PACS with a foreign partner: documents, certificate of non-PACS and translations

By Keran Chaussard, administrator of the Directory of Sworn Translators of France — updated on 17 October 2026

Where can you register a PACS with a foreign partner?

• At the town hall, with the registrar of the municipality of your shared residence: free, often by appointment.
• With a notary: for a fee, with legal support in drafting the agreement.
• At the French consulate, if your shared residence is abroad and one of the partners is French.

Both partners must be adults (for the foreign partner, according to the age of majority in their country), must not be married or already in a PACS, and must not be too closely related. They declare a shared residence, without having to live together already.

Documents required from both partners

• The joint PACS declaration (Cerfa form no. 15725), which includes sworn statements on the absence of family ties and on the shared residence
• The PACS agreement: a personalised agreement or the standard agreement (Cerfa form no. 15726), written in French and signed by both partners
• A valid identity document, original and photocopy

Documents required from the foreign partner

They depend on where the partner was born.

Foreign partner born abroad

• A birth certificate (full copy or extract showing parentage) issued less than six months earlier, translated by a sworn translator if it is not written in French. A multilingual extract is accepted without translation. Depending on the country, the certificate must be apostilled or legalised, or is exempt.
• A certificate of non-PACS issued less than three months earlier. It certifies that the person is not already in a PACS and is not registered in the civil register or the annex civil register. It is issued by the Central Civil Status Service (SCEC) in Nantes and can be requested online. As it is written in French, it does not need translating.
• A certificate of custom, issued by the authorities or diplomatic mission of the country of origin, certifying that the person is of age, single and legally capable. With dual nationality, one certificate per nationality.

Foreign partner born in France

• A French birth certificate
• A certificate of custom issued by their country. The certificate of non-PACS is not required in this case.

If the country does not issue a certificate of custom

You must provide a statement from the country's authorities confirming that it does not issue one, together with a statement from a lawyer or legal expert setting out that country's rules on capacity to enter into a PACS. If these documents are in a foreign language, they must be translated by a sworn translator.

Divorced or widowed partner

• Divorced: if the divorce does not appear on the birth certificate, a copy of the family record book or marriage certificate bearing a note of the divorce. For a divorce granted abroad, a copy of the final decision, translated if it is not in French.
• Widowed: the family record book bearing a note of the death, the late spouse's birth certificate bearing that note, or the death certificate.

Which documents need translating?

Every document written in a foreign language must be accompanied by a translation by a sworn translator, meaning a translator registered as a court-appointed expert with a French court of appeal. The documents most often concerned are:

• the foreign birth certificate, together with its apostille or legalisation
• the certificate of custom, if it is not written in French
• a divorce decision granted abroad
• the former spouse's death certificate, where applicable
• the statement on the rules of the country of origin, where it replaces the certificate of custom

The following do not need translating: the certificate of non-PACS, issued in French; the multilingual birth certificate extract; and, often, a certificate of custom issued by a consulate in France.

What about the PACS agreement?

The registered agreement must be in French: a version in a foreign language cannot be filed. If the foreign partner does not read French, it is sensible to have the agreement translated so they know exactly what they are signing, in particular the property regime chosen. This translation is for their information only: only the French version is registered.

In what order should you proceed?

1. Book an appointment at the town hall and ask for the list of documents: requirements may vary slightly between municipalities.
2. Obtain a recent birth certificate in the country of origin or from its consulate.
3. Have it apostilled or legalised if the country requires it.
4. Have the certificate and its apostille translated, along with the other foreign-language documents.
5. Request the certificate of non-PACS last: its three-month validity is the shortest in the file.
6. Submit the file before the deadlines expire: six months for the birth certificate, three months for the certificate of non-PACS.

PACS and marriage: the differences for your file

Mistakes that hold up a PACS file

• An expired certificate of non-PACS, requested too early.
• A birth certificate more than six months old on the registration date.
• An untranslated apostille, or a translation made before the apostille.
• An agreement written in a language other than French.
• A translation that is not sworn: by a relative or a machine.
• Names spelt differently on the passport, the translated birth certificate and the certificate of custom.

Finding a sworn translator for a PACS file

The Directory of Sworn Translators of France lets you search for a court-appointed expert translator by language, département, region and court of appeal. The translation has the same value whichever court of appeal the expert is attached to: for a rare language or an imminent appointment, widen your search to the whole of France or use the express file submission service. Tell the translator how the names are spelt in the passport.

Frequently asked questions

What documents do you need for a PACS with a foreign partner?

For a foreign partner born abroad: an identity document, a birth certificate issued less than six months earlier, translated by a sworn translator and apostilled or legalised depending on the country, a certificate of custom and a certificate of non-PACS issued less than three months earlier. Both partners sign the joint declaration and the PACS agreement in French.

Where do you get a certificate of non-PACS?

From the Central Civil Status Service in Nantes, which issues it to foreign nationals born abroad. It must be less than three months old on the date the PACS is registered.

Does the certificate of non-PACS need translating?

No: it is issued in French by the French authorities.

Can the PACS agreement be written in another language?

No, it must be written in French. The foreign partner may have it translated for their information, but only the French version is registered.

Do you need an interpreter to register a PACS?

There is no legal requirement, but if the foreign partner does not understand French, an interpreter helps them understand what they are signing. Check with the town hall.

Does a PACS give the right to French nationality?

No. Unlike marriage, a PACS does not allow French nationality to be acquired by declaration. It may, however, be taken into account for a residence permit.

Sources

• Service-Public, "Entering into a PACS", page checked on 25 September 2026
• Service-Public, "PACS with a foreign national", page checked on 27 January 2026
• French Civil Code, Articles 515-1 to 515-7-1 (civil solidarity pact)
• Circular of 10 May 2017 on the transfer of PACS registration to civil registrars
• Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents
• Decree No. 2004-1463 of 23 December 2004 on court-appointed experts