If you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, once you have married your French fiance or you have lived together for one year as common-law partners, you can sponsor him or her for permanent residence in Canada.
Requirements To Get Married in France
While picturing getting married in France; whether in a country church or a French vineyard, you’ll need to prepare in advance for the inevitable paperwork of a French wedding. It can also be difficult to get legally married in France if you don’t have ties to the country, so it’s important to check the requirements for a French wedding.
Process
Getting legally married in France is only possible through a civil ceremony which takes place at the council offices (mairie). The couple can then follow this with a religious ceremony, a secular service, or whatever celebration they choose, in a destination of their choice.
This is the case for both heterosexual and same-sex couples. Same-sex marriage was legalized in France in 2013, and the procedures and ceremonies are nearly identical to those for a heterosexual marriage. Both are called a marriage (mariage). Weddings must take place between two consenting people who are at least 18 years old.
Couples married in France automatically receive a livret de famille which includes a copy of your marriage certificate (l’acte de mariage). livret de famille is a booklet which serves as an official record of a marriage and subsequent events in the family such as births, deaths and divorce or name changes. These events are all recorded in the livret de famille and are known as mentions (marginales).
How to Apply
IN PERSON
- Visit the Office of the Mayor (La Mairie) of the town where the marriage took place and request for marriage certificate application form which are in three forms i.e. the full copy, the extract with filiation and the extract without filiation.
- Read through the instruction carefully and fill the form correctly.
- Submit the filled application form with the required documents to the attending official who will verify the documents and if all the information is in order you will be issued with the livret de famille(if you don’t have one). If you have one it will be indicated on the marriage part, the same day.
VIA MAIL
- Write a letter request for a marriage certificate and send to the Office of the Mayor (La Mairie) of the town where the marriage took place
- Required information indicate on the mail
Full copy or extract with filiation
- Date of the marriage
- Last name, first names of the spouse
- Names and surnames of their parent
Extract without filiation
- Date of the marriage
- Last name, first names of the spouse
- The return enveloped with written address and stamp should be sent together with the request letter.
ONLINE
- Go to Service Public and click on access online service.
- On the new page, Under reason for the request box select wedding and enter your postal code and town under municipal where the marriage was registered then click on button “Following” to proceed.
- You will be relocated to the next page under (type of act) fill it correctly in accordance to the type of marriage certificate you are applying for i.e. (full copy, extract with filiation or extract without filiation)
- You will then be redirected to the next page under (identification). Fill it correctly then click on following
- Than finally you will be redirected to the last page under (summary and send). Verify all the information is correct then click on send.
Documents required
- ID (eg. passport);
- birth certificate – this must be less than three months old if issued in France, less than six months old if issued elsewhere, and if from abroad, it needs to be translated into French and ‘legalized’ so it’s recognized in France, for example, the affixation of an Apostille stamp;
- proof of address (eg. rental agreement, recent bills);
- proof of nationality;
- proof of civil status – typically, you will request a Certificat de Capacité Matrimoniale from your embassy, but expect to provide a divorce or death certificate too, if you have been married previously;
- notary’s certificate (only required with a prenuptual agreement);
- family record book (livret de famille) (typically only if you already have a child born in France);
- information about your two – four witnesses.
For Canadians
The Consular service of the Embassy of Canada in Paris or the Authentication Services Section (JLAC) of Global Affairs Canada can issue a Statement in lieu of Certificate of Non-impediment to Marriage Abroad. This document is nominative and issued at your request; it replaces the Certificat de coutume and the Certificat de capacité matrimoniale requested by the Mairie in France.
To obtain a Statement in lieu of Certificate of Non-impediment to Marriage Abroad from the Consular service of the Embassy of Canada in Paris, please send us the following documentation:
- A photocopy of your valid Canadian passport (only pages 2 and 3);
- If you were born in Canada: a copy of your Canadian birth certificate issued by the provincial office;
- If you were born outside Canada: a photocopy of both sides of your Canadian citizenship card or certificate;
- An original statutory declaration including your name, residential address, present marital status and the name, the citizenship and residential address of future spouse. This statutory declaration must be in French and mention the date and place of the signature and signed in front of a lawyer, notary public or commissioner of oaths in Canada or signed in front of a lawyer, a notary or an official who is entitled to witness sworn statements at your local Mairie in France. If you are abroad, you also have the possibility to sign this statement in an office of the Government of Canada abroad -50$cad additionnal fee- (by appointment “Notarial services” at the Embassy of Canada in Paris) ;
- The following text can be used as an example of statutory declaration:
Je soussigné(e) [your full name] citoyen(ne) canadien(ne) né(e) le [your date of birth] et résidant au [your detailed residential address], déclare solennellement par la présente être [choose the option that fits your personal situation : single, divorced or widowed] et libre de contracter un mariage avec [full name of the spouse], citoyen [spouse’s nationality] résidant au [your spouse’s detailed residential address].
- If you have been married in the past: a certified copy of your divorce certificate or a certified copy of the death certificate of the deceased spouse;
- A payment of $50.00 cad;
- A short letter explaining your request that includes the name and detailed address for the return of the documents, also include your email and telephone number in case the service needs to reach you.
