How to Get Married in France as a Foreigner

What documents do you need to get married in France?

Get the mairie’s checklist before ordering documents or paying for translations. Your nationalities, marital histories and addresses determine which records you need. The completed file is the dossier de mariage. Service Public document checker

The main items are:

• Proof of identity: for example, your passports.
• Proof of address: documents establishing the home or residence used for the application, including a parent’s address if relevant.
• Birth certificates: official copies showing your parents’ details, unless the mairie can obtain the information directly.
• Previous-marriage records: proof of a divorce or a former spouse’s death, if applicable.
• Witness details: names, dates and places of birth, occupations, addresses and copies of identification.
• Documents required for your nationality: these may include a certificat de coutume, a statement of your country’s marriage law, and a certificate confirming that you are not currently married (certificat de célibat).

If you have a French marriage contract, include the notary’s certificate. The official marriage page carries the full requirements.

Check when your birth certificate was issued. Where a recent copy is required, the limit is three months for a copy issued by a French civil registrar and six months for one issued by a foreign authority. The mairie checks the date of the copy on the day you file, not on your wedding day. Countries that do not update birth records are an exception. French Civil Code, Article 70

Check translation and authentication requirements. Ask which documents need a certified French translation and which translators the mairie accepts. Depending on the country that issued a document, it may also need an apostille or legalization. Confirm the requirements before paying for these services. Service Public, marriage requirements

An apostille is not required for every foreign record. EU rules exempt covered public documents issued in one EU country and presented in another, and a multilingual form supplied with the record can replace a translation in many cases. EU public-document rules

For US citizens: the US government cannot certify your marital status. A written declaration may be accepted instead; ask the mairie which declaration it requires. U.S. State Department guidance

How long does it take to get married in France?

In Paris, allow at least four weeks between submitting your application and the civil ceremony. This includes the banns period. Preparing the documents takes additional time, and an incomplete file, an interview or ceremony availability can extend the timetable. Paris marriage timetable

The mairie normally interviews both partners when reviewing the application, and can waive the interview when it is unnecessary. Service Public application process

The standard banns period is ten days. The wedding cannot take place before the tenth day after publication; publication day itself is excluded. French Civil Code, Article 64

The four-week minimum is specific to Paris and does not guarantee your preferred date. If you rely on residence, ask the mairie how its one-month condition fits with your application. Confirm the ceremony date with the mairie before making bookings that depend on it.

How much does a civil marriage in France cost?

The civil ceremony at the town hall is free. Obtaining documents, certified translations or notarial services can involve additional costs. Official town-hall guidance · Service Public, marriage contracts

Your reception and celebration have a separate budget; see our Paris wedding guide.

Are religious or symbolic ceremonies legally binding?

Neither a religious ceremony nor a symbolic ceremony creates a French legal marriage on its own. The legal marriage and your chosen celebration are separate. French Civil Code, Article 165

• Religious wedding: the civil marriage must take place first. If you marry legally abroad, ask the religious officiant what proof of marriage and which translations they require. French Penal Code, Article 433-21
• Non-religious symbolic ceremony: a personal exchange of vows with no legal effect. You can arrange the legal marriage separately, before or after the celebration. U.S. State Department guidance on destination weddings

If either of you is French and you will marry before a foreign authority, contact the French consulate before that legal ceremony. French law requires a certificate of capacity to marry, confirming that the French partner meets the marriage requirements. French Civil Code, Article 171-2

What happens at the civil wedding?

The ceremony is conducted by the civil registrar, usually the mayor or a deputy mayor, normally at the town hall. Both partners must attend. A private celebrant at your hotel or château does not have this authority. French Civil Code, Article 165

You need two to four witnesses in total, not two to four for each partner. They can be of any nationality and must be at least 18, or minors granted adult legal status through emancipation. Official witness rules

The ceremony is in French. If either partner does not understand French sufficiently, the mairie may require an interpreter. Arrange this in advance. Paris ceremony guidance

You normally receive a livret de famille, the family record booklet showing your marriage and any children you have together. Paris ceremony guidance

For an official marriage certificate, request a copy or extract of the acte de mariage from the mairie after the ceremony. Service Public, marriage certificate copies

Will your French marriage be recognized at home?

Your home country’s law decides whether it recognizes your French marriage. Check with the authority responsible for marriage records there before the wedding. For the United States, the State Department directs couples to the attorney general’s office in their state. U.S. guidance on marriage abroad

You do not need to register your French marriage with the U.S. Embassy.

Three things to ask that authority:

• Which French marriage certificate does it need?
• Does it require a translation, an apostille or legalization?
• Must you register the marriage at home?

Service Public explains authentication of French documents for use abroad.

An apostille verifies a document’s origin; it does not itself make the marriage legally recognized in another country. EU guidance on documents and legal recognition

Planning your wedding celebration in Paris

Once you have settled the legal route, you can turn to the celebration: where you want to be, who you want beside you, and how you would like to spend the day.

• Paris wedding guide: venues, budgets, timing, and hosting your guests.
• Paris elopement guide: a wedding day for two or a few, from the ceremony to dinner.
• Paris elopement photography: coverage for your ceremony, portraits, and the people joining you.

If you would like our team to plan the celebration, tell us your date range, guest count, what you have in mind, and the budget you are considering. For a day for two or a few guests, see our Paris elopement planning service.

A practical guide from Kiss Me in Paris, with official references linked beside the requirements they explain.