Have your marriage certificate or family record book translated by a translator registered with a French Court of Appeal. An official document, signed and stamped, accepted by every town hall, prefecture, court and consulate in France.
A certified translation of a marriage certificate · also called a "sworn translation" or "official translation" · is an official translation produced by a sworn court translator registered with a French Court of Appeal. It is the only legally valid version of a foreign marriage certificate (or foreign family record book) recognised by French authorities.
The translator certifies that the translation conforms to the original, affixes their stamp, signature and a unique registration number, and physically binds it to a copy of the source document. This process gives the translation the same legal value as the original certificate, regardless of the issuing country.
A certified translation of a marriage certificate is systematically required whenever a French administration is handling a file concerning a union entered into abroad. Here are the most common cases:
French civil status services and prefectures apply strict criteria to marriage certificate translations. Any non-compliant translation is rejected, causing considerable delays in processing the file. Here are the mandatory requirements:
We translate every type of marriage certificate and matrimonial document, whether from Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas or the Middle East. Here are the main categories we handle:
The multilingual marriage certificate known as "formule B" is issued by the 24 countries that are signatories to the Vienna Convention of 8 September 1976 (Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cabo Verde, Croatia, Spain, Estonia, France, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Turkey). It is directly accepted without translation by all French administrations.
For marriage certificates from countries that are signatories to the 1961 Hague Convention but outside the EU (United States, Japan, Brazil, India, Mexico, etc.), an apostille must be affixed by the competent authority in the issuing country before translation.
For non-signatory countries (Morocco until recently, Algeria, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, certain Gulf states), double legalisation is required: the local Ministry of Foreign Affairs, followed by the French consulate on site.
We cover more than 60 languages with sworn translators specialised in civil and family law. The most requested languages for marriage certificates are:
See our full list on the available languages page.
The price is charged per page (about 250 words) and depends only on the language of your document, not on the type of certificate. Translation, certification, stamp, signature and the signed PDF are included; the paper original by tracked post (optional, +€9.60) and Priority delivery are options. Prices include 20% French VAT (not charged for billing addresses outside the EU).
| Service | Delivery | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| English → French | 3 business days | €54 / page | Translation, certification, stamp, signed PDF |
| Spanish, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Chinese → French | 3 business days | €59 / page | Translation, certification, stamp, signed PDF |
| Italian, Romanian, Turkish → French | 3 business days | €39 / page | Translation, certification, stamp, signed PDF |
| Other languages | 3 business days | €39 to €139 / page | Exact rate shown in the instant quote |
| Priority option | 36h | +€19.72 / order | Faster delivery of the signed PDF |
| Paper original (optional) | 24–72h after the PDF | +€9.60 / order | Wet-stamped original by tracked post |
Get your instant quote via our online configurator. No pricing surprises: the price shown is the final price.
It is an official translation, signed and stamped by a sworn court translator registered with a French Court of Appeal. It is recognised by all French administrations (town halls, prefectures, courts, consulates, notaries) and has the same legal value as the original.
The price depends on the language of your marriage certificate, not on the type of document. It is charged per page (about 250 words), taxes included: €54 for English, €59 for Spanish, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian or Chinese, and €39 for Italian, Romanian or Turkish. Other languages range from €39 to €139. An extract usually fits on one page; a full copy with marginal notes or a family record book may take several, each page being charged at the same rate.
Standard delivery in 3 business days is included. Two options are available: 36h Priority (+€19.72 per order) and a paper original by tracked post (+€9.60 per order). The signed PDF, certification, stamp and signature are included in every price. VAT is not charged for billing addresses outside the EU. You see your exact price in the online quote before paying.
No. The multilingual "formule B" marriage certificate issued under the Vienna Convention of 8 September 1976 is accepted in France without translation. It is issued by 24 signatory countries: Germany, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and others. For all other countries, a certified translation remains mandatory.
Yes. Transdoc translates the family record book in full: the marriage page, children's pages, marginal notes and supplementary certificates. The rate is charged per page (about 250 words), at the rate of your language; the online quote shows the exact price before payment.
For any French administrative procedure concerning your union: transcription at a town hall or consulate, naturalisation by marriage, PACS, divorce, inheritance, a "spouse of a French national" residence permit, family reunification, or registration with the consular register.
It depends on the country:
EU: no apostille needed since 2019 (Regulation 2016/1191).
Hague Convention countries (outside the EU): apostille mandatory, affixed in the issuing country before translation.
Other countries: double legalisation (local ministry + French consulate).
More details on our apostille & legalisation page.
The translation itself never expires. However, administrations require a recent certificate (generally less than 3 months old, sometimes 6 months). It is therefore advisable to request a new extract from the town hall or consulate just before having it translated.
Yes, a clear photo or good-quality scan is enough to start the translation. PDF, JPG, PNG and HEIC formats are accepted. You will then receive the signed PDF and, with the paper-copy option (+€9.60), the paper original by tracked post.
Order online, receive your certified translation in 3 business days from a registered translator. No appointment needed, 100% secure.