French municipalities have appointed special representatives who will interact with the High Council of Notaries regarding apostille matters. This is reported by MAIRE INFO.
What is the essence of the apostille reform in France?
On December 23, 2024, France adopted Decree No. 2024-1200, which postpones the implementation of Decree No. 2021-1205 from September 17, 2021, regarding changes to the apostille procedure in the country. The new apostille document certification procedure, which was supposed to come into effect on January 1, 2025, will now be implemented on May 1, and the updated consular legalization scheme will start on September 1. The responsibility for implementing the new procedures lies with the Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals of France, the Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs, and the Minister for Overseas Territories.
In France, 34 regional appellate courts currently certify documents with an apostille. However, the courts can only certify documents issued within their jurisdiction. Documents issued by federal authorities are certified by the Paris Court of Appeal. The gradual reform of the document legalization process began in 2020. It was decided that a central role in the apostille process would be transferred to notaries. According to the authorities of the republic, this decision is intended to simplify the document legalization procedure and make it more modern. The transfer of authority was scheduled for September 2023, but it was postponed for organizational reasons.
Once the reform comes into effect, 15 notary chambers will officially become the authorized bodies for apostilling documents.
How will municipalities and notaries interact regarding apostille matters?
On March 15, 2025, the interim phase of the apostille reform was completed. On this day, each municipality in France appointed its official representative to interact with the High Council of Notaries.
Under the current system, municipalities regularly send samples of seals and signatures of officials to the authorized bodies. However, starting from May 1, the apostille system will change, and the administration of the signature and seal database will be handled by the High Council of Notaries. Official representatives will be responsible for contacts regarding this issue. Municipalities had the right to appoint one or more contact persons at their discretion until March 15.
Now, official representatives of municipalities with a population of more than 3,500 people will be required to submit a special database of signatures and seals to the High Council of Notaries by May 1. No deadline has been set for smaller municipalities to submit their database.
To appoint an official representative, the municipality's leadership only needed to complete a simple electronic form containing contact information, the first and last name of the appointed person, their personal number, and work email address. The contact person could be a municipal agent or a member of the municipal council. Additionally, the mayor themselves could also be designated as the contact person to communicate with the High Council of Notaries.
What is an apostille?
What is an apostille? Why do I need an apostille? How do I get an apostille? - Our video will explain everything you need to know about the apostille. If you have a document that needs to be certified with an apostille for use abroad, Schmidt and Schmidt will assist you! We provide apostille services in more than 100 countries worldwide.
