Applying for a French passport for a child born abroad

According to the French Civil Code, Article 18, a child is French if at least one of its parents is French, even if the child was born abroad. A French passport can give a lot of benefits to a child when he grows up. France is one of the members of the European Union, and a French passport holder can leave and work in all 27 EU countries without a visa. 

If your child was born abroad, there are some steps you will have to take before applying for your child's French passport.

Birth Certificate Transcription

Birth certificate transcription is a process of recording in the French consular registers the indications contained in the act drawn up by the local authorities within the framework of French law. In other words, once the birth certificate has been issued by the civil registrar, it can now be entered into the registers of the Consulate General of France. The birth certificate transcription is very important and will facilitate future procedures with the French administration. 

It is important to note that if the parents are married abroad at the time of the child’s birth, it is recommended to transcribe the marriage certificate. Otherwise, a family booklet will not be issued. 

Documents needed for a birth certificate transcription.

The list of documents depends on some elements:

If the child is a minor and the parents were married when he was born

• A signed and dated application from the parent with French Nationality
• The original birth certificate (The Certified copy of an Entry of Birth)
• The family booklet. If the family booklet is not available, you should provide a French marriage certificate dated less than 3 months.
• A photocopy of both parents’ passports or national ID and proof that one of the parents is a French national.
• An envelope A5 with the returned address.

If the child is a minor and the parents were not married when he was born

• A signed and dated application from the parent with French Nationality
• The original birth certificate (The Certified copy of an Entry of Birth)
• The original birth certificate of both parents. If a parent is not French, a copy of the birth certificate should be certified.
• A photocopy of both parents’ passports or national ID and proof that one of the parents is a French national.
• An envelope A5 with the returned address.

With the birth certificate transcribed, and the family booklet obtained, you can now apply for your child's French passport.

Apply for your child's French passport.

You can apply directly at the French consular authorized to receive passport applications.

It is important to note that, regardless of the age of the child, he must be accompanied by a person with parental authority.

Documents for the first passport:

• 1 recent passport photo of less than 6 months in compliance with standards
• Proof of address in the name of the parents dating back less than 1 year 
• Full copy of French birth certificate less than 03 months old (the transcribed foreign birth certificate as the child was born abroad)
• If the child is over 5 years old, any official document with a photo that allows him to be identified.
• Passport or national identity card of the parent applying for the passport.
• Family booklet
• If applicable, divorce decree or court decision relating to the exercise of parental authority.

The cost:

For a child between 0 and 14 years old = 27 euros

For a child between 15 and 17 years old = 52 euros

A passport is valid for 5 years and will take about 4 weeks to be produced. When the passport will be available, the parent will receive an SMS.

One of the parents with parental authority must come to collect the passport. If the child is between 12 and 18 years old, he must be present. 

The passport must be collected within 3 months of making it available. After this time, the passport will be destroyed.