French document for use abroad: apostille, legalisation or exemption, country by country

By Keran Chaussard, administrator of the Directory of Sworn Translators of France — updated on 21 October 2026

This article covers French documents presented abroad. For foreign documents presented in France, see our table of foreign documents presented in France.

The three regimes and the procedure for each

The regime may vary by type of document for the same country: a civil status certificate may be exempt while a diploma must be legalised. The table below therefore distinguishes the main categories.

Sworn translations

A sworn translation is not a public document: it is a document signed by the court-appointed expert translator. For use abroad, it follows the regime for private documents bearing a certified signature (“Translation” column of the table):

1. the translator translates the document and its apostille or legalisation, if the original bears one;
2. the translator’s signature is certified, at a town hall or by a notary;
3. the translation is then apostilled or legalised according to the country’s regime, unless exempt.

Also check that the country accepts a translation made in France: some require a locally approved translator, and an apostille does not change that requirement.

Country-by-country table

Based on the summary table of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs updated on 11 September 2026. A country’s regime can change at any time (accession to the Convention, a new bilateral agreement): always check the current table and with the consulate before starting.

* Apostille, but legalisation for administrative documents directly linked to a commercial or customs operation (for example a health certificate). Documents issued by a French consulate or embassy follow a separate regime, often legalisation: check the Ministry table. ** Turkey: exempt where the document concerns civil status, family situation, nationality or residence, or is produced for a marriage or the drawing up of a civil status record. For Iran, the Ministry table states legalisation under a military embargo.

Points to note

• Algeria: the Hague Convention entered into force there on 9 July 2026. The bilateral exemption still applies to the categories it covers; the apostille applies to the others, including translations.
• Viet Nam: the Convention entered into force on 11 September 2026. Civil status documents remain exempt under the bilateral agreement.
• Thailand: its accession to the Convention has been announced, but it is not yet listed as applying the Convention with France as of 11 September 2026. Legalisation therefore remains the rule: check before starting.
• EU countries: many public documents are exempt from the apostille between Member States under Regulation (EU) 2016/1191, but not all. See our article on the apostille in Europe.

In what order?

1. Check the regime for the country and type of document (table above, then the Ministry’s current table and the consulate’s list).
2. Obtain a recent document: many countries require certificates less than three or six months old, and a criminal record must be less than three months old to be apostilled.
3. Apostille or legalisation of the original, unless exempt. For a legalisation country, add legalisation by its consulate in France.
4. Translation of the document and its apostille or legalisations by a court-appointed expert translator, if the country accepts a translation made in France.
5. Certification of the translator’s signature, then apostille or legalisation of the translation, if the “Translation” column requires it.

For a private document (power of attorney, statement, contract), the first step is always to have the signatory’s signature certified, at a town hall or by a notary, before any apostille or legalisation.

Common mistakes

• Apostilling a document for a country that requires legalisation, or vice versa: the document is rejected.
• Forgetting consular legalisation after the French legalisation for a non-Convention country.
• Apostilling an exempt document: it is pointless and delays the file.
• Translating before the apostille or legalisation: these will need translating separately.
• Requesting an apostille on a translation without first certifying the translator’s signature.
• Relying on an old table: several countries have joined the Convention recently (Canada in 2024, Algeria and Viet Nam in 2026).

Finding a translator for a document going abroad

The Directory of Sworn Translators of France lets you search for a court-appointed expert translator by language, département, region and court of appeal. State the destination country and the applicable regime when you make your request: the expert can tell you whether their signature must be certified. For an urgent file or a rare language, the express file submission service lets you entrust the request to the Directory.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know whether a country requires an apostille or legalisation?

The French Foreign Ministry’s summary table gives the regime for each country and type of document. Hague Convention countries require an apostille, others legalisation, unless an exemption agreement applies.

Who issues apostilles and legalisations in France?

French notaries, since 2025, through their apostille and legalisation centres or online. For a legalisation country, that country’s consulate in France then legalises the document.

Does a document for Morocco need an apostille?

No: the Franco-Moroccan agreement exempts every category of document in the table from legalisation and the apostille.

Does a document for the United Arab Emirates need an apostille?

No, it needs legalisation: the UAE does not apply the Hague Convention. The document is legalised in France, then by the UAE embassy.

Does a sworn translation need an apostille?

Only if the destination country requires it. The translator’s signature must then be certified, and the translation apostilled or legalised according to the country’s regime.

How long is this table valid?

It reflects the Ministry table as of 11 September 2026. Regimes change as countries join the Convention: always check the current version.

Sources

• French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, summary table of conventions on legalisation, updated 11 September 2026 (in French)
• Hague Convention of 5 October 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalisation for Foreign Public Documents
• Notaires de France, “Apostille, légalisation : explications” (in French)
• Decree No. 2021-1205 of 17 September 2021 on legalisation and the apostille, amended by Decree No. 2024-1200 of 23 December 2024
• Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 of 6 July 2016 on the circulation of certain public documents