CERTIFICAT DE COUTUME, APOSTILLE – GETTING MARRIED IN FRANCE

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An American who wishes to get married in France should contact the French Mairie (City Hall) months ahead of the wedding. Various documents will be required, including a Certificat de Coutume (Affidavit of Law) and a Certificat de Célibat, also called Certificat de Capacité Matrimoniale. These will prove to the French authorities that you are free to marry, and that the marriage with be recognized in the United States. And no, the United States Embassy in Paris is not authorized to issue a Certificat de Coutume. We are familiar with French administrative procedures, which vary from city to city, and will provide you with all of the required certificates.

We draft these documents directly in French, which avoids the delay and expense of a translation.

If needed, we obtain Apostilles (internationally recognized legalizations) on our own documents, or on various public records. Some Mairies require Apostilles on American birth certificates and other documents.

We also deliver Certificats de Non-Appel (Certificates of Non-Appeal), which are necessary for the recognition by French authorities of an American divorce. These certificates are likewise drafted directly in French.