Signature certification and apostille by a French notary near Paris

What we certify

As a French notary, a public officer acting on behalf of the State, Maître Jean-Baptiste BULLET certifies your signature, affixed in his presence after verification of your identity, and the conformity of copies with the original documents you present. These documents can then be used abroad, with an apostille where required.

How it works

1. Send us a scan of your document

E-mail it to jbbullet@paris.notaires.fr. We confirm whether it can be certified and offer you an appointment at the office.

2. Come to the appointment

Bring the original document and a valid ID. If you sign on behalf of a company, also bring a recent Kbis extract and, where applicable, the power of attorney authorising you to sign. A signature must be affixed in the notary’s presence: it cannot be certified remotely.

3. Apostille, if needed

Since 1 May 2025, apostilles on French public documents are issued by the notarial profession, through the regional councils of notaries. We take your certified documents to the CLAP (Centre de Légalisation et d’Apostille de Paris) and collect them for you: you receive them certified and apostilled, on average 10 to 15 days after certification.

Does my document need an apostille?

It depends on the country where it will be used. The apostille applies to countries party to the Hague Convention of 5 October 1961. Some countries waive any formality under a bilateral agreement, others require a different procedure. The safest way is to ask the authority or person who will receive the document which formality they expect, or to check the table published by the French Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Fees and timing

Certification: 96€ including VAT per document, done on the day of your appointment. Apostille: our handling of the procedure is charged in addition, on quote. Issuing the apostille is free for individuals; companies also pay the official fee of 20€ excluding VAT per document up to 3 documents, then 10€ excluding VAT per document. For companies with several documents to certify, a notary from the office can come to your premises, on quote.