To go through together, a few months before you move. An unticked box is not a problem: it is a point to check. Each question links to its answer on the site.
Get the checklist as a PDF by email
01 — Your relationship
Married, in a PACS or cohabiting: will your union be recognized in the destination country?
Do you know your matrimonial property regime and the law that governs it?
→ Which law applies to our international matrimonial property?
Married without a marriage agreement between 1 September 1992 and 28 January 2019: could that law change once you have moved?
→ Which law applies to our international matrimonial property?
Do you have a marriage agreement, and will it be applied in the destination country?
→ Should we make a prenuptial agreement before moving abroad?
Would you like to choose now the law governing your property regime, or even a possible divorce?
→ Can we change the law governing our matrimonial property? · Is French law always applicable?
Is the accompanying spouse giving up their job? Are their resources and pension rights organized?
02 — Your children
Has the other parent agreed in writing to the move and to the children’s new residence?
If you are separated: are holidays, journeys, travel costs and remote contact planned, and the agreement approved by the court?
Does a decision or agreement already set the children’s residence in France? Should it be changed?
→ Which court decides where a child living abroad will reside?
Are passports and, where needed, permission to leave the country in order?
Does the destination country apply the 1980 Hague Child Abduction and 1996 Child Protection Conventions?
Will the children’s parentage and birth certificates be recognized there?
03 — Your assets
Do you have a will, and will it be valid in the destination country?
Do you want your succession to remain governed by the law of your nationality?
Who will manage what you keep in France: your home, jointly owned property, a property-holding company?
Social protection, tax, retirement: have you checked them with your employer and the relevant bodies?
04 — If you were to separate
Do you know which courts would have jurisdiction, in France and in the destination country, and which law they would apply?
→ Do French courts always have jurisdiction? · Is French law always applicable?
Could maintenance ordered in France be enforced in the destination country?
05 — Your return
Have you agreed the terms of a return: expected length of stay, both parents’ consent to the children’s return?
Are your civil-status records (marriage, births) transcribed, legalized or apostilled?
What next?
Does an answer make you hesitate? Note the question and gather the documents that relate to it: it is a point to check with a lawyer, in France and in the destination country, before you leave.
The “Moving abroad with confidence” workshop
Two hours online, for 6 to 10 people, to understand what moving abroad changes and the questions to consider before leaving. €100 excl. VAT (€120 incl. VAT) per person, free for members of partner associations.
Workshop details and upcoming sessions
The guides
The five international family guides can be read online on the Questions and guides page.