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Getting married in France
You might need a certificate of custom law (certificat de coutume) if you’re getting married in France.
You should check with the local Mairie to confirm whether you need this or not.
There’s more information on getting married in France on our Paris Embassy website.
Obtaining a certificate of custom law
If you live overseas you can obtain a certificate of custom law through your nearest British consulate.
If you live in the UK you should apply for one through our office in London.
Download certificate of custom law form.
Ensure you include all the original documents that are asked for on the checklist. You must also include two photocopies of each document plus one extra copy of the application form.
We CAN’T accept personal callers - all applications are dealt with by post.
We recommend you send us your application via special or recorded delivery.
If your certificate is to be returned to you in the UK, please enclose two self-addressed, pre-paid special or recorded delivery envelopes for the safe return of your documents and certificate.
However, if your certificate is going to be sent to an address in France and not your address in the UK, you will need to send one special delivery envelope for the return of your documents and one addressed (not stamped) A4 or C5 envelope for the Certificate of Custom.
How long does the application process take?
We’ll return your documents and send you an acknowledgement letter within 20 working days.
The application will then be sent on to our Embassy in Paris who will issue you with a certificate.
The certificate will be in French and will be valid for six months prior to your marriage, though you should check this with your Mairie.
You should check with the local Mairie in case you need the certificate to be issued sooner. If this is the case, please include a note saying so.
How much does it cost?
The current fee is £63.00 per certificate requested. This is subject to change.
You can pay by postal order or bank draft, made payable to ‘ The FCO’. We can’t accept personal cheques.
Payment by Card
You can now make payments for our services by credit or debit card. When submitting your application, make sure you include a print out of the Barclaycard payment confirmation page which gives details of your payment reference and date and time of payment. Without this information we will be unable to process your application. Please see the full terms and conditions.
Please note:
Please take care to fill in the correct application form with full information, and to submit your application with all documents requested allowing good time for the application to be processed and your certificate to be returned to you (N.B. It takes at least 10 working days for an application to leave the UK and the certificate to return to us before we can forward it to you).
Incomplete applications will be returned, and we will not be held responsible for any resulting inconveniences.