Apostille France (Paris and all regions) — from 2025, issued by notaries
Key change: from 1 May 2025, apostilles on French documents are issued not by the prosecutor’s offices of the courts of appeal, but by the notariat — 15 regional councils of notaries and inter-departmental chambers. From 1 September 2025, the notariat also took over legalization of documents for countries not party to the Hague Convention. Applications are submitted online via the apostille.notaires.fr platform. If someone advises you to “contact the parquet général of the court of appeal” — that information is outdated.
What is a French apostille?
The French apostille is a stamp of a prescribed form, whose content and purpose are defined by the Hague Convention of 1961. It certifies the authenticity of the signature, the capacity of the signatory, and the seal of the issuing authority — but not the content of the document.
France is a founding member of the apostille system: its ratification (25 November 1964) was the third and launched the Convention. The apostille has been in effect in France since 24 January 1965.
It is issued in French, with the mandatory heading “Apostille (Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)”.
Who issues the apostille in France now (2025 reform)
| Period | Issuing authority |
|---|---|
| Until 30 April 2025 | prosecutor’s offices (parquets généraux) of 33 courts of appeal |
| From 1 May 2025 | the notariat: 15 regional councils of notaries and inter-departmental chambers; applications online via apostille.notaires.fr |
| From 1 September 2025 | the notariat also performs legalization of documents for countries outside the Hague Convention |
The reform was planned as early as 2021 and was postponed several times, so old addresses of courts of appeal are still found online and even in some institutional memos. Now the single entry point is the notariat platform, and if you prefer, documents can be brought in person to the regional council of notaries.
In Paris, applications are handled by a specialized structure of the Notarial Chamber — Centre de Légalisation et de l’Apostille de Paris (CLAP).
Timeline and cost of apostille in France (current as of 2026)
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Apostille fee | €24 per document — flat rate when submitted via apostille.notaires.fr (card payment) |
| Processing time | approximately 3 business days from the date the request is processed |
| Legalization (for non-Convention countries) | separate notarial fee; to be confirmed with the chamber upon submission |
| How to submit | online via the platform (high-resolution scan of the document + destination country) or in person at the regional council/chamber of notaries |
Additional costs: obtaining the document itself (e.g., civil status certificate or criminal record check), notarized copies, sworn translation (traducteur assermenté), and courier delivery.
Which French documents are most commonly apostilled
- Civil status documents (actes d’état civil): birth, marriage, and death certificates, as well as the livret de famille — issued by the town hall (mairie) where the event was registered;
- criminal record check — extrait de casier judiciaire (bulletin n° 3), issued by the National Center for Judicial Records in Nantes;
- diplomas and supplements (in some cases, prior verification by the educational institution or académie is required);
- corporate documents: Kbis extract, articles of association, minutes, resolutions, powers of attorney;
- notarial deeds (actes notariés), marriage contracts, inheritance certificates;
- tax certificates and residence certificates, medical documents;
- court decisions (including divorce) and enforcement documents.
Regarding document validity: French civil status certificates are usually required to be “no older than 3 months,” so it is more logical to order a fresh copy rather than apostille an old one — otherwise, the document may not be accepted everywhere.
Is there an electronic apostille in France?
Application for apostille in France is submitted entirely online — a significant step forward compared to the previous postal and queue procedure at prosecutor’s offices. The issuance format (paper document with apostille or electronic file) depends on the type of document and the requirements of the destination country, so we agree on it before submission: some foreign authorities accept only a paper apostille with a physical seal. The general logic is on the page Electronic apostille. E-apostille.
Text of the French apostille
French language (original)
APOSTILLE
(Convention de La Haye du 5 octobre 1961)
1. Pays : FRANCE
Le présent acte public
2. a été signé par ___________________________
3. agissant en qualité de ________________
4. est revêtu du sceau / timbre de ________________
Attesté
5. à __________________ 6. le __________________
7. par Conseil régional des notaires / Chambre interdépartementale des notaires
8. sous no ____________________
9. Sceau / timbre ________________ 10. Signature ________________
Translation of the French apostille into Russian
APOSTILLE (Hague Convention of October 5, 1961)
1. Country: FRANCE
This public document
2. Signed by: __________________ (last name, first name)
3. Acting in the capacity of: _________________ (position)
4. Bearing the seal / stamp of: ________________
Certified
5. Place: __________________ 6. Date: __________________
7. By: Regional Council (Chamber) of Notaries
8. No. ____________________
9. Seal / stamp ________________ 10. Signature ________________
(note from BUSINESS LIGA SRL: in apostilles issued before May 1, 2025, field 7 indicates the prosecutor of the court of appeal — such apostilles remain valid and do not need to be reissued.)
Are apostilles issued by the prosecutor’s office before the reform valid?
Yes, they are fully valid. The reform changed the authority that issues new apostilles but did not cancel previously issued ones: an apostille from the appellate court prosecutor’s office placed, for example, in 2019 or 2024 continues to be valid indefinitely. The document needs to be reissued only if the “freshness” period of the document itself has expired (certificate, extract).
Is an apostille required for French documents for EU countries?
France is an EU country, Regulation (EU) 2016/1191 applies: for documents concerning birth, death, marriage, marital status, residence, and criminal record, when presented in another EU country, an apostille is not required — the original is used, with a multilingual standard form if necessary.
An apostille is needed for countries of the Convention outside the EU (Moldova, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Turkey, Switzerland, USA, China, etc.), and for non-Convention countries — consular legalization (from September 2025, its first stage in France is also performed by the notary).
Can an apostille be obtained at the French consulate?
According to the Hague Convention, an apostille for French documents cannot be obtained at a French consulate abroad. The consulate issues and certifies its own documents (including civil status records for citizens abroad), but the apostille on French documents is placed only by the designated authority within the country — since 2025, this is the notary.
Frequently asked questions about the French apostille
Do I need to go to France?
No. We order the document (mairie, Nantes, register), submit the apostille application, arrange a sworn translation, and deliver the result by courier to any country.
How much does an apostille cost in France?
The state fee is 24 € per document when submitted through the notary platform. The final cost depends on whether the document needs to be obtained, the copy certified, and a translation made.
Is the sworn translator’s translation apostilled?
Yes — the signature of a traducteur assermenté can be apostilled if its specimen is known to the competent authority; sometimes prior certification of the translator’s signature is required. It is often more convenient: apostille on the original, then sworn translation together with the apostille.
What to do if the document was issued by a French consulate abroad?
Such documents (civil status records issued by a French consulate) are processed under a special procedure — we clarify the route in advance to avoid wasting time on incorrect submission.
Order an apostille for French documents
Civil status certificates, criminal record certificates, diplomas, Kbis extracts, and notarial deeds — we obtain and apostille them under the new 2025 procedure without your presence, with translation and delivery.
Phone / WhatsApp / Viber / Telegram: +373 67 666 333 · write in WhatsApp · Order an apostille · contact form · contacts
See also: Apostille countries · What is an apostille · When an apostille is not needed
Sources (official)
Service-Public.gouv.fr — apostilles are issued by notaries from May 1, 2025 · apostille.notaires.fr — notarial platform · Notaires de France — Apostille and Legalization · HCCH — table of member states (entry into force for France — 24.01.1965). Data last verified in July 2026; rate confirmed at order.
Apostille in other European countries
Apostille United Kingdom · Apostille Ireland · Apostille Portugal · Apostille Spain · Apostille Czech Republic · Apostille Poland · Apostille Belgium · Apostille Germany · Apostille Croatia · Apostille Slovakia · Apostille Serbia
BUSINESS LIGA SRL · apostille.expert · +373 67 666 333 — material checked and published completely.