France is surrounded by an aura of romance. Sunny Beach, the European standard of living and cities, which are centers of art and culture, attract and open up a lot of opportunities for development. It is not surprising that so many people dream of finding their soul mate right here in order to start life from scratch. But an official marriage in France is a serious undertaking that requires careful preparation.

Features of the marriage procedure in France

On the territory of France, only a marriage union registered at the city hall between persons who have reached the age of majority is considered official. A church wedding can be a beautiful addition to state registration of marriage or even a separate solemn event, but it cannot replace it.

Same-sex marriages are allowed in the country, including with foreigners, with the exception of nationals of eleven countries that have signed a special bilateral agreement with France: Algeria, Tunisia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Cambodia, Laos, Serbia, Morocco, Poland, Montenegro, Slovenia.

Obtaining permission from the city hall

Any French marriage begins with a visit by the bride and groom to the city hall where they actually reside. In this case, a prerequisite is to live in the selected district for at least 40 days before the date of marriage. If the bride and groom lived in different districts, they can choose any of them at their discretion.

The second option is to submit documents to the mayor's office at the place of permanent residence of one of the parents of the future spouses.

During a visit to the mayor's office, the bride and groom must:

• choose the date when the marriage in France will be carried out (no earlier than 10 days from the date of filing the application);
• submit an official application;
• receive a brochure with a list of documents that must be provided to employees of the mayor's office;
• sign a document confirming that none of them have legal obstacles to getting married.

Mandatory documents package

The prospective spouses will need the following documents to register their marriage in France:

• Identity card (national and).
• Аacte de taissance (birth certificate), issued in France no later than 3 months before the wedding and no later than 6 months - abroad. Apostille is required for papers issued in another country.
• Documentary confirmation of the place of residence, for example, or Certificate de domicile - a certificate of registration from the house management.
• Certificat de coutume - A certificate from the embassy confirming the current civil status. Previously married / married must provide a document of divorce or death of a spouse.
• Proof of citizenship.
• Livret de famille is a family book if a joint child was born before marriage and on French territory.
• Information about the future newlyweds (confirmation of the truth of the relationship) provided by at least 4 witnesses.

In addition, the mayor's office will ask for the casier judiciaire - a foreign citizen, and information about the people who will certify the marriage.

It should be borne in mind that in a number of municipalities only those translations of documents that were made in France are accepted.

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How and where to issue a certificate of civil status

Even before the official wedding procedure, an engagement takes place in France. It is held at the home of the bride's parents or in a restaurant. Appointed at least one year before the expected date of the marriage. May be terminated.

This implies an announcement in the press about the spouses and the chosen date, drawing up a marriage contract.

Registration of marriage at the city hall

Registration is usually a modest and highly regulated procedure. Only the closest family members and friends are invited to it.

The ceremony is held by the deputy mayor or an authorized employee: the articles of the French Family Code are read, the consent of the bride and groom to the marriage is confirmed, the signatures of the newlyweds and two witnesses are put on official documents.

At the end of the marriage, the newlyweds are issued a confirmation of the fact of marriage - a family book. The duration of the entire procedure is about 30 minutes. Changing the surname of the bride is not mandatory, but usually the husband's surname is added to the maiden name.

Which of the guests is invited to the official registration of marriage at the city hall is announced in the invitation to the wedding.

Wedding ceremony in the church

A church wedding is optional, but a very beautiful ceremony. To make the ceremony possible, you must provide a specific package of documents:

• copies of identity cards;
• birth certificates / extracts from them, no more than six months old;
• baptismal certificates;
• a written statement about the desire to get married.

Foreign citizens are required to provide documents with a translation into French and an apostille.

Before the wedding, the newlyweds attend several lectures on religious topics. During the ceremony, there must be two or more witnesses on the part of the bride and groom.

The first to arrive at the church is the groom, accompanied by his mother. He is waiting for the bride at the altar, where her father accompanies her. On average, the ceremony lasts about an hour.

It should be noted that the wedding ceremony is possible only after the registration of the marriage at the mayor's office.

Gala wedding banquet

As a rule, the organization of the banquet is entrusted to the professionals in the restaurant.

