Does a civil status document from an EU country need translating?
In short. Not always. Since 16 February 2019, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 has exempted civil status documents circulating between EU countries from the apostille. It also removes the need for translation when the document is accompanied by a multilingual standard form, to be requested from the authority that issues the document.
Without this form, and if the document is not written in French, the French authority may require a translation. It must then accept a certified translation made in any EU country.
A Romanian birth certificate for a wedding at the town hall, a Polish marriage certificate for the health insurance fund (CPAM), an Italian death certificate for an estate: the question comes up very often. The answers you find range from “a sworn translation is always required” to “no formalities within the EU”. Both are wrong. It all depends on how the document was requested in the country of origin.
What does the European regulation on public documents provide?
Regulation (EU) 2016/1191, applicable in all EU countries since 16 February 2019, simplifies the presentation of certain public documents from one EU country to another. It lays down three rules:
- No more apostille or legalisation for the public documents it covers.
- No more translation when the document is accompanied by a multilingual standard form, except in exceptional circumstances. The authority receiving the document may, however, consider that the information in the form is not sufficient to process the file.
- If a translation is required, a certified translation made by a person qualified to do so under the law of a Member State must be accepted in all Member States.
The Regulation covers in particular documents relating to birth, death, name, marriage (including capacity to marry and marital status), divorce, registered partnership, parenthood, adoption, domicile, nationality and the absence of a criminal record.
What is the multilingual standard form?
It is a standardised annex, available in all EU languages, that the issuing authority attaches to the document. It sets out the items of the document (name, date and place of birth, parentage…) with their headings in the language of the destination country.
Three points are essential:
- It is requested at the same time as the document, from the authority that issues it: town hall, civil registry, consulate. It cannot be added afterwards by a third party.
- It has no value on its own. It is a translation aid, which must always accompany the document itself.
- Not all countries issue all forms. The list by country is published on the European e-Justice Portal.
How does it differ from the multilingual extract?
The multilingual extract is another, older tool, created by Convention No. 16 of the International Commission on Civil Status (ICCS), signed in Vienna on 8 September 1976. It concerns birth, marriage and death certificates, and it can be used without translation in the States party to that convention, which include Austria, Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Poland and Switzerland.
| Multilingual standard form | Multilingual extract | |
|---|---|---|
| Legal basis | Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 | ICCS Convention No. 16 of 1976 |
| Countries concerned | EU countries | States party to the convention, including outside the EU |
| Nature | Translation aid annex attached to the document | A full extract of the record in its own right, drawn up in several languages |
| Can it be used on its own? | No | Yes |
When does the document still need to be translated?
A translation is still necessary when:
- the document is neither in French nor accompanied by a multilingual standard form or a multilingual extract;
- the document contains information that the form does not include (marginal notes, entry of a judgment) and which the authority needs;
- the authority considers, in an exceptional case, that the form is not sufficient;
- the document is not one of those covered by the Regulation: diploma, transcript, contract, notarial deed relating to a property;
- the document comes from a non-EU country.
What we see — in the experience of the Directory of Sworn Translators of France, the European documents sent to us are generally written in a single language, without a multilingual form. Most applicants do not know that this form exists and did not request it at the same time as the document. In that case, translation remains the solution.
What should you do in practice?
- Ask the French authority that will receive the document (town hall, prefecture, CPAM, notary) whether it accepts a document accompanied by the multilingual form.
- If you still have to request the document in your country of origin, ask for the multilingual standard form in French at the same time. Check beforehand on the e-Justice Portal that this country issues it for this type of document.
- If you already have a document in a single language, or if the authority requires a translation, have it translated by an expert translator registered on a court of appeal list. A certified translation made in the country of origin by a translator authorised under its law must also be accepted for documents covered by the Regulation.
Key point — the multilingual form avoids translation, but only if it was requested with the document. For a document already issued in a single language, it is often quicker to have it translated than to request a new document from abroad.
Frequently asked questions
- Does a civil status document from an EU country need an apostille?
- No. Since 16 February 2019, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 has exempted the public documents it covers, including birth, marriage and death certificates, from the apostille and legalisation when they are presented in another EU country.
- Does the European multilingual form replace the translation?
- Yes, in principle. When a document is accompanied by a multilingual standard form, the authority may only require a translation in exceptional circumstances. The form must, however, be requested from the authority that issues the document, and it has no value without the document itself.
- Where can you obtain the multilingual standard form?
- From the authority that issues the document in the country of origin, when you request the document. The European e-Justice Portal shows which forms each country issues.
- Is a translation made in another EU country accepted in France?
- For documents covered by Regulation (EU) 2016/1191, yes: a certified translation made by a person qualified under the law of a Member State must be accepted in all Member States. For other documents, the French authorities generally require an expert translator registered on a court of appeal list.
- Does a Belgian or Luxembourg certificate written in French need to be translated?
- No. A document already written in French does not need to be translated to be presented to a French authority.
- Does the Regulation apply to diplomas?
- No. Diplomas and transcripts are not among the public documents covered by the Regulation. Their translation is generally still required.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 of 6 July 2016 on promoting the free movement of citizens by simplifying the requirements for presenting certain public documents
- European Commission, e-Justice Portal: Public documents
- ICCS Convention No. 16 on the issue of multilingual extracts from civil status records, signed in Vienna on 8 September 1976
- French National Assembly, written question No. 5094 on multilingual extracts in the European Union (in French)
