Legalisation, apostille or exemption: the country-by-country table

By Keran Chaussard, administrator of the Directory of Sworn Translators of France — based on the official table of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs updated on 11 September 2026

How to read this table

• The “Civil status documents” column concerns birth, marriage, death and acknowledgement certificates. This is the relevant column for naturalisation, family reunification, marriage or a residence permit.
• The “Administrative documents” column concerns in particular diplomas, criminal records and certificates of nationality. The rule may differ from that for civil status: Cameroonian civil status documents, for example, are exempt, but Cameroonian diplomas and criminal records must be legalised.
• Apostille: formality issued by an authority of the country that issued the document (countries party to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961).
• Legalisation: formality carried out in principle by the French embassy or consulate in the country that issued the document.
• Exemption: no formality, under a bilateral agreement, an international convention or European Union law.
• An asterisk (*) indicates countries for which the French consulate is not in a position to legalise documents or is materially prevented from doing so (Decree No. 2024-87 of 7 February 2024): check with the department handling your file.

For EU countries, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 also exempts public documents relating to birth, marriage, death, parenthood, nationality or the absence of a criminal record from legalisation and the apostille, whatever the table says. See our page Does a civil status document from an EU country need translating?

The table by country

Dependent territories (Hong Kong, Macao, Greenland, Puerto Rico, etc.) are covered by a separate table in the Ministry’s document.

Key point — this table reproduces the official document as at the date shown, but the Ministry updates it several times a year. Before an important procedure, check the current version on the Ministry’s website (in French), and the requirements of the authority handling your file.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know whether my foreign birth certificate needs to be apostilled or legalised?

Look up the country that issued the certificate in the table above, in the “Civil status documents” column. It shows whether the certificate must be apostilled, legalised or is exempt. This table reproduces the official document published by the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs.

Does a Moroccan, Algerian or Tunisian certificate need an apostille to be used in France?

No. Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian civil status documents are exempt from legalisation and the apostille under bilateral agreements with France. However, they must be translated if they are not written in French, and the authorities often ask for a translation by a sworn translator even when they are.

How can a Syrian or Iraqi document be legalised?

The Ministry’s table places Syria and Iraq under a legalisation regime linked to an embargo, and the French consulate is materially unable to legalise documents issued in Syria. Check with the department handling your file (prefecture, OFII, naturalisation platform) before taking any steps.

Is the rule the same for a diploma and a birth certificate?

Not always. The table distinguishes between civil status documents and administrative documents such as diplomas or criminal records. Cameroonian civil status documents, for example, are exempt, whereas Cameroonian diplomas must be legalised.

Should the formality be completed before or after translation?

Before. The apostille or legalisation is placed on the document in the country of origin, then the sworn translator translates the document together with it. A translation made before the formality does not cover it.

Sources

• Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Summary table of the current state of treaty law on legalisation (in French), update of 11 September 2026
• Hague Convention of 5 October 1961: status table of signatures and ratifications
• Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 of 6 July 2016
• Decree No. 2024-87 of 7 February 2024 on the legalisation of public documents issued by a foreign authority

Further reading

• Apostille and legalisation since the 2025 reform: who issues them, how much, how long
• French naturalisation: why your foreign birth certificate must be legalised or apostilled
• Family reunification: which documents to translate, and how?
• Does a civil status document from an EU country need translating?