Sworn Translation and Apostille for a French Death Certificate

Two Translation Standards — and They Are Not Interchangeable

Cross-border bereavement between France and the UK involves documents travelling in both directions, and each country has different rules about what constitutes an acceptable translation. Getting this wrong does not just cause delays — it causes outright rejection of paperwork that took weeks to prepare.

UK-bound French documents (such as a French acte de décès going to the UK Probate Registry or a UK bank): the UK generally accepts a certified translation from a professional translator. If you use an independent translator rather than a licensed agency, the UK Probate Registry requires Form PA19, where the translator declares their linguistic qualifications under penalty of contempt of court. Most UK institutions also accept the multilingual extract (covered below) with no translation needed.

France-bound UK documents (such as a UK will, Grant of Probate, or marriage certificate going to a French notaire): France strictly requires a traduction assermentée — a sworn translation done by a traducteur assermenté registered with a French Court of Appeal (Cour d'appel). A standard certified translation from a UK agency will be rejected outright. The sworn translation must carry the translator's official stamp (tampon officiel), their court registration number, their handwritten dated signature, and a formal sworn declaration confirming the translation is a faithful rendering.

The Multilingual Extract — Skip the Translation Entirely

The most cost-effective solution for getting a French death certificate accepted in the UK is the extrait plurilingue de l'acte de décès. Request it from the mairie at the time you register the death — it is free and issued on the spot alongside the standard acte de décès.

The multilingual extract includes pre-translated English headings for all standard fields (name, date of birth, date of death, place of death, marital status). Because the fields are already translated, most UK banks, insurers, the Probate Registry, and pension providers accept it without requiring any additional translation.

If you did not request the multilingual extract at the time of registration, you can order additional copies from the mairie later. But doing it at registration saves a return trip and potential postal delays.

The 2025 Apostille Reform

Before 2025, apostilles on French documents were handled by the regional Courts of Appeal (Cours d'appel) or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the process was free.

Since May 2025, apostilles on French documents are managed by the Notaires de France under Decrees No. 2021-1205 and No. 2024-1200. Families apply electronically through the national portal apostille.notaires.fr. The platform routes the request to one of 15 regional notary centres based on where the original document was issued.

The new system charges a fee:

• Normal processing (under 3 business days): €10 per document for the first three, €5 each after
• Express processing (under 24 hours): €20 per document for the first three, €10 each after
• All fees are subject to 20% French VAT

For UK-issued documents going to France — such as a Grant of Probate or a birth certificate needed by the French notaire — the apostille comes from the FCDO Legalisation Office in London. You can apply online through the GOV.UK legalisation service. The document must already have any required notarial certification before the FCDO will apostille it.

Finding a Court-Sworn Translator

If you need a traducteur assermenté for UK documents being submitted to French authorities, the official directory is maintained by each French Court of Appeal. Your French notaire can recommend one, or you can search the list of judicial experts (experts judiciaires) for your region on the French Ministry of Justice website.

Expect to pay between €30 and €80 per page for a sworn translation. For a standard UK will or marriage certificate, the total is typically €90 to €240 depending on length. Ask the translator for a document bearing their stamp and signature, and confirm with the French notaire whether a paper original is required; a digital-only copy may not be enough.

Allow a week for turnaround on standard sworn translations, though many translators offer expedited service for bereavement cases. If you are working to a deadline — the French inheritance tax return is due within six months for residents, twelve months for non-residents — start the translation process as soon as you have the apostilled UK documents in hand.

Keeping the Paperwork Straight

Our British Person Dies in France — Family Emergency Guide includes a complete document authentication flowchart showing which documents need translation, which need apostilles, and which direction they travel. It covers the 2025 notary-led apostille system and includes contact details for the FCDO Legalisation Office and guidance on finding a traducteur assermenté.