French bureaucracy: How to get a document 'apostille'
Briefly

Apostilled documents are essential for various French administrative tasks, particularly when applying for French nationality. An apostille authenticates the signature of officials on documents to facilitate international recognition, particularly for non-French government- issued certificates like birth and marriage documents. While EU documents are typically exempt from this requirement due to recognition agreements, UK documents are also recognized under a longstanding bilateral agreement with France. However, if one does need an apostille, specific procedures must be followed depending on the country of document issuance, with some countries having unique processes for legalization.
An apostille is used to authenticate a seal or signature of an official on public, government-issued documents, similar to a notarisation for international recognition.
It's important to note that only non-French certificates require an apostille when presenting to French authorities, as EU documents are generally recognized.
For UK documents, they generally do not require an apostille due to a bilateral agreement with France, ensuring their recognition.
If you need to apostille a document from outside the EU, such as Australia, procedures differ and must be handled through the relevant local authority.
Read at The Local France
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