Getting married in French Polynesia

General information on marrying overseas can be found on smartraveller.gov.au. 

We are unable to provide advice on specific requirements for Australians to be married overseas, nor provide translation or interpretation services. For translation and interpretation services in French Polynesia, please refer to Translation Services.

French town halls ("Mairie"), including in French Polynesia, can advise the local legal requirements, including documentation and confirm eligibility.  Contact details for town halls are provided on the website of the French Government.

Local authorities may require a Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage (CNI) or "Certificat de Célibat" and a “Certificat de Coutume” (see below). French authorities may also require foreign documents to be apostilled in the country they are issued. For Apostilles in Australia, please check smartraveller.gov.au. 

Certificates of no impediment to marriage (CNIs)

We can't tell you if you need a CNI to get married in French Polynesia. You must ask the receiving authority.

The receiving authority may also ask you for other documents from Australia. This includes Single Status Certificates, No Record Result Certificates and Divorce Certificates. You can get these from your local registry of births, deaths and marriages in Australia.

The Australian Consulate-General in Papeete cannot issue certificates of no impediment to marriage (CNI). Australian citizens and permanent residents in Australia can obtain a certificate of no impediment to marriage in Australia or you can obtain one from the Australian Embassy in Paris (option B - located outside Paris).

Certificat de Coutume

French local authorities may also require a CNI to be accompanied by a Certificat de Coutume, which is a document that provides a summary of regulations applicable in the applicant’s country of origin (i.e. the laws governing marriages in Australia). 

The Australian Consulate-General in Papeete can provide a letter that satisfies the Certificat de Coutume requirement, but if you already have a CNI and present it to us either as an original document or by email. The provision of the Certificat de Coutume is free of charge.

To request a copy of the Certificat de Coutume, please contact us at [email protected].