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'I want to focus on you so you can enjoy every moment of your ceremony xx'

Your Options for Getting Married in France

For non French citizens, there are two ways to get married in France, each with different requirements. However, French law only recognizes civil marriage, meaning a civil ceremony must take place at some point. Here’s a breakdown of your 3 options:

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  1. Get Legally Married in the your own country first.
    You can legally marry in the UK through a civil ceremony, then come to France and have a religious or humanist wedding ceremony.

  2. Get Legally Married in France
    Alternatively, you can marry in France through a civil ceremony at the local Mairie (town hall) if you are a French resident, and then choose to hold a religious ceremony (in a church or chapel) or a modern wedding ceremony (with a registered celebrant) either on the same day or a couple of days later.    ​

  3. Get PACS (Civil Marriage Ceremony) in France if you are a French resident.

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NOTE:  If you have a parent who is resident in France it may be possible to get married in France - check with the local Mairie first.​

Wedding Day

If you choose the second option, either you, your partner, or one of your parents must have lived in the town where you want to marry for at least 40 days before the ceremony.

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If you meet this residency requirement and are comfortable handling the paperwork, you’ll need to contact the Mairie (Town Hall) and the British Consulate, who will help you process your application. Most of the necessary forms can be found on gov.uk.

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What documents do I need for Option 2?

All documents must be certified by the British Consulate and translated by a sworn translator before being submitted to the Mairie. You can obtain a list of approved translators from the Mairie or local police station. Here's a quick overview of what you’ll need:

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  • Proof of address: Typically two documents, such as a telephone or electricity bill, showing that the 40-day residency requirement has been met.

  • Certificate of celibacy for non-French nationals, proving your single status.

  • Certificate of law for non-French nationals living in the UK.

  • Passport.

  • Solicitor’s certificate (check with the British Consulate for details).

  • Birth certificate: Must be less than 3 months old and issued by a bureau of records (not a hospital).

  • Death or divorce certificate if either of you has been married before.

 

The marriage banns will be displayed approximately 10 days before your civil ceremony.

In France, couples must marry at the Mairie (Town Hall) before any religious or other civil ceremonies can take place.

Once everything is in order, you’ll go to the Mairie where the mayor, or their legally authorized replacement, will conduct the ceremony in French, explaining your responsibilities to each other. You’ll sign the register and leave as a married couple. Afterward, you can hold a religious or independent ceremony of your choice, followed by a proper celebration!

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For Option 3 it is possible to get a PACS at your local town hall (mairie), or with the help of a notaire. At the mairies, a PACS is free, whereas if you elect to have a notaire draft and register a PACS for you, there is a cost for this service.

Often the best way to start, especially for a foreigner / non–French speaker, is to engage a notaire to draw up the contract and deal with its submission on your behalf.

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The paperwork generally required:

  • A full birth certificate (showing the parent’s names) – this must be an original, less than 3 months old and translated into French by an “appointed” translator.

  • A “Certificat de Non-PACS” – a certificate proving that you are not already PACS, usually obtained from the Tribunal d’instance in Paris.

  • An acceptable official form of identity – A Passport, a Titre de séjour, or a French driving licence.

  • A “Certificat de coutume” – This basically attests to the fact that the person is not already married or in a similar agreement and has the capacity to get Pacsed. This is obtainable from the embassy/consulate. Some countries do not provide these and will merely send you a letter attesting to this fact.

  • An “Attestation sur l’honneur” attesting your capacity to be Pacsed, that you are not married or part of another similar agreement, and a further attestation of your fixed communal residence.

 

Naturally, if you are doing this by yourself (which we would strongly advise against) a “modèle de Pacs” can generally be found on the internet. We would recommend engaging a notaire, who can guide you through the process and can tell you exactly what paperwork you need, meaning you can rest assured that all has been completed correctly.

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