the logical solution would be to request a visa to introduce their country before going through marriage procedures... that just makes sense to me.
well, no...
really?!
so why offer a service I found exceptional when I tested it last time, like CAPAGO on Rue des Femmes Savantes in Lomé, which supposedly advises you in the best way possible, only to hand you back, alone, without any visitors behind a 50x40 cm window, with a security guard who looks miserable (or is it just acting?), a sterile passport, and then escorts you to the exit in the elevator?
Why not say from the start that the visa application has no chance of success anyway and that it's a waste of time to apply, even with a complete file and lawyer's documents to back it up?
of course... no more money coming in for them...
and you're telling me about marriage... without giving the person from another culture the chance to appreciate—or not—your own country where you're welcoming them?
not to mention the wasted time, money spent for nothing, and the total disappointment and consternation that follows...
the consulate itself stays clear of unfavorable outcomes and the distress this causes for sincere people,
and here I am, a French citizen dependent on the consulate—or at least the French Embassy in Togo—wasting my energy and money for nothing to prove my good faith and that of my partner? What do you think about that?
and the rejections and the "no-shows" for appointments that feel like a scam to me, a French person who made the trip specifically for this?
what world are we living in? during the slavery era, "visas were certainly easier to obtain in the 17th century"—but what do we do now?
maybe cut off an arm and leave it in the consulate's freezer to pick up on the person's return, or give it to the dogs if they don’t come back...
and this is the service offered:
To address the increase in visa applications, reduce waiting times, and improve public reception, visa application files will now be collected at the Capago Togo center. This center will provide a dedicated and adapted space for receiving the public and will improve the reception of individuals wishing to travel to France or to a country represented in Togo by France. Appointment waiting times will be reduced.
This simplification of visa application collection reflects the President of the Republic's desire to facilitate regular mobility.
What are the benefits for users?
This new procedure aims to improve the service for users in several ways:
- Speed: appointment waiting times will be minimized;
- Reception: 16 agents will be available to users from Monday to Friday, from 7:00 AM to 2:00 PM;
- File tracking: Capago Togo will keep users informed at every stage of their file's progress via SMS or email;
- Comfort: users will be welcomed in a large 550 m² space, of which 380 m² will be exclusively dedicated to file collection. Comfortably arranged, the center will guarantee the reception of at least 60 applicants daily.
- Premium Service: a new feature is also offered, with the possibility for users to opt for a Premium service, where comfort, advantages, and attention will be enhanced. Users can thus enjoy pastries, hot drinks, fresh fruit juices, Wi-Fi access, and personalized reception in a dedicated space.
The Capago Togo Center
The Capago Togo center is located in the P. Thérèse building, at the intersection of Boulevard du 13 Janvier and Rue des Femmes Savantes in Lomé.
- The basic service fee amounts to 18,500 CFA francs
- For the Premium service, an additional 25,000 CFA francs will be required
The Capago Togo center, a private service provider, is mandated by the French Embassy. Its role is limited to receiving, verifying the completeness of files, and collecting alphanumeric and biometric data. However, visa applications remain processed by the consular service of the French Embassy, the only authority entitled to make decisions regarding visas, in accordance with current regulations.
even a Premium service... great!! just like on some airlines...
When passports were returned, there were 5 applications, and all 5 were systematically refused with the box checked "no proof of return to the territory provided"... there you go.
and how many others like this???
I'm disillusioned with this system that feels like a mirage...
Hi,
I’d also like to get married in Togo in November, but with everything I’m reading and all the paperwork required, I’m a bit lost and don’t know where to start... Could you shed some light on this, please?
Hi everyone,
Actually, every case is different, but there’s always at least one super long document to get
For my part, I applied for the CCAM at the end of December and got it in mid-April (so three and a half months).
We were starting to stress, but we managed to get married in May.
The transcription request was sent at the end of May, but more than three months later, we still haven’t heard anything... and then there’s the visa to deal with.
I’m starting to worry we won’t be able to spend the end-of-year holidays together.
It’s crazy how much of an obstacle course we have to go through just to live together...
Good luck to everyone!
Hello,
I’d also like to get married in Togo in November, but with everything I’m reading and all the paperwork required, I’m a bit lost and don’t know where to start... Could you shed some light on this, please?
Make sure to carefully check the list of required documents, keeping in mind that each paper can take more or less time to obtain. Don’t forget anything they’re asking for—I think they’re just waiting for that. On my end, I’m still waiting for some documents that haven’t arrived yet, and on top of that, it’s vacation season... so that’s all I’ve got for now.......