Your application should be sent to:
Embassy of Canada
Consular service / Notarial service
130, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
75008 Paris
France
Your documents will be returned by registered mail without extra cost. All incomplete dossier will be returned to the sender.
Processing time (excluding postal delays): https://travel.gc.ca/assistance/emergency-info/consular/standards
Minors
In France, the legal age to get married is 18 years old and minors can only be married with the consent of their parents. Both future spouses must be present for the ceremony in order for the wedding to be valid.
A marriage in France must take place at the town hall (mairie) and must be conducted by the mayor or one of his/her representatives. A religious wedding ceremony conducted by a member of the religious community will not be recognized as a valid marriage without this civil ceremony.
Costs
N/A
Steps to get married
To arrange a marriage in France, either partner must apply at least a month in advance to the town hall where they normally live (they must have lived there for at least 40 days – 30 days’ residence plus ten days for publication of the banns). The bride and groom must each provide at least one witness and may provide two, whose names must be given to the town hall when the wedding is arranged. Both partners must also provide passports, residence permits (if applicable), birth certificates (stamped by their country’s local consulate not more than six months previously), proof of residence in France, and a medical certificate issued within the previous two months (see below). A divorced or widowed person must provide a divorce or death certificate.
You may also be required to produce a certificat de célibat (which doesn’t mean that you promise to be celibate but that you aren’t already married!) no more than three months old, provided by your embassy and a notarised ‘affidavit of law’ ( certificat de coutume), drawn up by a lawyer in your home country, to confirm that you’re free to marry. For a church ceremony, you may be asked to produce other documents, such as a baptism certificate. All documents must be ‘legalised’ in your home country and translated into French by an approved translator.
No more than two months before marrying, a couple must undergo a medical examination ( certificat d’examen médical prénuptial), including a blood test and chest X-ray. The cost is reimbursed by social security. The medical was originally intended to check compatibility between the blood groups of a couple, although with the advent of AIDS it has taken on a new significance. The results are confidential and cannot prevent a wedding from taking place. If a divorced or widowed woman wishes to remarry within 300 days of the divorce or death, she must provide a medical certificate verifying that she isn’t pregnant. For a church wedding, you may be required to attend a day’s préparation de mariage course.
You will then be issued with a pre-marital certificate. Notification of an impending wedding ( bans) must be published ten days before the ceremony at the town hall where the wedding is to take place.
A civil ceremony, presided over by the mayor or one of his deputies, must be performed in France to legalise a wedding. Although around 50 per cent of couples choose to undergo a church ‘blessing’ ceremony, it has no legal significance and must take place after the civil ceremony. There’s no fee for a marriage in France, although most town halls make a collection in aid of local charities.
Copies of the marriage certificate can be obtained at the mairie. Married couples are given a ‘family book’ ( livret de famille) in which all official family events such as the birth of children, divorce or deaths are recorded.
Commonly observed traditions
No Bridezilla
At French weddings, the bride is not the center of attention. Instead, the focus is on the two families coming together. From the get-go, French weddings tend to be less gendered: when the girl gets her ring, she typically gives the groom a nice watch. The bride and groom each have a mix of male and female witnesses, all of whom contribute to the planning of the day. So, whilst the bridezilla exists in every culture, of course, in France she’s a rare breed.
Wedding Procession
On the day of the wedding, it’s customary for the groom to collect his bride-to-be from her home prior to the ceremony. The procession is led by musicians and the bride with her father. This is the bit we love… on their way to the chapel, children block their path with white ribbons, stretching them across the road. The bride must cut the ribbons as she passes, proving that she’s able to overcome obstacles married life might throw at her.
Trousseau & Wedding Armoire
The word “trousseau” comes from the French word “trousse”, literally meaning a bundle of linens and clothing. The bundle would contain dresses, lingerie and linens for the bride’s married future and new home. These beautiful items, hand chosen and embroidered by the bride and her mother with her married initials, would then be kept in a Wedding Armoire or Hope Chest – traditionally carved by the bride’s father. Perhaps a more modern take on this is gifting the bride with French bed linen for her home to be kept in a beautiful French Armoire.
No Bridesmaids or Best Man
Nope, no bridesmaids or best man – the French don’t even have a word for them. The nearest equivalents the French have for best friends to take part are the witnesses. The bride and groom can have one or two witnesses each for the ceremony. They do, however, have children leading the way for the bride – the equivalent of flower girls and ring bearers.
Possible Challenges for Getting Married in France
The visa officer would look to rule out the possibility:
- Marriages of convenience
- Appropriate age of marriage, France allows for minors to get married whereas Canada does not
- Marital frauds between a Canadian citizen and a French citizen
- Sponsorships before a formal divorce has not been registered in France, Canada requires one or both spouses must have lived in that country for a full year immediately before applying for the divorce.
