Witnesses to a marriage: what are the rules?

Verified 24 April 2025 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Witnesses are mandatory for a wedding. In particular, they certify the identity of the bride and groom and the accuracy of their statements.

As future spouses, you choose together the witnesses of your marriage.

You must choose Minimum of 2 witnesses and up to 4.

Your witnesses are witnesses to your marriage, not one of you. 2.

They are responsible for certifying your identities, the accuracy of your statements and the conformity of the marriage certificate with those statements.

Your witnesses must be at least 18 years of age (or be emancipated).

No other conditions are required.

They may or may not be members of your family.

No distinction is made between the sexes.

Your witnesses may be foreign nationals.

Please note

If a witness does not understand French, he may be assisted by an interpreter of his choice.

You're declaring your witnesses at pre-marriage formalities.

For each of them, you must provide the following information:

  • Name
  • First Names
  • Date and place of birth
  • Occupation
  • Home.

FYI  

You can change your witnesses until the official celebration.

If one of your witnesses fails you or you don't have one, the registrar can find one (for example, a mayoral officer).

Be careful, this is not an obligation for either the registrar or the mayor's office. So they can refuse.

FYI  

Your marriage certificate mentions your witnesses (first name, last name, profession, domicile, majority). Their presence is required throughout the ceremony, until they are signed on the register.

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