France publishes clarifications on new apostille procedures with exceptions on the official portal of the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
Reform of the Apostille in France
As previously reported by Schmidt & Schmidt, until May 1, 2025, apostilles in France were issued by 34 regional Courts of Appeal. Each court was authorized to authenticate only documents issued within its territorial jurisdiction. Documents issued by federal authorities were certified exclusively by the Paris Court of Appeal.
The gradual reform of the document legalization process was initiated by the French authorities back in 2020. It was decided that notaries would assume a central role in the apostille process. According to the French government, this measure is intended to simplify and modernize the procedure for legalizing documents. The transfer of authority was initially planned for September 2023 but was postponed due to organizational reasons.
Since May 1, 2025, documents in France are apostilled by notaries.. . Responsibility for certification has been transferred to 15 regional notarial chambers and councils. The transfer of authority was carried out to make the apostille process simpler, more accessible, and decentralized./p>
The reform also involves a digital transition. A number of procedures related to legalization are being converted to electronic form. The Supreme Council of Notaries is creating a national digital register of signatures - this should significantly speed up the process of certifying documents. However, not all municipalities have yet entered data into the register (official Paris has not yet set a deadline for small municipalities to complete the process).
However, independent legal experts report that the reform is proceeding with disruptions - in particular, there are serious problems with electronic apostilization. In addition, the specifics of procedures in individual regions and municipalities have not been regulated at the legislative level.
The specifics of apostilization at the national level are France clarified through the Hague Conference
According to an official announcement by the French government, the notarial apostille procedure—administered through regional notarial councils and chambers—applies to the following territories: mainland France (metropolitan France), Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Réunion, Martinique, Mayotte, Saint Barthélemy, Saint Martin, and Saint Pierre and Miquelon.
In New Caledonia, apostilles are issued by the Prosecutor General of the Court of Appeal of Nouméa; in French Polynesia, by the Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal of Papeete; in Wallis and Futuna, by the President of the Court of First Instance of Mata-Utu; and for the French Southern and Antarctic Territories, by the Prosecutor General of the Court of Appeal of Saint-Denis (Réunion).
The Ministry of Justice of France (specifically, the Department for Public Relations, Private International Law, and European Law) has been officially designated as the central authority for matters related to apostilles. However, the Ministry itself is not authorized to issue apostilles.
According to France’s statement, apostilles issued by public authorities in overseas territories—not by notaries—are provided free of charge.
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.
