Getting Married in France as a Foreigner: Legal Guide

Getting married in France as a foreigner is possible, but the rules are stricter than most couples expect. A legal civil marriage needs a link to the commune where it is held: at least one of you must have lived there continuously for one month before the banns are published, and the banns then stay posted for 10 days. If neither of you lives in France, the usual route is to make the marriage legal at home and hold the celebration at an estate in Provence.

This guide explains how the French system works, which documents the town hall asks for, and how couples combine a legal ceremony with a three-day wedding in Provence. It is general information, not legal advice. Requirements vary by commune and by nationality, so confirm yours with the mairie and your consulate before you fix a date.

Only the civil ceremony is legally binding in France

French law recognises one kind of marriage: the civil ceremony, celebrated by the mayor or a deputy in front of both spouses and their witnesses. It takes place in the town hall (mairie) or another public building of the commune. A ceremony held in a château, a garden or a private estate has no legal value in France, however moving it is. A religious ceremony cannot come first either: celebrating a religious marriage before the civil one is forbidden.

Both spouses must be at least 18. A minor can marry only exceptionally, with a waiver from the public prosecutor and the agreement of at least one parent.

The one-month residency rule for getting married in France

The commune where you marry must have an enduring link with at least one spouse: the home or residence of one of you, or of one of your parents. According to the official guidance, residence means at least one month of continuous living there on the day the banns are published. Being born in a commune without living there is not enough.

For two foreigners who do not live in France, the same guidance says a marriage is possible only at the consulate of their country of origin, or in an overseas collectivity such as New Caledonia. Many consulates offer weddings only in exceptional cases, so ask yours early. The other option is to build up a month of continuous residence in a French commune before the banns go up.

Documents and timeline at the town hall

Each town hall builds its own file, so ask for its list. The official guidance gives the core documents:

• Identity: the original of a valid identity document for each spouse, plus a photocopy.
• Proof of address dated more than one month. Mobile phone bills and bank details (RIB) are not accepted.
• Birth certificate with filiation: dated under 3 months for a birth in France and under 6 months for a birth abroad, counted from the day you file, not from the wedding day.
• Marital status papers: foreign nationals may need a certificate of custom and/or a certificate of celibacy, depending on nationality.
• Translations: documents in a foreign language must be translated by a sworn translator, unless a plurilingual birth certificate extract can be used.
• Witnesses: identity details and a copy of an identity document for each one.

Once the file is accepted, the banns are posted for 10 days at the town hall where you marry and at the one where a spouse lives. The wedding cannot take place before the tenth day after publication, and it must happen within one year after that period ends. Allow several weeks for the paperwork itself, especially when translations are involved.

Three ways to marry when you live abroad

Whichever route you choose, check that your home country recognises a marriage celebrated abroad, and keep certified copies of the marriage record. The consulate or a local lawyer can confirm this for your nationality.

Celebrating in Provence around the legal step

A ceremony at an estate is a celebration, not a legal act, and that gives you freedom: you choose the officiant or celebrant, the language, the vows, and the moment. Many couples sign the legal paperwork in a short civil ceremony at the mairie or at home, so the Provence weekend is free to be about the people. Because the legal formalities sit apart from the venue, you are not tied to one town hall when you choose where to celebrate. For more on planning from abroad, read our guides to a destination wedding in Provence and the questions to ask a Provence venue.

Our four estates are hired exclusively for three days and two nights, so the legal step never competes with the party for time. The ceremony spaces are a gloriette in the gardens at L'Oasis du Saule, a shaded avenue of trees at Domaine de Montaud, lavender and olive trees facing Mont Ventoux at Le Clos d'Hullias, and the Rose Garden at Château Pimõ.

Guest rooms are charged separately at Oasis, Montaud and the Clos. At Montaud the rate is €39 per person per night; at Oasis and the Clos it is €59. At Oasis, the 15 beds are booked for both nights, which comes to €1,770. For a full budget, see how much a wedding in Provence costs, or compare all four estates on our Provence wedding venues page.

A sensible order for planning

Start with the legal route, because it decides everything that follows. If you will marry at home, the Provence date can be set freely, and a weekday is worth considering: at Le Clos d'Hullias, a July weekday costs €6,980 against €8,980 on a weekend. If you will marry in France, count back from your wedding date: the 10 days of banns, the file, and the month of residency before them. Order recent birth certificates late enough that they are still valid on the day you file, and book sworn translations early.

Frequently asked questions

Can foreigners get married in France?

Yes, if at least one spouse has lived continuously for one month in the commune where the wedding takes place, or has a parent living there. Two foreigners with no residence in France can marry only at their country's consulate or in an overseas collectivity, according to the official guidance.

Do we have to live in France to marry there?

You need a link to the commune, not French citizenship. One month of continuous residence by one spouse on the day the banns are published is enough. Being born in the commune without living there does not count.

Can we marry legally at a château or private estate in Provence?

No. The legal ceremony is celebrated by the mayor or a deputy in the town hall or another public building. A ceremony at an estate is a celebration without legal value in France, so couples make the marriage legal separately, at home or at a mairie.

Which documents do we need, and must they be translated?

Identity documents, proof of address older than one month, a birth certificate with filiation, and a certificate of custom or celibacy depending on nationality. Foreign-language documents need a sworn translation, unless a plurilingual birth certificate extract is accepted.

How long does the process take?

The banns are posted for 10 days, and the wedding must take place within one year after that period. Add the time to gather and translate documents, and the one month of residency that precedes the banns.

Which Provence estate suits a destination wedding with guests staying on site?

Domaine de Montaud sleeps 49 and welcomes up to 150 guests. Le Clos d'Hullias sleeps 28, plus a bridal apartment, and L'Oasis du Saule sleeps 15 in three gîtes, with a wider choice of hotels and gîtes nearby. Château Pimõ includes five five-star suites.

Plan the celebration

Once the legal step is settled, the estate is the easy part. L'Oasis du Saule in Monteux is about 25 minutes from Avignon TGV station, which is 3h30 from Paris by train, and it hosts up to 130 guests with no evening curfew. Aurélien arranges free visits with no obligation and replies in English or French. You can also call him on +33 7 77 00 48 81.

Sources: service-public.gouv.fr, Marriage in France; The Local France, Can you get married in France if you don't live here. Checked 15 October 2026. Rules can change, so confirm them with the mairie.