.
A certified translation of a divorce judgment · or, more broadly, of any foreign court decision · is an official translation produced by a sworn court translator registered with a French Court of Appeal. It is the indispensable prerequisite for any procedure seeking to have a foreign court ruling recognised, transcribed or enforced in France.
The legal translator reproduces with the utmost precision the recitals, grounds and operative part of the judgment, as well as enforcement clauses, official seals, clerk's signatures and service notices. They affix their own stamp, signature, a registration number, and bind the translation to an authenticated copy of the judgment.
Translation of a foreign divorce judgment is required in many everyday French administrative situations:
For other civil status documents related to your situation, see our pages on marriage certificate and birth certificate.
Divorce decisions issued in an EU Member State benefit from an automatic recognition regime, without exequatur, under Council Regulation (EC) No 2201/2003, known as Brussels IIa, replaced since 1 August 2022 by Regulation (EU) 2019/1111, known as Brussels II ter.
In practice:
Exceptions: Denmark (special regime) and certain decisions issued before the Regulation came into force.
For divorce judgments issued outside the European Union, an exequatur procedure before the French judicial court is generally required. The French judge verifies:
The certified translation of the judgment and its annexes is a mandatory prerequisite to bringing the exequatur case before the court. Without it, the exequatur summons is inadmissible.
Transdoc translates the full range of French or foreign court proceeding documents:
Court decisions are foreign public documents subject to standard authentication rules.
Exemption from apostille under EU Regulation 2016/1191 (for certain civil status documents) and the Brussels II ter Regulation (for article 39 certificates). A certified translation is sufficient.
Apostille affixed by the Ministry of Justice (or the designated authority) of the issuing country, before translation. See our page apostille & legalisation for the procedure applicable to your country.
Double legalisation is required: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the issuing country + the French consulate.
Our legal translators cover more than 60 languages, specialised in family law and private international law:
As judgments vary in length, pricing is charged per page. Each page comprises approximately 250 words. The rate includes the full service: translation, certification, stamp, signature, binding, PDF and paper delivery.
| Document | Turnaround | Price (incl. tax) | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard judgment · per page | 48 working hours | €59 / page | Minimum 1 page |
| Divorce certificate · 1 page | 48 working hours | €49 | Simplified town-hall version |
| Certificate of non-opposition | 48 working hours | €49 | 1 page |
| Interim order · per page | 48 working hours | €59 / page | Including clauses and formulas |
| Express 24h | 24 working hours | +30% | Surcharge on standard rate |
| Urgent 10h | 10h (same business day) | +50% | Surcharge + dedicated advisor Priority file |
| Complete divorce pack | 48 working hours | On quote | Judgment + certificate + deed: -10% |
For a precise quote, send your document via our online configurator. Page count and final price are confirmed within 2 working hours.
Without a certified translation, a foreign decision has no effect in France. You will not be able to remarry, have the divorce transcribed in the margin of the birth certificate, settle an inheritance, or obtain naturalisation.
The rate is charged per page: €59 per page for a standard judgment (minimum 1 page). A 3-page judgment costs €177. 24h express +30%, 10h urgent +50%. A precise quote is confirmed within 2 hours.
Exequatur is the judicial procedure by which a French judge grants enforceability to a foreign decision. It is mandatory for judgments issued outside the EU. The judge verifies jurisdiction, procedural regularity, compliance with public policy, and the absence of fraud. A certified translation is an indispensable prerequisite.
Yes. The Brussels II ter Regulation (since August 2022) provides for automatic recognition as of right of divorce decisions issued in a Member State. You must provide a copy of the judgment, the article 39 certificate (issued by the court of origin), and their certified French translation.
All of them: divorce judgment, divorce certificate, certificate of non-opposition, certificate of non-appeal, interim order, order on provisional measures (MPA), legal separation judgment, divorce agreement by mutual consent, decision on parental authority, notarial deed of liquidation, summons, pleadings.
EU: generally not required (article 39 certificate).
Hague Convention countries outside the EU: yes, apostille affixed in the issuing country.
Other countries: legalisation (ministry + consulate).
Only a sworn translator registered with a French Court of Appeal is authorised to do so. The translation must be bound to a copy of the judgment, stamped, signed and dated. A "free" translation, or one produced abroad, will be refused by French town halls, notaries and judges.
A standard page corresponds to approximately 250 words (or 1,500 characters including spaces). We count every source page, including notes, seals and enforcement clauses. A precise quote is sent to you within 2 hours of receiving the document.
Order online, receive your certified translation in 48h from a registered translator. No appointment needed, 100% secure.