French Civil Code

There is no marriage where there is no consent.

The marriage of a French national, even if contracted abroad, requires his or her presence.

A second marriage may not be contracted until the first has been dissolved.

Minors may not enter into marriage without the consent of their father and mother; in the event of dissension between the father and mother, this division takes precedence.

If one of the two is dead or unable to express his or her will, the consent of the other is sufficient. It is not necessary to produce the death certificate of the father or mother of one of the future spouses when the spouse or the father and mother of the deceased attest to this death under oath. If the current residence of the father or mother is unknown,…

If the father and mother are dead, or if they are unable to express their will, the forefathers and foremothers shall replace them; if there is dissension between the forefather and the foremother of the same line, or if there is dissension between the two lines, this division shall entail consent. If the current residence of the father and mother is unknown and if they have not been heard from…

The production of a copy, reduced to the operative part, of the judgment declaring the absence or ordering an enquiry into the absence of the father and mother, grandparents or grandmothers of one of the future spouses shall be equivalent to the production of their death certificates in the cases provided for in Articles 149, 150, 158 and 159 of this code.

Dissension between father and mother, between grandfather and grandmother of the same line, or between grandfathers of both lines may be ascertained by a notary, requested by the future spouse and acting without the assistance of a second notary or witnesses, who shall notify the proposed union to the father, mother or grandfathers or grandfathers whose consent has not yet been obtained. The act of notification shall state the forenames,…

The dissent of the ascendants may also be recorded either by a letter whose signature is legalised and which is addressed to the civil registrar who is to celebrate the marriage, or by an act drawn up in the form provided for in Article 73, paragraph 2. The deeds listed in this article and in the previous article are stamped and registered free of charge.

Civil registrars who proceed with the celebration of marriages contracted by sons or daughters who have not reached the age of eighteen without the consent of the fathers and mothers, that of the grandfathers or grandmothers and that of the family council, where required, is stated in the marriage certificate, shall, at the request of the interested parties or the public prosecutor at the judicial court of the district in…