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Using a U.S. document in France

Step by step

1. Order a certified long-form copy of the U.S. record (e.g. birth or marriage certificate).
2. Get the apostille from the competent U.S. state authority; depending on the state, it can be requested together with the vital record or must be sent to the state's Secretary of State.
3. If the document is not in English (for consular civil-status files) or will be used before other French authorities, obtain an official French translation by a professional/qualified translator.
4. Submit the apostilled original to the French consulate (e.g. transcription into French civil records) or to the French authority requesting it.

Translation

For civil-status transcriptions handled by the French consulates in the U.S. (births, marriages), records written in English do not need to be translated; records in another language require an official translation by a professional translator. For other procedures in France, Service-Public.fr states that a foreign-language public document must be accompanied by a French translation made by a qualified translator.

Sources