French naturalisation: why your foreign birth certificate must be legalised or apostilled

By Keran Chaussard, administrator of the Directory of Sworn Translators of France — updated on 6 October 2026

This is the difficulty we encounter most often in naturalisation files: the applicant arrives with a birth certificate in good condition, sometimes already translated, but without the formality required for their country. The file is then not admissible as it stands, and obtaining an apostille or legalisation from France often takes weeks.

What rules apply to civil status documents in a naturalisation file?

According to the official guidance published on Service-Public (in French):

• the birth certificate must be provided as an original full copy, in the language of the country of origin, issued by the civil registrar of the place where it is kept;
• it must show the surname, first name, date and place of birth of the parents. If any information is missing, the parents’ birth certificates may be requested;
• if the certificate was drawn up, corrected or amended following a decision, a copy of that decision must be attached;
• each document in a foreign language must be accompanied by the original of its translation into French by an approved translator;
• certain documents issued abroad must be legalised or apostilled to be accepted in France.

Unlike civil status documents, the other documents in the file can be provided as copies.

Legalisation, apostille or exemption: how do you know what your country requires?

The formality depends on the country that issued the certificate and on the agreements it has concluded with France.

The only reference document is the summary table of treaty law on legalisation (in French), published and regularly updated by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. It shows, country by country, whether civil status documents are exempt, apostilled or legalised. Consult it before taking any steps: the rules vary from one country to another, and sometimes from one type of document to another.

Key point — the apostille and legalisation of a foreign document are carried out in the country that issued it, or at the French consulate in that country for legalisation. No French authority can apostille a foreign document.

Which formality for which country? Examples from the Ministry’s table

For civil status documents (birth, marriage, death certificates), the table of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs updated on 11 September 2026 provides in particular:

For Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, the Ministry states that the French consulate is materially unable to legalise documents issued in these countries (Decree No. 2024-87 of 7 February 2024). Syria, Iraq and Iran also appear in the table under a legalisation regime linked to an embargo. For these countries, check with the department handling your file before taking any steps: this is where files most often get stuck.

Key point — a Moroccan, Algerian or Cameroonian certificate does not need an apostille. A Syrian, Iraqi, Egyptian or Lebanese certificate, on the other hand, must be legalised. This table changes: always check the current version before starting the process.

What is the role of the Central Civil Status Service in Nantes?

The Central Civil Status Service (Service central d’état civil, SCEC), which reports to the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and is based in Nantes, draws up the French birth certificate of people born abroad who become French, in particular through naturalisation. It does so on the basis of the civil status documents in the file, forwarded by the sub-directorate for access to French nationality.

This is one of the reasons why the compliance of the foreign certificate is checked so carefully. The Ministry states that, to have a French birth certificate drawn up, you must provide the original foreign birth certificate, even an old one, legalised or apostilled where applicable, with its translation if necessary. A non-compliant certificate may delay the drawing up of your French certificate, and therefore your identity card and passport.

Address of the service: Service central d’état civil, 11 rue de la Maison Blanche, 44941 Nantes Cedex 9, France. Official information is published in the Ministry’s civil status FAQ (in French).

What we see — in the naturalisation files entrusted to the Directory of Sworn Translators of France, applicants born in a country that requires legalisation or an apostille, such as Syria or Iraq, often arrive with a birth certificate that lacks this formality. Such a file does not work: the certificate must first go back to the country of origin for the formality, then be translated together with the apostille or legalisation. Checking this point before ordering the translation avoids paying twice.

In what order should you proceed?

1. Request a recent full copy of your birth certificate from the civil registry of your place of birth, with full parentage details.
2. Check the Ministry’s table for the formality required for your country.
3. Have the certificate apostilled or legalised in your country of origin, or at the French consulate in that country for a legalisation.
4. Have the certificate and its apostille or legalisation translated by an expert translator registered on a court of appeal list. The formality appears on the certificate: it must be translated with it.
5. Attach the original certificate and the original translation to your file.

If you have already had a certificate translated that was not apostilled or legalised, the translation does not cover the formality added afterwards. A new translation, or an additional translation of the apostille or legalisation, will generally be needed. Ask the translator what they suggest.

When is a translation not necessary?

• You are an adult and provide a multilingual extract of your birth or marriage certificate, one of whose languages is French. Note that the authority may then ask for other documents, as the extract does not contain all the information in a full copy.
• The certificate comes from an EU country and is accompanied by a multilingual standard form: see our page Does a civil status document from an EU country need translating?

Beware of certificates written in French outside Europe — a Moroccan or Cameroonian certificate is often written in French. Yet, in the files we handle, the authorities in practice ask for these certificates to be translated by a sworn expert translator. Do not assume that a certificate in French exempts you from translation: check with the department handling your file before submitting it.

Frequently asked questions

Does my birth certificate need an apostille for naturalisation?

It depends on the country that issued it. Certificates from EU countries are exempt, as are those from countries that have an agreement with France, such as Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia or Cameroon. Chinese, Indian or Russian certificates must be apostilled; Syrian, Iraqi, Egyptian or Lebanese certificates must be legalised. The table of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs sets out the rule country by country.

Can a foreign birth certificate be apostilled in France?

No. The apostille is issued by an authority of the country that issued the certificate. Legalisation is in principle carried out at the French embassy or consulate in that country. No French authority can apostille a foreign document.

Does the apostille or legalisation need to be translated?

Yes. The apostille or legalisation appears on the certificate and must be translated with it. That is why the formality must be completed before the translation.

What is the role of the Central Civil Status Service in Nantes in a naturalisation?

The Central Civil Status Service (SCEC), located in Nantes, draws up the French birth certificate of people born abroad who become French. It relies on the foreign birth certificate in the file, which must be provided as an original, legalised or apostilled where applicable, and translated if necessary.

Does a Moroccan or Cameroonian birth certificate written in French need to be translated?

In practice, most often yes. Even when the certificate is written in French, the authorities frequently ask, in naturalisation files, for a translation by a sworn expert translator. Check the requirement with the department handling your file.

Can the translation be done abroad?

The translation must be made by a translator approved in France or authorised by the judicial or administrative authorities of another European country. If you live abroad, the French embassy or consulate can give you the list of approved translators.

Is a very old birth certificate accepted?

For the drawing up of the French certificate by the Central Civil Status Service, the Ministry accepts the original foreign birth certificate even if it is old, legalised or apostilled where applicable. For submitting the naturalisation file, check your platform’s instructions: a recent full copy is often preferable.

Sources

• Service-Public, Naturalisation française : quels justificatifs d’état civil et de nationalité ? (in French; checked on 1 January 2026)
• Service-Public, Naturalisation française par décret (in French)
• Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Summary table of the current state of treaty law on legalisation (in French; September 2026)
• Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Civil status questions and answers (in French)
• Decree No. 93-1362 of 30 December 1993 concerning, in particular, naturalisation decisions
• French Civil Code, Article 98, and Decree No. 2024-87 of 7 February 2024 on the legalisation of public documents issued by a foreign authority

Further reading

• Legalisation, apostille or exemption: the country-by-country table
• Apostille and legalisation since the 2025 reform: who issues them, how much, how long
• Does a civil status document from an EU country need translating?
• Getting your official administrative translation right