Irish bodies such as Immigration Service Delivery (ISD) ask for a certified English translation of any document that is not in English or Irish. Our French to English translation in Ireland covers that: every line of the French record rendered in English, including stamps and margin notes, with a signed and dated statement of accuracy from a named translator. You receive a PDF, and posted paper copies if your application needs them.
Most French files reaching us are birth certificates for Irish citizenship, sent as a copie intégrale or, less helpfully, as a short extract. We also see Swiss and Belgian civil records, a casier judiciaire for vetting, and the occasional relevé that turns out to be several pages long once the scan arrives.
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Where our French translations are usually submitted
The rule that matters most is simple. ISD's citizenship guidance asks for a certified copy of your birth certificate and a certified English translation if it is in another language. Other Irish bodies apply the same principle, so any French document going into an Irish file normally travels with an English version signed by the translator. The translation sits beside the French original; it does not replace it.
French birth records come in three forms. A copie intégrale reproduces the whole entry, with both parents' details and any mentions marginales such as a later marriage or name change. An extrait avec filiation is a summary that still names the parents, while an extrait sans filiation shows only the person's own details. For a citizenship or passport file, the full copy is usually the safer choice, but the checklist for your application decides.
Records from Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Quebec and French-speaking Africa follow their own layouts. Swiss civil records may be issued in French, German or Italian depending on the canton, and Belgian ones in French, Dutch or German depending on the commune. We translate from whichever French version you hold and keep the issuing office's own headings so the reader can match line to line.
Based on the French enquiries we receive
Copie intégrale or extrait, with every mention marginale.
The family record book, translated page by page.
Criminal record extract for vetting or visas.
Statements, employer letters and official attestations.
French-language extracts from cantonal and communal registers.
These six cases cover nearly every French enquiry we handle. Each one leans on a different document, and a different detail tends to cause the delay.
A French birth certificate is the usual starting point. We translate the full entry, including the mairie stamp and any margin note, so the person examining your file sees exactly what the French register shows and nothing has been summarised away.
Parents applying for a child's first Irish passport often hold a Swiss, Belgian or French birth record. We spell the parents' names as they appear on the passports in the application, after checking with you, rather than guessing from the original.
Families sometimes need several French birth certificates for one funding or college file. We translate each one as a separate certified document, so each can be uploaded or posted on its own without cutting pages apart.
A casier judiciaire extract may be requested by an employer or for a visa elsewhere. Some clients also want it notarised. We translate the extract, and arrange the notary step when the receiving body asks for it.
Recruiters doing pre-employment checks sometimes ask for a French relevé or employer attestation in English. These run to several pages, so we price them per page once we see the full scan, not before.
The livret de famille records marriage, births and some later events in one booklet. When an Irish body wants proof of a family link, we translate the relevant pages and note any blank or unused sections plainly.
Looking back over our recent French enquiries, birth certificates for Irish citizenship make up half of them. The rest are a mix: a Swiss child's birth record for a passport, a notarised police certificate, several birth certificates for a grant file, and a multi-page statement for job vetting.
The extract is often the wrong document. People order an extrait online because it arrives quickly, then find it leaves out the margin notes. If your file needs the whole record, request the copie intégrale from the mairie first and send us that.
Margin notes carry real weight. A mention marginale can record a marriage, divorce or change of name years after the birth. We translate every one, with its date, because a reviewer comparing your names will look there first.
Swiss records need a word about language. One recent Swiss birth record arrived for a child of an Irish parent born abroad. Swiss cantons issue in their own official language, so check you hold the French version before ordering; if it is in German or Italian, we translate from that instead.
Page counts grow. Two of our recent French jobs, a police certificate and a relevé, were listed as one document and arrived as four pages each. Send the whole scan up front and the quote you get will be the price you pay.
Five points that save most French rework
For citizenship or passport files, the copie intégrale is usually safer.
Stamps and margin notes often sit on the back or edge.
Tell us how names appear on current passports, accents included.
Some bodies want a recently issued record; check your checklist.
Only add a notary or apostille if the receiving body asks for it.
These are the French-language records we are asked for most. If yours is not here, send a photo and we will tell you what it is and what it costs.
Four steps, all online. Nothing needs to be posted to us unless you want paper copies back.
Upload clear scans or phone photos of every page, front and back, through the quote form, email or WhatsApp.
We confirm the page count and price before starting, usually within about 15 minutes during working hours.
A native French-speaking translator works through the record, including stamps and margin notes, and a second reader checks names, dates and numbers.
You get a PDF with the signed statement of accuracy, and posted copies anywhere in Ireland if you ask.
The extracts below are samples only. Every name, number and date in them is invented to show layout and wording.
Send us a photo of the first page. We will tell you whether it is a full copy or an extract before you pay anything.
Each certified French translation comes with the following as standard.
Headings, stamps, signatures and mentions marginales are all rendered in English.
A dated statement from a named translator with contact details, on each document.
Names keep their accents and hyphens unless you ask us to match a passport that drops them.
Your scans are used only for your order and never shared outside the job.
A PDF by email, plus signed paper copies posted anywhere in Ireland.
France, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Canada and francophone Africa.
Single certificates are priced per document. Longer French records such as a relevé or transcript are priced per page once we see them.
Per Document
24–48 hour delivery
Family or Multi-Page Set
Reduced per-document rate
Same-Day / Urgent
Per document · same day
These are starting prices. You approve an itemised quote before any work begins, and our fee is separate from any fee the receiving authority charges.
A few reasons clients give for coming back with their next French document.
If a name or date is questioned, we correct or clarify and reissue at no charge.
We translate the whole French entry, margin notes included, never a shortened version.
Our translators are affiliated with the Irish Translators' and Interpreters' Association.
Most single French certificates are back within 24 hours of approval.
A second reader checks every name, date and registration number.
Files are handled only by the people working on your order.
| Feature | IrelandTranslations.ie | Generic agencies | Freelancers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Margin notes and stamps translated in full | ✓ | Sometimes | Varies |
| Name spellings checked against your passports | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Signed statement with translator contact details | ✓ | Sometimes | Varies |
| Free reissue if a detail is queried | ✓ | ✗ | Varies |
| Same day, urgent & priority delivery | ✓ | Sometimes | Depends |
Feedback from people who sent us French and other foreign-language records.
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"My Indian medical degree translated and certified for Medical Council registration. Knew exactly what the Council's format requires. Got it in 36 hours. Now working in the HSE."
"Translated and apostilled for Brazil — birth certs, marriage cert, everything. They handled the whole DFA apostille chain. We didn't have to do a single extra step. Worth every cent."
"As a solicitor, I send court document translations here regularly. The legal accuracy is impeccable and turnaround is fast. Notarisation handled in-house too. Highly recommended."
"I needed a Ukrainian birth certificate translated for my Temporary Protection application. Same-day certified and ready to submit. The team were incredibly kind throughout."
This page is about the French language itself. If your French record is going into a naturalisation file, our citizenship document translation service covers the wider set of papers ISD asks for. Parents applying for a child's first passport can read our guide to translations for an Irish passport application, and families sending French records for student funding should see SUSI grant document translation.
For a casier judiciaire going to an employer or embassy, our page on police certificate translation explains the extra steps. If a body wants a notary stamp or Hague apostille on top, see apostille and DFA legalisation.
Send a scan of your French record and get a fixed price for certified French to English translation before any work starts.
Prefer to ask first? Message us on WhatsApp at +353 87 441 3817 or email info@irelandtranslations.ie with a photo of the first page.