Family reunification: which documents to translate, and how?
In short. For a family reunification application, the family’s civil status documents (marriage certificate, children’s birth certificates) must be provided as full copies, in their original language, accompanied by their translation into French. In practice, prefectures require a translation by an expert translator registered with a court of appeal.
Depending on the country that issued the documents, a legalisation or apostille may also be required. It is obtained in the country of origin, before translation. The same documents are used again at several stages: the application to OFII, the visa, then the residence permit in France.
Family reunification allows a foreign national lawfully resident in France to bring over their spouse and minor children. The file relies to a large extent on civil status documents: they are what prove the family relationship. An incomplete or poorly translated document, or one without the formality required for its country, can delay a procedure that already takes many months.
What are the conditions for family reunification?
In the general case, the applicant must:
- have been lawfully resident in France for at least 18 months, holding a residence permit valid for at least one year (12 months for Algerian nationals, under the Franco-Algerian Agreement of 27 December 1968);
- have stable and sufficient resources, assessed over the last 12 months;
- have accommodation suited to the size of the family.
The income and floor-area thresholds change: check them on Service-Public (“Regroupement familial” page) before applying. The application is processed by the French Office for Immigration and Integration (Office français de l’immigration et de l’intégration, OFII).
Which civil status documents must be provided?
The application must be accompanied by full copies of the documents proving the civil status of the family members, in particular:
- the marriage certificate of the applicant and their spouse;
- the birth certificates of the children for whom reunification is requested;
- where applicable, the divorce judgment, the death certificate of the other parent or the court decision granting custody of the child;
- for an adopted child, the adoption decision.
The documents must be provided in their original language, with their translation into French. Provide full copies, with all marginal notes: an extract or summary does not make it possible to verify parentage.
Who should translate the documents?
The regulations provide that all documents in the file must be accompanied, where applicable, by their translation into French. Prefectures specify in their lists of documents that foreign documents must be translated by a translator-interpreter approved by a court of appeal, i.e. a court-appointed expert translator, commonly known as a sworn translator.
The translation must be complete: it covers the document, its marginal notes, its stamps and, where applicable, the legalisation or apostille. A translation made by a relative, a non-sworn agency or an automatic tool is not admissible.
You can find an expert by language and department in the Directory of Sworn Translators of France. As the title of court-appointed expert is national, the translation has the same value whichever court of appeal the translator is attached to.
Do the documents need to be legalised or apostilled?
It depends on the country that issued the documents and on the agreements it has concluded with France. Documents from some countries are exempt from any formality; others must be apostilled, and others legalised. For example, according to the table of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Algerian, Moroccan, Tunisian and Cameroonian civil status documents are exempt from any formality thanks to bilateral agreements; Chinese, Indian or Russian documents must be apostilled; Egyptian, Lebanese or Haitian documents must be legalised. Syrian and Iraqi documents are subject to a special legalisation regime: for Syria, the French consulate is even materially unable to legalise. These are the files that most often get stuck.
The rule applicable to each country appears in the summary table of treaty law on legalisation (in French), published by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. Consult it before having anything translated.
When a formality is required, it is carried out in the country of origin (apostille) or at the French consulate in that country (legalisation), then the document is translated together with it. A translation made before the apostille or legalisation does not cover it.
Key point — the authorities have the authenticity of foreign civil status documents checked as soon as the application is submitted. Documents that comply from the outset avoid requests for further documents that lengthen the procedure.
At which stages are translations requested?
| Stage | Handled by | Translated documents requested |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Family reunification application | OFII, with an investigation by the town hall into accommodation and resources | The family’s civil status documents and their translations |
| 2. Long-stay visa application | French consulate in the family’s country of residence | According to the consulate’s requirements |
| 3. Residence permit in France | Prefecture of the place of residence | Foreign documents translated by a translator approved by a court of appeal |
As originals may be requested at several stages, ask the translator for several original copies of each translation. An additional copy costs far less than a new translation ordered urgently.
In what order should you prepare the documents?
- Request recent full copies of the marriage certificate and the children’s birth certificates in the country of origin.
- Check the Ministry’s table to see whether these documents must be legalised or apostilled, and complete the formality in the country of origin if necessary.
- Have the documents translated, with their notes and any formality, by an expert translator registered with a court of appeal.
- Order several original copies of each translation.
- Submit the application to OFII with all the documents.
Frequently asked questions
- Which documents need to be translated for family reunification?
- All documents written in a foreign language, in particular the marriage certificate, the children’s birth certificates and, where applicable, the divorce judgment, the death certificate of the other parent, and the custody or adoption decision. They are provided as full copies, in their original language, with their translation into French.
- Must the translation be made by a sworn translator?
- Yes. Prefectures require foreign documents to be translated by a translator-interpreter approved by a court of appeal, commonly known as a sworn translator. An unofficial translation is not admissible.
- Does the marriage certificate need an apostille for family reunification?
- It depends on the country that issued it. Algerian, Moroccan, Tunisian or Cameroonian certificates are exempt from any formality under an agreement with France. Chinese, Indian or Russian certificates must be apostilled; Syrian, Iraqi, Egyptian or Lebanese certificates must be legalised. The summary table of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs sets out the rule country by country.
- How long must you have lived in France before applying for family reunification?
- In the general case, at least 18 months of lawful residence, holding a residence permit valid for at least one year. For Algerian nationals, this period is 12 months under the 1968 Franco-Algerian Agreement.
- Can the same translation be reused at each stage?
- A sworn translation has no expiry date in itself, but originals may be requested at several stages. Order several original copies with your first order.
Sources
- Service-Public, “Regroupement familial” page (in French)
- Code on the Entry and Residence of Foreign Nationals and the Right of Asylum (CESEDA), Articles L. 434-1 et seq. and R. 434-1 et seq.
- Franco-Algerian Agreement of 27 December 1968, as amended
- Cerfa form No. 11436 for family reunification applications and its list of documents
- Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Summary table of treaty law on legalisation (in French; September 2026)
- Hauts-de-Seine Prefecture, list of documents for a declaration of nationality by marriage (in French)