All dishes are served in a strict sequence: aperitif, cold snacks, hot dishes, fruits and cheese. The apotheosis is the taking out of the wedding cake.

After the banquet, the start of the dance evening is announced, which usually opens with the bride's waltz with her father.

Spouse visa to France

After marriage with a French citizen, a foreigner is entitled to a spouse visa. This is a type of long-term residence permit of category D. It allows you to stay in the country for 12 months. The main condition for obtaining such a visa is the successful passing of two exams: for knowledge of the French language and traditions.

It should be borne in mind that a spouse's visa is not the same as a bride's (or groom's) visa. The first is drawn up after marriage, the second - even before marriage, with the aim of staying in the country for its registration, but after submitting an application to the mayor's office.

To apply at City Hall, a Standard Tourist Visa Category C for a Foreign Citizen is requested.

If your spouse's visa expires, you will have to leave the country. The current requirements and the package of documents for different types of visas can be clarified by visiting the website of the French consular service in your country. In Russia, all information is available here.

Is it possible to obtain French citizenship in marriage

You can apply for citizenship only two years after the official civil marriage was concluded in France at the city hall. Moreover, for all two years it is necessary to continuously stay on the territory of the country. In addition, the consent of the spouse who is a French citizen will be required.

Another prerequisite: successful passing of tests on knowledge of the language and national French values. If you took these tests when applying for a visa, you still need to take them again.

The mandatory package of documents for applying for French citizenship includes documents on the place of actual residence and registration, employment and open bank accounts.

The term for consideration of the application is up to 1.5 years. During this time, the spouses will also be checked for the fictitiousness of the union concluded between them.

All options for applying for citizenship are described in the article ““.

Divorce procedure in France

There are several types of divorce proceedings in France:

1. By mutual agreement of the parties without division of property. The fastest and easiest way to divorce. However, in this case, it is necessary that the spouses agree in advance not only on the division of property, but also on the upbringing procedure / place of residence of joint minor children, if any.
2. Divorce initiated by both parties with the division of property / determination of the order of upbringing or the place of residence of joint minor children, alimony. The decision on controversial issues is made by the court.
3. Divorce due to the fault of one of the spouses. In this case, proof of behavior incompatible with the continuation of the marriage relationship is required: betrayal, domestic violence, alcoholism and other reasons.
4. Divorce due to separation of spouses. The court takes into account the evidence of the separation of the spouses for a period of 2 years or more.

Prices for the services of a divorce lawyer start from 200-300 euros per hour of work in court.

Where to apply for divorce and what documents are needed for this

To apply for a divorce in France, you must contact a lawyer, after which the petition will be submitted to the country's Supreme Court.

The list of required documents includes:

• application of the established form;
• passport (foreign and French citizen);
• permission to stay in the country (long-term visa category D);
• family book (livret de famille);
• property division agreement, if any;
• prenuptial agreement, if signed;
• information about the income and property of both spouses;
• documents for common children.

Is it possible to stay and live in France after a divorce

A foreign citizen can stay in France after a divorce only if he has been married for more than 5 years and has managed to apply for citizenship. Otherwise, he must leave the country.

The only way to avoid this is to conclude a long-term contract with a French employer or to purchase a home in the country.

Fictitious marriage in France

"Simulated" or fictitious marriages, family law in France recognizes unions that are not based on the real desire of people to be spouses, as well as unions entered into with the coercion of one of the parties.

The basis for recognizing a marriage as fictitious may be:

• closeness of family relations;
• lack of common property;
• separate living;
• lack of knowledge of the spouses about the personal life and preferences of each other;
• testimony of neighbors;
• data of employees of the migration service.

If a fictitious marriage has been proven, the union is invalidated. The spouse who is a foreign citizen will be forced to leave the country as his visa will be canceled.

Summarizing

Creating a family with a French citizen is a complex procedure that includes several stages.

It all starts with collecting documents, a tourist visa and a visit to the mayor's office. After that, a special visa for the bride / groom is issued, and after all the ceremonies - a visa for the spouse.

The official confirmation of the union is a family book - a marriage certificate in France.

