Document Translation Requirements in France
Official bodies in France generally require a sworn translation of foreign-language documents, and many documents also need an apostille or legalization before they are translated. Below: who can translate, when an apostille is needed, and where the official rules are published.
France recognizes a traduction assermentée — a sworn translation by a traducteur assermenté (expert traducteur) registered with a French Court of Appeal (Cour d'appel), who stamps and signs it. For a French document used in the United States you instead need a certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy, which USCIS and universities accept. France has been in the Hague Apostille Convention since 1965, so a French acte is apostilled by the Cour d'appel — not legalized at a consulate.
France requirements at a glance
| Translation standard | Sworn translation · traduction assermentée |
|---|---|
| Who can translate | Court-appointed (sworn) translator |
| Apostille | Sometimes, see table |
| Apostille authority | The Court of Appeal (Cour d'appel) with jurisdiction over the place where the document was issued. |
| Accepted languages | French |
| Responsible authority | Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs |
Who can translate documents for use in France?
What makes a translation official in France?
How does France treat documents from abroad?
Legal basis
Apostille & legalization for France
France is part of the Hague Apostille Convention (since 1965), so public documents are authenticated with a single apostille — no consular legalization.
Documents from France
The Court of Appeal (Cour d'appel) with jurisdiction over the place where the document was issued.France has been a party to the Convention since 1965.
U.S. documents going to France
A U.S. document going to France is apostilled in the United States — the state Secretary of State, or the U.S. Department of State for federal documents — and then translated into French by a traducteur assermenté.
The apostille should be obtained before the translation, so the apostille certificate is translated too. See how apostilles work, or order a translation with e-apostille.
How to get a France document translation accepted
- 1
Request a copie intégrale of the acte
For a U.S. submission, ask the mairie for the copie intégrale (full copy) rather than an extrait, so every margin annotation is present.
- 2
Order a certified English translation of the full document
Cover the état civil data, margin notes (mentions marginales), and any apostille, with a signed Certificate of Accuracy.
- 3
Submit the original plus the certified translation
File the copy with the certified translation to USCIS, the university, or the credential evaluator (WES/ECE).
Ready to translate your French documents?
Certified for USCIS, universities, and credential evaluators — from $24.95/page.
Which direction are your documents going?
Translating French documents for the U.S.?
French birth certificates, diplomas, and transcripts submitted to USCIS, universities, or credential evaluators need a certified English translation — that is exactly what we do — backed by our revise-free-or-refund acceptance guarantee.
Sending U.S. documents to France?
U.S.-issued documents usually need an apostille before they can be used in France — and the apostille should be obtained before the translation, so the certificate itself gets translated too. We offer e-apostille processing as an add-on to any order.
Popular certified translations
The French documents we translate most often — each with its own pricing and requirements page.
Why France document translations get rejected
The mistakes we see most often on French documents — and what a correct certified translation does instead.
Relevé de notes abbreviations and mentions left unexplained
French transcripts compress course names and use mentions like "AJAC" or "très bien"; a credential evaluator needs them rendered in full, not left as raw abbreviations.
Read the casePlurilingual extrait assumed to need no translation
A plurilingual extrait d'acte de naissance includes column headings in several languages but the entries stay in French; USCIS still needs a certified English translation.
Mentions marginales dropped from an extrait
Using an extrait instead of the copie intégrale, or skipping the margin annotations, hides later events (legitimation, divorce, name change) that must appear in the packet.
Real French translation cases we've handled
Anonymized French-to-English orders. Each case shows the exact translation problem and how we solved it for the receiving authority.
RecentJun 2026embedded-non-textFranceWhen a Driving License Is Mostly Icons, Stamps, and Codes
A French driving license (permis de conduire) carried most of its content as non-text elements — vehicle-category icons, a photo, security stamps, and a machine-readable zone. A plain word-for-word translation would have dropped that meaning. We described each non-text element in brackets, translated the text inside the stamps, and reproduced the machine-readable zone exactly. The certified translation was delivered for the client's USCIS filing.