Thanks so much for the reply! So, for the CCM, they’re asking for documents from my future spouse. Maybe it’s better to handle it on-site (in Togo) at the embassy, after I’ve gathered all my own documents first? I’ll be there from October through the end of February...
Yeah, I got it, but once I have all the papers on my side, and my spouse has hers too, can I just drop off the CCM file directly at the embassy? Since I’ll be there in person... or do I *have* to mail it?
Some people say you can drop off documents at the consulate in Lomé, others mention the diplomatic pouch—I’m not sure. As for me, I’m eagerly waiting for the CNF, the French nationality certificate, which I’d never heard of before, even though I have all my papers and birth certificate?? It’s taking a long time to start the document-sending process, and no one could tell me if the absence of this document is important or not. But I want to provide it because I’m afraid of my file being rejected for being incomplete. That’s all!
Hi! For my part, I didn’t provide the French nationality certificate for the CCAM file. I only provided it afterward so my spouse could apply for the long-stay visa. The application went through just fine!
Have a great day!
Yes... I got it in 3 months in the Paris region! They asked me for my parents' birth certificates and also my grandparents'!... Along with a marriage certificate... even though I've been French for several generations...
Once I had all these documents, I was able to submit the file. And this certificate helped my husband get his visa (it was required and highly recommended). So much paperwork...
He’s asking me for my father’s death certificate, a photo, a full copy of my birth certificate less than three months old, a photocopy of my passport and ID card, proof of address, and to send it all by registered mail since I don’t live in mainland France. And now I’m waiting for my birth certificates, which still haven’t arrived...
Hello,
I’ve just gone through all these steps and am now at the marriage transcription stage. If I can help by answering any questions about this process, don’t hesitate to ask.
Best regards, Benoît
Hello,
I’ve just gone through all these steps, and I’m now at the marriage transcription stage. If I can help by answering your questions about this process, don’t hesitate.
Best regards, Benoît
Good evening,
So happy for you!
Could you tell me how long the transcription will take?
I’m at the marriage stage—it’s in two months.
Hello, what does "via la valise diplomatique" mean? I went to the post office, but no one could answer me. Is it a special service? Indeed, on the shipping paper, I’m given an address and asked to send it by recorded delivery via la valise diplomatique. Could you clarify this for me?
Thanks
Hello everyone,
Sorry for disappearing from the discussion for so long! I married my Togolese fiancé on August 13, 2015, and we’ve been parents since October 10, 2016.
For those who have questions, I’d be happy to answer!
I can already tell you that the French consulate in Lomé doesn’t perform marriages! You have to go through the local authorities (only the town hall, not the prefecture) after obtaining a Certificate of Capacity to Marry from the consulate for the French national. This procedure, almost mandatory if you later want to register your marriage in the consular civil registry, takes between 3 and 6 months if your file is complete.
Additionally, the consulate doesn’t receive any Togolese who aren’t married to a French national outside of visa applications (tourist visas are systematically refused, by the way!).
Moreover, I strongly advise requesting this famous Certificate of Capacity to Marry (CCM) from France via la valise diplomatique (this is very well explained on the consulate’s website, under "services for French citizens" – "marriage"). Indeed, when files are submitted directly at the consulate (even by the French national), they mysteriously disappear without a trace... (this is from personal experience, I’m not just gossiping).
Hi, it's Joyce—I’ve got a little issue. I’d like to know if you need a passport to start the CCAM process at the French Embassy in Yaoundé, or if it’s better to do it when registering the birth. Thanks!
Hello,
my Indian fiancé and I are getting married in France in a few weeks. Like many couples before us, we had extreme difficulties finding out the steps to follow in India to obtain the necessary documents for our marriage. We received no useful information from the Indian Embassy in Paris. It took us hours of research on traveler forums to gather scattered information and piece together the puzzle. I decided to summarize here the steps that allowed my fiancé to obtain the required papers, so other couples can struggle a little less than we did in the future.
I hope this post helps!
Context reminder: the list of documents required for a non-EU national to marry in France (see also www.service-public.fr):
Certificate of Custom: This is an explanation in French of the rules governing marriage eligibility in your country of origin. I read that some countries include proof that the applicant is indeed eligible. This is not the case for India.
Single-status certificate/marital capacity certificate. This is simply proof that you are eligible to marry under the laws of your country of origin.
Birth certificate.
All these documents must be less than 6 months old at the date of the banns publication.