The celebration itself consists of a civil ceremony at the city hall, a wedding and a banquet. In this case, the wedding is possible only after the official signing of the documents at the mayor's office and receiving the family book. In addition, the future spouses must submit a specific package of documents to the church and go through conversations and classes with a priest.

Official registration of marriage in France for citizens of the Russian Federation and other states may become the basis for obtaining French citizenship under a simplified scheme.

Types of marriages in France. Getting married in France. Wedding in France. PAX in France // Oxana MS: Video

Despite the fact that the French are quite religious, only one that is concluded in the city hall, that is, a secular marriage, is considered an official marriage in France. At the same time, church marriage is a beautiful ceremony or an important ritual for believers, but it does not bear any legal consequences.

Visit to the mayor's office and obtain permission

Getting married in France is a serious matter, it is not enough just to want to get married, there are a number of conditions. In order for your application to be accepted at the mayor's office, one of the future spouses must continuously reside in the county where he is going to marry for at least the last forty days at the time of the marriage. If the spouses lived in different counties, but each of them at the time of filing an application with the mayor's office in their district has lived for the last thirty days in a row, then you can apply in either of these two departments.

A marriage in France is concluded no earlier than ten days after filing an application with the mayor's office and the publication of a marriage announcement, and this is what caused a slight discrepancy in numbers. That is, at the time when the application is submitted, the period of uninterrupted residence in one district of France must be at least thirty days, and at the time of registration of the marriage - at least forty days.

When the application has already been submitted, the mayor's office issues a special brochure, which will contain a list of all documents, certificates and certificates required for your marriage in France to be registered. The brochure will naturally be in French. English dubbing is not available. Please note that in order to conclude a marriage in France, documents are needed only in the original, in the case of submitting a copy, it must be notarized. If you have documents in a language other than French (most often a birth certificate), they must only be translated by a sworn translator. If you do not know where to find a sworn translator, ask the City Hall directly. In addition, contact details for sworn translators can be obtained from any police station.

By law, marriage in France takes place only after public notification. This means that ten days before the registration of the marriage, a message about the upcoming marriage will be published in the local newspaper. The city hall submits an advertisement to the newspaper, but before applying for publication, officials from the city hall must familiarize themselves with some of the required documents and approve them. In some districts, it happens that a full set of documents may be required to be published in order to be published. All details should be clarified at the City Hall itself and preferably in advance so that no unpleasant surprises happen. Since France recognizes a civil marriage as the only legally authorized one, a church wedding is possible only if there is an official marriage certificate - it will be asked to show it, and will be refused if it does not.

Required documents

The required documents for registering a marriage in France are:

• identity card (passport);
• birth certificate. It must be issued no later than three months before the date of registration if issued in France, or no later than six months if issued abroad. In the latter case, confirmation of its legality in France will be required (for example, an apostille affixed);
• proof of residential address (for example, a rental agreement);
• proof of citizenship;
• proof of civil status. You need to get a special certificate from the embassy - Certificat de Capacité Matrimoniale. And if you were already married, also provide divorce documents or death certificate of the previous spouse;
• notarial certificate (only for a marriage contract);
• family book (Livret de Famille). Usually it is required if you have already had a child in France;
• information about future newlyweds from four people.

Since 2013, a medical certificate is not required for registration.

If you are not a French citizen, you may additionally need a Certificat de Coutume from your embassy. He guarantees that the marriage will be valid both in France and in your home country.

Marrying a French citizen will not automatically grant you French citizenship. We'll have to wait another two years.

Where to get a certificate of civil status

In Russia

A certificate of civil status for marriage is issued by a Russian notary. It must be apostilled by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.

In France

A certificate of civil status for marriage is issued by the Russian Consulate in France by appointment. Apostille is not required. The document is issued in French.

Remote way of obtaining a certificate: A certificate of civil status for marriage can also be issued by the lawyer Alupova Vonnio. The document is issued in French. Apostille is not required.

You can order a certificate from the lawyer Alupova Vonnio using the feedback. Upon your appeal, the lawyer will send you full information about the required documents.

Decision-making

Entry into the country by marriage was often used by all sorts of fraudsters who, once in France, underwent legalization there and then got divorced. The identification of fictitious marriages is carried out by the employees of the migration service, who are monitoring the family, in which one of its members is a foreigner. They find out whether the spouses live together, whether they have joint property, etc. In case of suspicion that the marriage is fictitious, obtaining citizenship will be problematic. Practice shows that many questions are removed if spouses have common children before applying for citizenship.