- Sponsorships where the common-law partners may have not lived together for at least 12 months
Sponsoring Your Spouse From France To Canada
Questions commonly asked at sponsorship interviews
The visa officer would look to rule out the possibility:
- Marriages of convenience
- Appropriate age of marriage, France allows for minors to get married whereas Canada does not
- Marital frauds between a Canadian citizen and a French citizen
- Sponsorships before a formal divorce has not been registered in France, Canada requires one or both spouses must have lived in that country for a full year immediately before applying for the divorce.
- Sponsorships where the common-law partners may have not lived together for at least 12 months
Frequent sponsorship interviews
- How did you first meet your sponsor? Explain the setting.
- How old were you when you and your spouse got married or when you got together? (marrying as a minor is not legal in Canada, whereas allowed in France)
- Did you and your sponsor know each other, or was the first meeting arranged by family?
- Was there a middle man/person involved, and was he/she related or known to both families?
- Did you talk with each other privately before agreeing to the marriage?
- Who was present at the first meeting? What was decided at the meeting?
- Was there an engagement ceremony? Where was this held, who was present?
- Who was involved in arranging the marriage?
- Were you married earlier? If yes, did you seek a divorce? When did you get divorced?
- Where did you get divorced? Did you live in [COUNTRY] for at least a year before the divorce?
- How many people attended your marriage (officially)? (use photographs as evidence of known and unknown people)
- When did your sponsor immigrate to Canada?
- What does your sponsor do for a living?
- What is your sponsor’s phone number?
- Do you have any relation with your sponsor other than marriage? (visa officer is attempting to ascertain whether there was a relationship and therefore a motive to sponsor the applicant other than a genuine marital relationship)
- Who accompanied your sponsor when he/she came to France to get married?
- Who proposed? When was the proposal made? When did you get married?
- When did you and your sponsor live together?
- Did you and the sponsor attend any weddings or functions together?
- What is the name of your spouse’s company?
- What kind of work does the sponsor aspire to do in the future? Any career plans?
- What was his/her previous job before present employment? Why did the sponsor change jobs? How long at current employment?
- What does the sponsor like about the job? What is his/her boss/supervisor’s name? What are the names of the people he/she works with? What is the nature of the job? How much does he/she make?
- What does the sponsor like/dislike about [INSERT CANADIAN CITY]?
- Where do you and your sponsor plan to live in Canada?
- What do you plan to do once you get to Canada (go to school, learn English, get a job)
- What are your spouse’s friends’ names?
- What does your sponsor do in his spare time? What does your sponsor do when he’s not working?
- What is your spouse’s favourite sport?
- Did you go on a honeymoon or outing after your marriage?
- Where did you go to/How long did you go for?
- How long did your sponsor stay in France after the marriage?
- Do you have a joint bank account with your spouse?
- How much money does your spouse send to you for your maintenance?
- How often and how do you stay in contact with your spouse? (review emails, chat conversations, or any other evidence that strongly suggests constant communication)
The intention of the visa officer would be to determine eligibility for spousal sponsorship of the sponsor and the sponsored person, and that the marriage is genuine (legally recognized) with all the evidence that would support the genuineness of the marriage.
Additional documents or evidence requested
- Photographs of wedding and marriage events, along with known participants at the events
- Photographs of places or events visited as a couple before and after marriage
- Emails or conversations of interaction between the spouses
- Travel itinerary for places visited together, including bus, train or airline tickets, along with entry and exit stamps and visa stamps in the passport
- Hotel receipts for places visited as a couple
What kind of documents are frequently requested?
Checklist
- Document Checklist – Spouse (including dependent children of spouse) [IMM 5533] (PDF, 3.7 MB)
- Use your checklist to make sure you include all the forms and documents you need.
- Place the checklist on top, as a cover page for your application package
Sponsorship Application Forms for France Applicants
Forms for the sponsor to fill out
- Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking (IMM 1344) (PDF, 588.96 KB)
- Sponsorship Evaluation and Relationship Questionnaire (IMM 5532) (PDF, 2.21 MB)
- Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] (PDF, 648.31 KB)
For the person being sponsored (principal applicant):
- Generic Application Form for Canada [IMM 0008] (PDF, 652 KB)
- Additional Dependants/Declaration [IMM 0008DEP] (PDF, 433.80 KB)
- Additional Family Information [IMM 5406] (PDF, 570.00 KB)
- Schedule A – Background/Declaration [eIMM 5669] (PDF, 597.99 KB)
Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] (PDF, 648.31 KB)
Longer processing times than the official government listing of 12 months
The IRCC website suggests 12 months for overall processing time, including biometrics. However given the current situation of COVID-19, the IRCC does not provide a specific time frame for processing applications at this time.
Do people in France engage in arranged marriages/matchmaking? Or are marriages usually love marriages?
Commonly just love marriages.
Are documents issued in France issued in any language other than English or French? If so, what language(s)?
No
Unique Sponsorship Application Requirements from France
France – Additional forms for residents
- There are no extra forms for France.
Is a TRV required for a person from France to enter Canada if they wanted to do In-Canada sponsorship?
If you want to bring your French spouse or partner to live in Canada, you must then file a sponsorship application for them to become a permanent resident. If they would like to visit you in Canada while their application is in process, they must also apply for an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).