The birth certificate and the single-status certificate must be apostilled. This procedure is linked to the international Hague Convention, of which both France and India are members. The apostille is a kind of stamp affixed to an official document by the authorities of the country where it was issued, giving it legal value in a third country.
How we obtained these documents:
The certificate of custom is very easy to obtain if you already live in France. You just need to go to the Indian Embassy in Paris with the required documents and pay the fees. We received it by mail the next day. The instructions on the Indian Embassy in Paris website are very clear (spring 2019). See also the VFS Global website (the company to which the embassy outsources consular activities).
Obtaining the single-status certificate was much more complicated. In France, a birth certificate is enough to prove whether you are married or not, as annotations are added for every major life event. In contrast, the Indian administration, although it can prove that someone is already married, is unable to prove that someone is still single. The only way to resolve this is to produce an affidavit. It took several trials and errors before we succeeded, as the administrators we dealt with generally did not know the procedure. Here’s what finally worked:
Prepare the affidavit on 100-rupee bond paper (first party: signatory; second party: Sub-Divisional Magistrate) at the Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s office in your place of birth. See Model No. 1 below. It must be signed by you and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate. For my fiancé, the latter only agreed to sign after presenting a certificate from the Tahsildar of his birth Taluk stating that he knew my fiancé was still single. If you don’t know the Tahsildar well, it might be useful to first request such a certificate from the "village accountant" before approaching the Tahsildar. We don’t know if the process would be the same in other districts than my fiancé’s.
Attestation at the Regional Commissioner’s (RC) office. The Ministry of External Affairs will only apostille documents that have been attested this way. In our case, we found clear information about the procedure on the Regional Commissioner’s website (required documents, cost, bond paper value). The RC asked us to justify why my fiancé needed a single-status certificate. Such certificates are usually requested by people wishing to join the army, in which case the RC receives a request letter. I asked the mayor of my village to sign such a letter (see Model No. 2, which I wrote myself). I come from a very small town, which was lucky here, as the mayor knows both of us personally and immediately agreed to do it. I have no idea if it would be as easy in a larger town. Once the document was submitted to the RC, it was sent back to the administrator who issued it for authentication. This back-and-forth should not take more than 25 days, but it may be useful to follow the progress of the procedure by calling or visiting the offices of both administrations regularly.
Send the attested documents to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) for apostille. In 2019, the Indian MEA only accepts apostille requests through private operators, whose list is available on the MEA website.
The birth certificate, once obtained from the municipality of your place of birth, follows the same procedure as the single-status certificate: attestation by the Regional Commissioner, then apostille at the Ministry of External Affairs.
Note: The Indian Embassy in Paris offers to issue a birth certificate. We recommend NOT GOING THROUGH THEM. The procedure is expensive, and they simply copy the information available on your passport. We seriously doubt the validity of such a document for marriage.
A few tips:
Obtaining these documents in India will require a lot of time, patience, and creativity! For us, more than 4 months passed between the moment my fiancé signed his single-status certificate and the day we had it apostilled in hand. In the meantime, there were dozens of phone calls and visits to various local administrations, a lot of brainstorming, and money wasted on canceled flights due to the monsoon.
If you have contacts in the local administration, don’t hesitate to use them. Also, if possible, closely monitor the progress of the procedures by calling or visiting the offices regularly, as mistakes are very common.
I recommend only requesting the certificate of custom once you’re close to having the other documents in hand, as it’s expensive, its issuance is very quick (at least if you both live in France; otherwise, I don’t know), and it’s only valid for 6 months.
All the steps for the birth certificate and the single-status certificate must be done in person, which can be complicated if you already live outside India. Some companies offer to handle it for you if you’re willing to pay. My fiancé bypassed the problem by designating his brother as an "Authorised representative" (a step taken at the notary of his birth Taluk). Once the single-status certificate was established in person, my fiancé’s brother was able to take over and complete the rest of the steps on his behalf. Finally, we asked the service provider handling the apostille to send the documents to our address in France via DHL (we don’t trust the postal service, as we’ve had mail stuck at customs for several weeks before).
My fiancé first tried to establish his single-status certificate at the notary of his birth Taluk. It didn’t work because the Regional Commissioner categorically refused to attest it. Indeed, it is generally forbidden to make any modifications to a document signed by a notary.
Once the birth certificate and the single-status certificate arrive in France, you must have them translated by a sworn translator registered with the Court of Appeal in your area. You can find the list on your Court of Appeal’s website. There are no sworn translators for all Indian languages! So, check beforehand if one exists for the language in which your certificates will be issued, or ensure they are issued in English.