Prenuptial agreement and other prenuptial agreements

In France, as in many other EU countries, it is customary to conclude a prenuptial agreement before marriage. And this is done not because couples are initially preparing for a divorce, but in order to protect themselves from many possible problems in the future.

Types of marriage contracts in France:

• Agreement on joint ownership of acquired property. In this case, the spouses dispose of money and other things at their own discretion, but for large transactions or taking out a loan, the signature of both spouses is required. Debts are also considered general. In the event of a divorce, everything that was acquired by the family is divided in half.
• Separate ownership agreement. In this case, each of the spouses owns what is written in his name. This applies to real estate, cars, and other things. In addition, everyone is responsible for their own credit obligations and debts. In the event of a divorce, both parties receive their property.
• A document on participation in the possession of property acquired in marriage. This is not a very popular form of contract. In marriage, everyone manages their own income. But in the event of a divorce, a recalculation takes place. And the spouse whose property is larger must pay compensation to the second family member.
• Agreement on common ownership of property. In this case, not only what is acquired in marriage is considered joint, but also what each spouse had before the wedding. This option is extremely rare.

How is the ceremony

Official ceremony

Usually the main ceremony is considered to be the wedding, to which all guests are invited. Registration at the city hall takes place in the first half of the day and only close family members and friends are present.

The invitation must indicate which of the guests is invited to the mayor's office, and who only to the church. Ransom and similar traditions do not exist in France. All guests immediately go to the mayor's office. Very often, for a wedding in the city hall, the bride buys a special, more strict dress or suit, and leaves the traditional wedding dress for the ceremony in the church.

The ceremony is conducted by the deputy mayor of the city and other employees of the mayor's office. They read articles from the French family code, the rights and obligations of future spouses in relation to each other. After the cherished "Yes", uttered by both spouses, they proceed to sign the documents.

When registering, the presence of two witnesses is required, who also sign the documents. The ceremony lasts about 30 minutes, after which the so-called Family Book is issued, confirming the marriage.

Wedding and festive banquet

This part of the ceremony is optional. It all depends on the financial capabilities of the newlyweds.

Spouse visa

After registering a marriage in France, an immigrant becomes eligible for a spouse visa. This is one of the options for a long-term D visa, which allows you to stay in the country for one year. The main condition for applicants for a long-term stay in the country is to pass exams in the French language and knowledge of national traditions. The test is conducted orally and in writing.

In the event of a fiasco, the applicant will be offered to improve the missing knowledge in the courses for two to three months, of course, in his home country. The number of retakes is not regulated by migration legislation.

Therefore, in order not to live in separation, it is worth taking the question of the exam seriously.

Married citizenship

Having lived for two years in the status of a spouse gives the resident the right to obtain French citizenship. It is possible to submit documents with the permission of the husband (wife). The applicant must collect a package of documents established by migration legislation, which includes information about the place of residence, employment and the presence of bank accounts.

Among the main conditions is continuous residence in the country for the last two years on a national visa D. The applicant for citizenship will have to re-pass the exam on knowledge of the language and cultural values ​​of France. The application for the granting of citizenship status is considered by the French Tribunal. The total inspection period reaches 1.5 years.

From the moment of contact, the identity of the applicant will be carefully checked. Particular attention is paid to marriage, since fictitious unions are quite common in France. Based on the results of a personal check and the results of exams, the commission makes a decision whether or not to grant the applicant French citizenship.

Divorce

Varieties of divorce

There are several types of divorce:

• by mutual agreement of the parties. This type of divorce in France is considered the fastest and easiest to implement. In this case, the parties will incur a minimum of costs and will be able to divorce as soon as possible. This procedure applies only if the spouses have fully agreed on the division of property, determination of the place of further residence of the children, etc. on one's own;
• voluntary divorce on the initiative of both parties, but with the division of property or determination of the place of residence of children with the help of a court. This procedure is applied if the parties believe that divorce is inevitable, but cannot independently resolve property issues and problems related to minor children;
• divorce due to the fault of one of the spouses. A very complex procedure, which involves proving the fact of treason, alcoholism, domestic violence and other characteristics of the behavior of one spouse, which prompted the other to divorce;
• dissolution of marriage due to the separation of spouses, which has led to the fact that the restoration of family relations is no longer possible. This reason is rarely used in practice, although it can be used with proven separation of spouses for a period of two years or more.

