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Getting married abroad

France: how to get married

A summary of the rules, taken from the official pages listed at the bottom. A fact we could not confirm there is left out.

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This is a summary, not legal advice. Rules change and offices differ: confirm everything with the registry office before you book anything.

Who can marry

  • Minimum age for both partners: 18.[1]
  • A minor can marry only exceptionally, with an age dispensation from the public prosecutor for serious reasons and the agreement of at least one parent.[1]
  • Couples of the same sex can marry, on the same conditions as any other couple.[1]

The ceremony

  • A civil wedding is held in public, at the town hall, before the mayor or the civil registrar.[1]
  • A religious ceremony may only follow the civil one.[1]
  • The registrar hears the two of you together before the wedding. The hearing is obligatory.[1]
  • You marry in a town where at least one of you, or a parent of one of you, has a lasting link: a home or residence (minimum continuous stay when the banns are published: 1 month).[1]
  • If both of you are foreigners who do not live in France, you can marry there only at your country's consulate or in some overseas territories.[1]

Timing

  • The banns are posted at the town hall (posting time: 10 days).[1]
  • Waiting time between filing and the wedding: 10 days.[1]
  • The authority can allow an earlier date for a serious reason.[1]
  • Time to hold the wedding after that: 1 year. After it you file again.[1]

Documents

  • Both of you show an identity document (an ID card or a passport).[1]
  • Bring proof of address (a lease, a bill or a tax notice), at least 1 month old, showing that you have lived there that long.[1]
  • Bring a birth certificate with your parents' names. Maximum age: 3 months if you were born in France, 6 months if you were born abroad.[1]
  • A foreign partner may be asked for a certificate of the law of their country (certificat de coutume) and a certificate of single status or of capacity to marry, or, if there is none, a sworn statement.[1]
  • If either of you was married before, bring the document that ended that marriage (a divorce decree or a death certificate).[1]
  • Documents in another language need an official translation (by a sworn translator, or certified as the country requires).[1]
  • Depending on the country they come from, foreign documents may also need an apostille or a legalisation.[1]

Left out because we could not confirm it on an official page: fees, the number of witnesses, the effect of a religious wedding. Ask the registry office.

Sources

Checked on 21 October 2026 against the pages below.

  1. [1] service-public.gouv.fr: Mariage en France (page dated 16 September 2026)

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