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Duration: Apostille in the country — weeks; translation in France — days to weeks
Cost: Apostille — low/free; translation ~20 to 50 €/page
On-site only
Who this guide is for
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- You if you bring a foreign act and want to use it in France
- You if you apply for a residence permit, naturalization or studies with foreign acts
- You if you are asked for an "apostille" or "legalization" and you hesitate
To be prepared in advance
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- The original of the act and a copy
- Knowledge of the country of issue (for apostille vs legalisation)
- Contact details of a translator sworn in in France
Step-by-step procedure
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- 1Determine the way: if the issuing country has signed the 1961 Hague Convention (Russia, most countries) — apostille. Otherwise (some countries) — legalisation via the consulate of the country of issue + the consulate of France.
- 2Get the apostille from the competent authority of the issuing country (in Russia — regional civil registry offices/Ministry of Justice; to be checked on the spot). The apostille is a numbered stamp, dated, signed.
- 3If legalisation is necessary: first legalise with the authority of the country of issue (MAE), then at the French consulate in that country. Longer and more expensive than the apostille.
- 4After apostille/legalization, make a sworn translation in France — translator of the official list (list of judicial experts). A translation without apostille/legalization has no value.
- 5The translator certifies the translation by seal and signature. In some cases, it is also necessary to legalize the translator's signature (in court), but his official status is generally sufficient.
- 6Use the full file (original + apostille + sworn translation) for: residence permit, naturalization, marriage, studies, ENIC-NARIC.
- 7Time limits: apostille in the country of issue — weeks; translation in France — days to weeks. Anticipate.
- 8Cost: apostille — often low (or free in some countries); translation — about 20 to 50 €/page.
Common mistakes
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- Translating the act without apostille/legalization — translation has no value.
- Making the translation in the country of origin rather than with a sworn in in France — often refused.
- Ignore that the apostille belongs to the country of deliverance, not to France.
- Confondre apostille (one stamp) and legalisation (chain of consulates).
- Do not anticipate: urgent steps can remain blocked by actions.
Official sources
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Show sources in this section
Important remark
The procedures for apostille/legalization vary by country. This information is indicative — for your act, check in the country of issue and at the French consulate.
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