List of documents

Required documents for divorce:

• Divorce petition.
• Passport (foreign, French citizen).
• Permit to stay in the country (visa category D).
• Family book (livret de famille).
• Property division agreement.
• The marriage contract (upon its conclusion).
• Information about the income and property.
• Documents for the child.

Possible difficulties

The most unpleasant aspect in this situation is the cost of a lawyer. The price for an hour of a lawyer's work in court starts from 200-300 euros.

Also, it is not uncommon for a hearing to be adjourned. Basically, this is done so that the spouses make up. This process can take from 2 months to several years.

Is it possible to stay in France after a divorce

If the spouse has been married for less than 5 years and has a temporary residence permit for a year, then, as soon as it expires, they will have to leave the country.

In this case, you can stay in France only by concluding an open-ended contract with an employer or by purchasing housing.

Conclusion

Considering all of the above, we recommend that you seek help from qualified specialists, as well as pay maximum attention to even small details when applying for a visa of the appropriate category, in order to exclude further unnecessary financial costs, as well as the loss of time that you could use for more best goals.

To arrange an invitation for your friend, contact the OVIR at your place of residence. You will need to fill out a form, several certificates, a small payment, registration will take 2 - 4 weeks. You can also reserve him a hotel or apartment in your city.

Our clients can buy air tickets and get a visa without an official invitation from you. You will need only upon his arrival to register your friend's place of residence at your address in your OVIR, if you have reserved an apartment for him. In the case of a hotel, this registration is done by the hotel.

In order for you to be able to come to France, you need to receive an official invitation from him. (attestation d "accueil)... Information on how to arrange it can be viewed on our website by the link that you can pass to your friend: https://www.partner-services.com/femmes-russes-visa.php
To issue this invitation, you need to send him a scanned copy of your passport and provide your data in Latin letters:

nom - surname

prénom - name

né le (date of birth) à (place of birth: city, country)

nationalité - nationality

passeport n- passport ID

adresse - home address

List of documents for obtaining a visa to France

International passport, valid for cr. at least another 3 months after the trip;

Copies of all pages of the internal passport;

If any - previous passports with visas; copies of Schengen visas for the last 3 years;

Completed questionnaire + 2 recent col. photographs on a light background 3.5 by 4.5;

Original and photocopy of honey. insurance policy for the entire trip;

Round-trip tickets;

An invitation + a written statement from your friend that he will bear all the costs;

Certificate from work about earnings + certificate from the bank about the availability of money in your account.

On the visa request form necessarily indicate together with the address the phone number of the inviter.

Getting married in France.

To get married in France, you need to collect the necessary documents. The very first and most important thing that the groom must do is to contact the city hall of his place of residence and ask for a dossier for the marriage - dossier de mariage. In France, different city halls ask for different documents. Most city halls require the personal presence of the bride at the time of filing the marriage documents. At this moment, you also sign a document that you give your word of honor, that you have no obstacles for marriage. Everything will be written in the marriage dossier.
Do not forget that you will need an internal passport and an international passport, valid for at least another 3 months after returning home. (After marriage, you will return to your home to obtain a visa for 1 year at the French embassy, ​​and if your passport will soon become unusable, it is better to get a new one.)
If after the divorce you left your ex-husband's last name, then you will have to change it to your maiden name and get a new passport. In France, these are the rules - your maiden name will always be present on documents, and the French do not understand what the surname of a stranger to you means in your passport.

To enter into a marriage in France, in order to submit documents to the mayor's office, the bride will be required to:

Acte de naissance- Birth certificate. It is best to get a new duplicate of the birth certificate and apostille it. (In France, this document is valid for 6 months, and if it was issued a long time ago, then you may have to take a document from your consulate that your birth certificate is valid for life.)


