Marrying in France with a German or Austrian partner: documents and translations
Planning to marry in France when one of you is a German or Austrian national? The ceremony takes place at the French town hall (mairie) under French law, but part of the file comes from Germany or Austria and has to reach the French registrar in the right form and on time. Here is what to plan for.
The framework: a civil ceremony at the mairie
In France, only a French civil registrar can perform a legally binding marriage: German embassies and consulates in France have no civil registration powers. The wedding takes place in a municipality with which at least one of the future spouses has a lasting connection: their domicile, their residence (at least one month of continuous residence on the date the banns are published), or the domicile or residence of one of their parents.
Once the file has been submitted, the registrar normally interviews the couple and then publishes the banns (publication des bans) for ten days. The marriage cannot take place before the tenth day after publication. The details are set out on the “Mariage en France” page of service-public.gouv.fr. Each mairie draws up its own list of required documents, so ask for it at the very start.
Documents for the German partner
According to the information sheet published by the German Federal Office for Foreign Affairs (BfAA, “Deutsche heiraten in Frankreich”), a German national’s file usually includes:
- a birth certificate (Geburtsurkunde): for a foreign certificate, service-public requires an extract showing parentage that is no more than six months old on the day the file is submitted (less than three months for a partner born in France). The German registry office can issue it on a multilingual form, which in principle needs no translation; otherwise a sworn translation must be attached;
- the Ehefähigkeitszeugnis (certificate of capacity to marry), confirming that German law raises no impediment to the marriage. It is issued by the registry office (Standesamt) of the current or last place of residence in Germany, or by Standesamt I in Berlin for someone who has never lived in Germany. It is valid for six months, and the wedding date must fall within that period. Depending on the mairie, it may be requested as a certificat de capacité matrimoniale or certificat de coutume;
- an identity document and proof of address;
- if there was a previous marriage or partnership, proof that it has ended: the divorce judgment with its French translation, or the former spouse’s death certificate;
- where applicable, a notarial certificate if a marriage contract has been signed, plus details and ID copies for the witnesses (at least two, no more than four).
Austrian or Swiss partners
Austrian nationals obtain their Ehefähigkeitszeugnis from the Austrian registry office of their place of residence (failing that, the Vienna-Innere Stadt registry office). The Austrian Foreign Ministry states that it is valid for six months at most and recommends obtaining it even when the foreign authority does not ask for it. After the wedding, Austrian nationals are legally required to have a marriage concluded abroad registered in Austria. The process is similar for Swiss partners; service-public notes that Swiss nationals are exempt from certain formalities (apostille or legalisation).
Apostille: no. Translation: yes
German public documents are exempt from legalisation and apostille in France under the Franco-German convention of 13 September 1971, in force since 1 April 1975. Austrian and Swiss civil status certificates are also exempt under conventions of the International Commission on Civil Status (ICCS/CIEC). The details are in the summary table published by the French Foreign Ministry.
Being exempt from the apostille does not mean being exempt from translation: every document in a foreign language must be translated by a sworn translator. I translate Ehefähigkeitszeugnisse, birth certificates not issued on a multilingual form, divorce judgments and the other documents in the file from German into French (see Translation of civil status certificates and, for court decisions, Translation of legal and court documents). If one of the future spouses does not understand French well enough, the registrar may require an interpreter to be present, preferably a sworn one.
Good to know: the Ehefähigkeitszeugnis and the birth certificate are only valid for six months. Do not order them too early, nor too late: allow for processing time in Germany or Austria, postage and translation before you submit the file at the mairie.
After the wedding: proving the marriage in Germany
After the ceremony, the couple receives a French family record book (livret de famille). For German authorities, the BfAA recommends asking the mairie for a multilingual extract of the marriage certificate, or a full copy (copie intégrale) with a sworn German translation. Registering the marriage in Germany (Nachbeurkundung) is not compulsory, but it can be done at the registry office of your place of residence or at Standesamt I in Berlin. Note that the French “name of use” (nom d’usage) is not the same as a joint married name under German law (Ehename), which requires a separate declaration.
What if you marry in Germany?
A German registry office generally requires a foreign national to produce a certificate of capacity to marry issued by an internal authority of their home country, valid for six months, or an exemption granted by the President of the Higher Regional Court (Section 1309 of the German Civil Code). French nationals should check early with the Standesamt which document it will accept. French certificates can be supplied as multilingual extracts; otherwise I translate them from French into German.
Frequently asked questions
Does the German birth certificate need an apostille?
No. Under the 1971 Franco-German convention, German public documents are exempt from apostille and legalisation in France. Only the translation is needed, unless the certificate is a multilingual extract.
Does a multilingual extract need translating?
Usually not, since its field headings also appear in French. Handwritten entries or marginal notes remain in German, however; if the mairie asks for them to be translated, a translation will be required.
How quickly can I get the translation?
Send me a clear scan: you will receive a free quote within one hour, with the delivery date. The translation is delivered as a signed and stamped PDF by email, and as a paper original, collected in person or sent by post.
Does the French partner need translated documents?
Not for the French mairie. However, if the marriage is later to be registered in Germany or Austria, the French marriage certificate will need to be supplied as a multilingual extract or with a German translation.