Handled by Sarah Jenkins, Certified French & Official Documents TranslatorUSCISRead case →- Personal correspondence — WhatsApp chat screenshotsRecentMay 2026embedded-non-textHaiti
Labeling Speakers in a Foreign WhatsApp Chat
A client submitted a year of WhatsApp chat screenshots in Haitian Creole, with French and English code-switching, as bona fide marriage evidence. The original messages carried no speaker labels in the text. We attributed each line to either '[You]' or the saved contact name '[Hubby♥]' — both labels the app itself prints in its reply-quote boxes. No gender or identity was inferred by the translator. The certified translation was delivered for the client's USCIS filing.
Handled by Marie-Claire Joseph, Haitian Creole & French Certified TranslatorUSCIS (I-130 / I-485, bona fide marriage evidence)Read case → - Personal correspondence — multi-export WhatsApp chat bundle (4 separate PDF exports)RecentMay 2026multi-document-setHaiti
A Multi-Year WhatsApp Bundle for I-130 Marriage Evidence
A client submitted four WhatsApp chat exports from Haitian Creole into English for an I-130 marriage filing. Each export covered a different facet of the relationship: recent-month communication, prior-year continuity, extended-family integration, and financial support. We translated all four with identical structural conventions for voice messages, reply threads, and mixed-language lines. The same Translator’s Note was repeated on every packet.
Handled by Marie-Claire Joseph, Haitian Creole & French Certified TranslatorUSCIS (I-130 family petition, bona fide marriage evidence)Read case →
Cost & turnaround
A one-page acte is priced as a single page; multi-page relevés de notes and court judgments are priced by their page count. Standard delivery is 24–48 hours, with notarization and e-apostille available as add-ons. See full pricing.
France translation requirements — FAQ
What translation does France require for foreign documents?
France requires a traduction assermentée by a traducteur assermenté registered with a Court of Appeal. The foreign document is apostilled first, then translated by the sworn translator.
how apostilles workDo I need a sworn translator for a French document used in the U.S.?
No. U.S. authorities do not use France's traducteur assermenté system. A French acte or diplôme needs a certified English translation with a signed Certificate of Accuracy, which USCIS, WES, and ECE accept.
certified French translationWho issues an apostille in France?
The Court of Appeal (Cour d'appel) with jurisdiction over the place the document was issued. France has used apostilles since joining the Convention in 1965, so no consular legalization is needed for member states.
requirements for other countriesShould I get the copie intégrale or the extrait?
For a U.S. submission, request the copie intégrale of the acte. It carries the mentions marginales — later annotations such as legitimation, divorce, or name changes — that an extrait can omit.
French birth certificate translationHow are French grades translated for WES?
French grades run on a /20 scale with mentions (passable, assez bien, bien, très bien). A certified transcript translation preserves the scale and mentions so WES or ECE can map them; it does not convert to a U.S. GPA.
WES translationDoes a plurilingual French birth extract still need translation?
Usually yes. The column headings are multilingual, but the actual entries (places, notes) remain in French, so USCIS still requires a certified English translation.
French translation servicesHow much does a French document translation cost?
Pricing is per page. A one-page acte is a single page; multi-page relevés and court judgments are priced by page count. Notarization and e-apostille are optional add-ons.
see live pricingCan I translate my own French documents?
No. USCIS and universities reject self-translation. An independent qualified translator must complete and certify the translation with a statement of accuracy.
what a certified translation isRequirements in related countries
Neighbors and countries with a similar translation standard.
Sources
- Certified translation of civil-status documentsService-Public.fr (French government)
- Apostille Convention — specialised sectionHague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH)
Information verified against official sources. Last verified June 2026.
Need a certified French translation?
Signed Certificate of Accuracy with every order, a revise-free-or-refund acceptance guarantee, optional notarization and e-apostille — delivered in 24–48 hours.