Model No. 1 - Single-status certificate, affidavit
I, (name of applicant), son of (name of father) and (name of mother), with permanent address (address in India), solemnly affirm and declare as follows:
1. That I am a citizen of India
2. That I was born in (place of birth) on the (date of birth)
3. That I am holding a valid Indian passport bearing the number (passport number) issued at (place of issue) and valid from (date of issue) to (date of expiry).
4. That I am unmarried (single) and have no living spouse at present either in India or abroad
5. That I am eligible to marry an Indian or a person of any other nationality according to law.
6. That I am of sound health and in mentally fit condition
7. I further state that whatever stated therein is correct to the best of my knowledge.
I am aware that suppression of facts or furnishing false/misleading information is punishable under Indian law, under section 193(2), 199, 200 of the Indian Penal Code.
Solemnly declared at (place of signature) on (date of signature).
(your signature) (the subdivisional magistrate’s signature)
Model No. 2 – Request letter from the French mayor to the Indian Regional Commissioner
Dear Sir/Madam,
(English version below)
I, the undersigned (Mayor’s name), Mayor of the Commune of xxx, department of xxx, France, certify as follows.
Firstly, that
Mr./Ms. (Name of the Indian future spouse), citizen of India, passport No. xxx, issued in xxx on xxx, valid until xxx, residing at (address), INDIA,
and
Ms./Mr. (Name of the French future spouse), citizen of France, passport No. xxx, residing at (address), FRANCE,
have requested that I solemnize their marriage in my Commune under French law.
Secondly,
that French law requires me to request from Mr./Ms. (Name of the Indian future spouse) a certificate attesting to their single status.
Issued for all legal purposes.
(Place, date, stamp, and signature of the mayor)
Note:
Prepared on the town hall’s letterhead, directly in both French AND English to avoid needing a translator.
Hi there, please could you tell me how to arrange a marriage interview at the embassy? My fiancé has already been interviewed. Thanks to anyone who can help me out!
hi everyone,
I’m new to this site. Here’s my issue: I just got married in Cameroon to my wife, and I’m waiting for our family record book. After that, I’m trying to figure out what I need to do to apply for her visa. But I’d like her to apply for visas for her children at the same time so they can come with her—is that possible?! Do we need to get passports for her children, or is just the visa application enough? They’re 8 and 15 years old. Thanks!
Otherwise, I’d have to apply for family reunification, but she’d have to stay in France for 18 months before she can apply for her children’s visas—that’s way too long!!!
If anyone can give me some advice or help with this complicated situation, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks so much for your help.
Best regards,
Hi, the situation is complicated...
My son would like to marry his girlfriend (married to a Filipino in the Philippines but separated for 14 years), who is from the Philippines... but... what complicates things is that she lives in Switzerland illegally—her visa expired after a divorce from a Swiss national, and she received a deportation order in 2022 but never left.
Just to clarify, she’s been working in Switzerland for 10 years and pays Swiss taxes...
Recently, she reapplied for a work visa to request residency rights so she could marry my son, but they refused, and she’s already received an order to leave the country... What can we do? We don’t know who to turn to
I was interviewed at the town hall of my place of residence on March 7, 2025. My fiancée still hasn’t been interviewed by the consulate. The question is whether I need to schedule an appointment for her interview or wait for the consulate to call. Thanks for your reply
Hi everyone, I need some help, please. My partner wants to send our CCAM file to the embassy in Yaoundé from France. We’re wondering if, with the pandemic, the file will even arrive and how long it’ll take. Would it be better to send it directly to the address in Cameroon? We’d planned to drop it off in March but couldn’t, and my interview is next month (even though I know it’ll probably be postponed). I’d really like the file to be in their hands before my interview date. Please help—what should I do?
Please, I need your expert advice.
I’m Cameroonian, married to a Frenchman of Cameroonian origin.
My husband just received a message saying our marriage certificate has been properly transcribed and that copies will be sent to his local town hall via diplomatic pouch.
I’d like to know the details of what comes next so I can apply for my long-stay visa.
Also, I’m about to get a passport—can I use my ID that still has my maiden name, or do I have to get a new ID with my married name before applying for a passport?
Basically, will getting a passport with my maiden name now cause problems later in the process? I really don’t want to deal with the hassle of getting a new ID right now.
Our best friend, who is Moroccan/French, wants to marry an Algerian woman. They’ve already met, and the first steps have been taken.
It seems like getting married under these circumstances is really complicated—has anyone been in a similar situation and could share some advice on the administrative side or the steps to take?
