Family reunification in France: which documents to have translated, and how
For family reunification in France (regroupement familial), every civil-status record written in a foreign language must be accompanied by its translation into French: the applicant's birth certificate, the marriage certificate and the spouse's birth certificate, and each child's birth certificate.
And the translator is not chosen at random: a translation made by the wrong provider is refused.
Which documents need translating?
Service-public.gouv.fr (the official French administration website) lists the civil-status records to provide, as full copies, family member by family member:
- For you, the applicant: your birth certificate, with its marginal notes.
- For your spouse: your marriage certificate and their birth certificate, each with its marginal notes.
- For each child: their birth certificate, with its marginal notes, including for children already living in France.
- Depending on your situation: divorce judgment, judgment granting parental authority or custody, adoption judgment, death certificate of the other parent. If a record mentions a supplementary judgment, attach it too.
Each of these documents, if written in a foreign language, must be translated. A family with two children therefore has at least five records to translate: two birth certificates for the couple, one marriage certificate, two birth certificates for the children.
Ask for full copies, not extracts: they are the ones that carry the marginal notes. Send each document complete so that the notes are translated with it.
Who must do the translation?
This is the point not to miss. The OFII (the French Office for Immigration and Integration), which receives your file, requires the translation to be done by a translator on a court of appeal's list of experts, which can be consulted on the Court of Cassation website. It specifies that "documents translated by other bodies are not accepted".
Service-public.gouv.fr also accepts a translation "certified as true by a French consular or diplomatic authority".
Before ordering, wherever you order, ask for the name of the translator who will sign your translations, and check it on the list of experts. Also re-read the list of documents your prefecture (local French authority) gives you: that list is what counts for your file.
At DocuTrad, translations for family reunification are entrusted to a translator on a court of appeal's list of experts. Mention it when you order: you can have the birth certificates translated for the whole family in one go.
Do you need an apostille or legalisation?
It depends on the country that issued the records. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishes a summary table, updated on 15 September 2026, which gives the rule country by country for civil-status records submitted in France.
- No formality for civil-status records issued in particular in Morocco, Algeria, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Mali, Madagascar and Vietnam.
- Apostille in particular for the United States, Canada, Brazil, China, Russia, Ukraine and India.
- Legalisation in particular for Egypt, Lebanon and Haiti.
For another country, look up its row in the table, column I. A means apostille, L legalisation, and a cell starting with D an exemption; a number in brackets refers to a note at the top of the table. When an apostille or legalisation is required, obtain it before having the record translated.
An exemption from apostille or legalisation is not an exemption from translation: a Moroccan birth certificate needs no formality to be submitted in France, but it must be translated.
How much does it cost for the whole family?
At DocuTrad, translation is charged per page:
- birth certificate: €27 per page;
- marriage certificate: €34 per page;
- death certificate: €30 per page;
- court judgment, for divorce or custody for example: €35 per page.
For a couple with two children, if each record fits on one page: four birth certificates at €27 and one marriage certificate at €34, i.e. €142.
Translations are delivered in digital format within the standard 24 to 48 working hours. If the paper copy is requested, postal delivery costs €15. You will find all the documents in your file on a single page, so you can order everything at once.
Submitting the file, then applying for visas
The file is submitted to the OFII, online or by registered post, never both: "you must not send your file both electronically and by post".
As soon as you receive the certificate of submission, send it to your family together with the civil-status records. After a favourable decision, each family member applies for their visa at the French consulate, and must present the originals of their records there. Keep a copy of the translations.
The mistakes that delay a file
Using a translator who does not meet the requirement. The translation would be refused, and the file delayed accordingly.
Forgetting a document linked to your situation. For a child from a previous relationship, think of the divorce, parental authority or custody judgment.
Sending an extract instead of a full copy, or a record without its marginal notes.
Having the translation done before the apostille or legalisation, when the country of origin requires one.
In practice
- Gather the full copies of each family member's records, and the judgments linked to your situation.
- Check in the ministry's table whether their country requires an apostille or legalisation, and obtain it first.
- Have all the records translated in one go, by a translator whose registration you have checked, then submit your file.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check that my translator meets the requirement?
Ask for their name before ordering, then look them up in the list of judicial experts published by the Court of Cassation. That is the link the OFII gives on its page about family reunification.
Are children already living in France concerned?
Yes. The official list also asks for the birth certificate of children already living in the home in France, with its translation if it is written in a foreign language.
Sources
- Service-public.gouv.fr, family reunification, checked on 1 June 2026
- French foreigners' portal (Ministry of the Interior, OFII content), pages "Family reunification" and "Which documents to provide"
- French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, summary table of the current state of treaty law on legalisation, updated on 15 September 2026