Certificat de coutume- Certificate of eligibility for marriage. It turns out in France at the embassy of your country. Have both passports with you - internal and for abroad, if you were married - then a certificate of divorce and a certificate of divorce.
Certificat de celibat - certificate that you are single. For those who have not been previously married. It turns out in France at the embassy of your country together with the "Certificat de coutume". Sometimes this is combined into one document - Certificat de coutume et celibat. A police clearance certificate is required for Kazakhstan.

For Ukrainian women, you need to make a document at a notary in Ukraine stating that you have no obstacles to marriage - notaries know the text, you do not need to put an apostille. If you didn't, then it's okay - your Certificat de celibat at the embassy will cost a little more, but your presence will be needed to verify your signature. Payment by check.
These two certificates (coutume et celibat) can be requested by mail, by sending a check to the name of the Ukrainian embassy (signed but not dated, 100 € if urgent, 50 € within a week, specify the amount), a copy of the homepage abroad. passport, a copy of the divorce certificate (if you were married), an application addressed to the consul with a request to send a certificate by mail, an original document from a notary and an envelope with the address of your fiancé.
Consulat d "Ukraine a Marseille: 38 rue Roux de Brignoles 13006 Marseille FRANCE tel. 04.91.63.65.99
a Paris: 21, avenue de Saxe 75007 Paris FRANCE tel: 01.43.06.07.37

For Russians a document from a notary at the embassy is not required, but your presence is required with two passports - domestic and foreign. Both certificates are issued after three days, you can request and pay at the embassy for their postage. A bank card is required to pay for certificates. You need to make an appointment with the Russian embassy in Paris in advance on their website - an entry and a page with the information you need
You need to take two certificates:
1. Certificate of civil status for marriage (certificat de coutume / celibat)
2. Certificate stating that duplicate documents of the registry office are issued only once due to their loss or damage
(if your birth certificate was issued more than 6 months ago)

If your fiancé lives in the south, then it is better to go to the Russian consulate in Marseille.
Consulate in Strasbourg: 6, place Brant 67000 Strasbourg; Tel. 03.88.36.73.15

if you were already married

• Jugement de divorce- Divorce certificate.
• Certificat de mariage- Certificate of previous marriage (from the registry office in which it was registered) indicating information about the dissolution of this marriage, if necessary - about changing the name, etc.

and you may also need:

Casier judiciaire - Certificate of no criminal record (For residents of Kazakhstan - upon receipt of a certificate d kutyum at the embassy). Apostille is not necessary.

Certificat de domicile- Certificate of residence. A certificate from the house management that you live at such and such an address does not need to be apostilled.

Procedure:

Apostille on the birth certificate and certificates from the registry office about all previous marriages and divorces. Apostille is a seal that legitimizes documents and is recognized in the countries - participants of the Hague Convention. This act is called "legalization of documents". Apostille on a birth certificate is placed in the city where you were born, on certificates from the registry office - in the city where the registry office is located, possibly in the registry office itself.


Can make transfers in your country with a licensed translator. Then certify the translation with a special notary (the translator has a list of these notaries)... Then put an apostille on all translations. Translations are apostilled by the Ministry of Justice.
Some city halls only accept translations made by a sworn translator in France. Ask the groom to clarify this issue with his mayor's office.

The best way is to do it like this:put in your country apostilles on the originals of the required documents (except for a certificate from the house management) and having arrived in France, order all translations here (do three translations of the birth certificate at once, you will need them later), then the translations will already have all the necessary stamps, and done it's pretty fast; take certificat de coutume / celibat at your country's embassy in France (don't forget your internal passport). If you come to France for a month or more, you can manage to register a marriage during this time by submitting documents and passing an interview at the city hall - if the city hall does not mind, then 2 weeks after submitting the application and publishing "les bans", you can already register the marriage ... You can draw up a power of attorney from a notary in advance to receive your documents to a loved one, who, if something happens, will be able to receive the missing documents for you, affix an apostille and send them by fast mail.

After submitting the documents, the mayor's office publishes an announcement of the upcoming marriage (les bans). Marriage can be contracted 10 days after publication (and up to 3 months). 10 days after the publication of the announcement, if there are no objections, the mayor's office sends a certificate of no objections to the embassy of your country - certificat de non-opposition... You can ask him to give it to the groom so that he can send it to you by mail. After that, you can get a bride visa.

