I want to get married

© Ofpra

Marriage in France

La procédure

If the marriage is to be celebrated in France, you, as a protected person, must comply with the formalities set out by the French registrar at the town hall where your marriage is to take place. Under no circumstances should French registrars contact the authorities in the refugee’s country of origin, nor should they ask the refugee to do so.

Please note: OFPRA no longer issues certificates of custom for refugees, stateless persons and beneficiaries of subsidiary protection who wish to marry. OFPRA also does not issue certificates of single status.

For further information on marriage in France, please visit the service-public.fr website.

 

Marriage abroad

Processing times: OFPRA is currently processing applications received in December 2025 for the registration of a marriage celebrated abroad after the granting of status on the margin of the OFPRA birth certificate.

The procedure

The personal status of refugees and stateless persons is governed by French law as the law of the country of residence. A beneficiary of subsidiary protection whose civil status has been established by the Office and who resides in France is also governed by French law in the absence of any legislation concerning the law applicable to the personal status of beneficiaries of subsidiary protection.
Consequently, a marriage abroad of a protected person that is celebrated in contravention of French law will have no legal effect in France and cannot be recorded in the margins of the documents reconstructed by OFPRA. You will therefore not be considered married in France.

Documents to send to OFPRA

If the marriage is celebrated abroad, the protected person must contact the French embassy or consulate in the country where they wish to marry, in accordance with the requirements set out in Article 63 of the Civil Code on marriage and the documents to be provided.

Upon your return to France, the registration of this marriage by OFPRA will be carried out at your request by completing the form “Entry in the margin of the OFPRA birth certificate of a marriage celebrated abroad”, which can be downloaded at the bottom of the page, and submitting it together with the following documents: 

  • the certificate of legal capacity to contract marriage (a document issued by the French embassy or consulate in the country where the marriage took place) or the banns publication certificate,
  • A copy of the foreign marriage certificate, legalised, accompanied by a French translation carried out by a sworn translator. If you were first married in a religious ceremony and then had the marriage registered: also enclose a copy of the religious marriage certificate (and its translation, if applicable);
  • formal evidence of appearance before the foreign authority having celebrating the marriage (photocopy of the travel document with entry and exit stamps from the country celebrating the marriage, photocopy of the plane or train ticket),
  • The completed and signed Ofpra form 'Formulaire d'inscription en marge du certificat de naissance de l'Ofpra d'un mariage célébré à l'étranger après l'octroi du statut'

Please note! OFPRA may refuse any application to register a marriage celebrated abroad that is not accompanied by the required documents and does not comply with these formalities.

Please note that you must ensure you obtain a residence permit from the authorities at the place where the marriage was celebrated, valid for a sufficient period to complete the procedure.

Can I obtain a French family record book if I got married abroad?

Ofpra will not issue either a marriage certificate or a family record book. You must contact the authorities in the country where the marriage took place. However, some countries do not issue family record books.

Ofpra advises that if you wish to bring your spouse to France, you must contact Ofii.

Protected people can find further information on :

refugie.info