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Apostille from Germany to France

Apostille works

At a glance

Can a document from Germany be used in France?

ResultApostille applies.
GermanyUses apostilles member since 1
FranceUses apostilles member since 1
Apostille issued by

Federal Office for Foreign Affairs (Bundesamt für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten, BfAA)2

Fee in Germany

€22 (per Endbeglaubigung (final certification) issued, from 1 July 2025)2

€22 (per document in an application that contains documents that cannot be certified, from 1 July 2025)2

Processing time in GermanyNot published by the office2
Last checked

Step by step

How to get a document from Germany ready for France

  1. Make sure the federal document has first been pre-certified (vorbeglaubigt) by the responsible federal authority.2
  2. Fill in the online data form (Online-Datenformular) with all the required details.2
  3. After sending the form, pay the expected fees on the payment page that opens.2
  4. Print the completed application form that is emailed to you and post it with the documents to BfAA, Referat Apostillen & Endbeglaubigungen, Kirchhofstraße 1-2, 14776 Brandenburg an der Havel.2
  5. Visiting in person is only possible in justified exceptional cases, such as transferring a deceased person, and only with an appointment made in advance.2
  6. When the documents have arrived and the fees are paid, the BfAA sends them by registered mail (Einwurf-Einschreiben) to you or a person you name, at an address in Germany.2
  7. Give the document, with its apostille or legalisation, to the office in France that asked for it.

Situations

When the answer changes

  • Private documents.A private document, such as a power of attorney or a contract, is first signed in front of a notary public, and the apostille then goes on the notary’s certificate. A copy of a public document from another country is first certified by a notary public, then apostilled.
  • The other direction. For a document from France used in Germany, the apostille or legalisation starts in France. Apostille from France to Germany

What the apostille confirms

An apostille only confirms the signature, the role of the person who signed and any seal or stamp on the document. It does not confirm what the document says. The office that receives the document decides what it accepts.

Questions

Questions about documents from Germany for France

Is an apostille from Germany accepted in France?

Yes. An apostille from Germany is enough for France: both are members of the Apostille Convention (Germany since 13 February 1966, France since 24 January 1965). The apostille is issued in Germany by Federal Office for Foreign Affairs. The published fee in Germany is €22. The office in France that receives the document decides what else it needs. Last checked 18 October 2026 against the HCCH status table.

Who issues the apostille for a document from Germany?

Federal Office for Foreign Affairs (Bundesamt für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten, BfAA). The apostille is always issued in the country the document comes from, not in France.

How much does the apostille cost in Germany?

The published fee in Germany is €22. Fees can change, so check the office's own page before you apply.

Do I need to notarise a private document first?

Yes. A private document, such as a power of attorney or a contract, is first signed in front of a notary public in Germany. The apostille then goes on the notary's certificate.

Does France also need a translation?

The office in France that receives the document decides. Ask it before you start whether it needs a translation, and whether the translation needs its own certification.

Sources and verification

Sources

  1. HCCH status table: Apostille Convention (1961)Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) · HCCH · retrieved
  2. Beantragung einer ApostilleFederal Office for Foreign Affairs (Bundesamt für Auswärtige Angelegenheiten) · Competent authority · retrieved
  3. BfJ - Häufig gestellte FragenFederal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz) · Government · retrieved
  4. BfJ - Anerkennung von Urkunden ohne ApostilleFederal Office of Justice (Bundesamt für Justiz) · Government · retrieved
  5. France - Competent Authority (Art. 6)Hague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) · HCCH · retrieved
  6. Modification de la liste des autorités compétentes pour délivrer des apostilles en FranceHague Conference on Private International Law (HCCH) · HCCH · retrieved
  7. Décret n° 2021-1205 du 17 septembre 2021 relatif à la légalisation et à l'apostille des actes publics établis par les autorités françaisesLégifrance (French Government) · Legislation · retrieved
  8. Accueil - Portail Grand PublicNotaires de France · Competent authority · retrieved
  9. Legalization or apostille of a public act drawn up by a French authorityDirectorate of Legal and Administrative Information (DILA), Prime Minister · Government · retrieved
  10. Centre de Légalisation et de l'Apostille de Paris (CLAP)Chambre des notaires de Paris · Competent authority · retrieved
  11. Apostille et légalisation - Chambre des Notaires de l'EssonneChambre des Notaires de l'Essonne · Competent authority · retrieved
Status
Last verified: (18 October 2026)
How it was checked
Checked by our team against the sources above
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