List of documents for a bride visa at the French Embassy in Russia

Title de transport / Copy of purchased tickets

Assurance medicale provisoire / Medical insurance for 90 days

Prior to marriage, the mayor's office conducts interviews with the bride and groom, together or separately. If the bride is abroad, then the interview can be conducted at the consulate of the country where she lives. The interview is necessary in order to make sure that you know each other well, that your answers coincide, that your decision is deliberate and the marriage is not fictitious.

During the interview, you may be asked questions:

name, surname of the groom, education, who he works, date of birth, age, home address, location in France - what big city is nearby? Does he own a place to live or is he renting? house or apartment? ...

when and how did you meet him, when and where was your first meeting, how many times did you meet, are you familiar with his family, who is his family - parents, brothers, sisters? Has he been previously married? Does he have children and what age? ...

what are you going to do in France, do you want to have children in common (how many, when), what hobbies do you share with him, how will you share household responsibilities? ...

Information about what documents you need to draw up for your future spouse can be found on our website in the information in French: https://www.partner-services.com/femmes-russes-visa.php, you can simply give him this link.

After marriage You will need to return to your home country and obtain a 1 year visa at the French Embassy, ​​based on your marriage certificate. Under the new rules, for this visa, you now need to pass an exam on knowledge of the basics of the French language.
If you changed your surname in a previous marriage, then you will also need a birth certificate and a certificate of past marriage (as a basis for changing your surname) for the embassy, ​​with apostilles and translations into French.

Tatiana Maziller

Documents required for marriage between a citizen of Russia and France on French territory.

For the groom (or bride) of a French citizen:

1. Birth certificate;
2. Identity card or passport;
3. Indication on the form issued by the mayor's office of the surname, name, date and place of birth, occupation and place of residence of the witness;
4. Proof of residential address (eg electricity invoice). If the ceremony will take place at the city hall of the city where the parents of the French side live, then confirmation of the parents' place of residence must be presented.

For the groom (or bride) of a citizen of Russia:

1. A copy of the translation of the birth certificate, the original you must have with you. The translation is done by a sworn translator in France;
2. Residence permit or passport with visa;
3. Indication on the letterhead issued by the mayor's office of the surname, first name, date and place of birth, occupation and place of residence of the witnesses (if your witness is a Russian who does not speak French, then you need a sworn translator at the wedding ceremony);
4. Certificate of civil status for marriage (Certificat de coutume / Certificat de célibat). This document is also required for the conclusion of the Civil Agreement of Solidarity (PACS). This document is also required in Belgium.

This certificate or certificate is required in order to verify the marital status of a Russian citizen, that is, his legal capacity to marry, in accordance with the provisions in force in France. He also points to the law on marriage in Russia, and confirms that future spouses meet the requirements for his conclusion in France.

Norms governing the issuance of a certificate of civil status for marriage in France (Certificat de coutume / Certificat de célibat)

Pursuant to the general instructions on civil status acts of 11 May 1999, a mayor's office official must require a civil status certificate for marriage, which indicates the applicant's marital status, including the existence of a previous relationship.

No body is specifically authorized to issue such certificates: therefore, they can come from ministries, foreign consulates, as well as lawyers.

Where can I get a civil status certificate for marriage (or for PACS)?

in Russia:

A certificate of civil status for marriage is issued by a Russian notary. It must be apostilled by the Ministry of Justice of the Russian Federation.

in France (in Belgium):

A certificate of civil status for marriage is issued by the Russian consulate in France or Belgium by appointment. Apostille is not required. The document is issued in French.

Remote way of obtaining a certificate: A certificate of civil status for marriage (or PACS) can also be issued by attorney Alupova Bonnio. The document is issued in French. Apostille is not required. The document is accepted in France as well as Belgium.

You can order a certificate from a lawyer using feedback. The lawyer will send the conditions for receiving it to your appeal.

The price of the certificate is 70 euros. The document will be mailed to an address in France or Belgium. Departure time is 2-3 days. Payment method: bank transfer to account in France or PayPal.