Franco-Togolese marriage
FR

Translated into English.

AD Adjo64 ·
Hi everyone,

My wife and I got married this summer in Togo (so far, everything has gone smoothly with the paperwork), and the transcription process is now underway. I have a question about the visa application: to get her visa, my wife will need (among other things) to provide proof of my French nationality. Is a copy of my ID card enough? That seems logical, but on the website, they list: ID card **and** either a nationality certificate or a birth certificate with nationality mentioned. So I’d love to know what documents you provided, because I have to say, waiting 6 months (the timeframe given by the court) to get my nationality certificate isn’t exactly thrilling for either of us—it’ll just delay her arrival.

Thanks in advance for your replies,

Best,
AN AnneDola ·
Good evening, For my part, the transcription is currently in progress as well. As a precaution, I requested a certificate of nationality and received it in 48 hours.

Hello everyone,

I got married to my wife this summer in Togo (everything went smoothly with the paperwork so far), and the transcription process is now underway. I have a question about the visa application: to obtain her visa, my wife will need (among other things) proof of my French nationality. Is a copy of my ID card sufficient? It seems logical, but on the website, they list: ID card **and** either a nationality certificate or a birth certificate with nationality mentioned. So I’d be interested to know which documents you provided, because I must admit that having to wait 6 months (the delay announced by the court) to get my nationality certificate doesn’t thrill me or my wife, as it will delay her arrival.

Thank you in advance for your replies,

Best regards
AD Adjo64 ·
48 hours?!! It's crazy how deadlines can vary from one courthouse to another. Thanks for your reply, and all the best to you and your spouse for what's next,
AN AnneDola ·
Oh yeah, a small-town courthouse really helps with timing! But it's best to have as many documents as possible. Thanks, you too! Did you submit the transcription file a while ago? It's been 3 months for me, still no news so far...

48 hours?!! That’s crazy how processing times can vary from one courthouse to another. Thanks for your reply, and all the best to you and your partner for what’s next,
AD Adjo64 ·
Yeah, exactly ^^. So, I’ve had my file sent in for 4 weeks now. There’s no delay though—after reading a few discussions, it seems like transcription times usually range from 1 month to 6 months, even if we’re all hoping it’ll take as little time as possible.
PA Paag ·
Hi there. If I can help. I was in the same situation as you. Yes, you need the French nationality certificate. It took us a month. It varies depending on the municipality. The transcription of our marriage took 7 months. Now we’ve been together for 2 months. Good luck. If you want any other explanations, don’t hesitate.
AD Adjo64 ·
Hi there. If I can help. I was in the same situation as you. Yes, you need the French nationality certificate. It took us a month. It varies depending on the municipality. The transcription of our marriage took 7 months. Now we’ve been together for 2 months. Hang in there! If you want more details, don’t hesitate to ask.

Hello, Thanks for your reply. I was also wondering what the timeframe is between the meet-up for the visa application and the visa being issued?
PA Paag ·
It took us 3 months. We’d given up hope. But it finally happened. Between the wedding and my husband’s arrival in France, we had to count a whole year.
AD Adjo64 ·
Wow, that must have been a relief when he finally made it! I was hoping my wife could join me for the holidays, but that seems really unlikely now... Still, it’s reassuring that, in the end, despite the long delays, things always work out somehow.
PA Paag ·
Yes, you’ll make it work. Did you get married with the CCM or without?
AD Adjo64 ·
In our case, we got it after 2 months, which is why I was pretty confident about the transcription timeline.
PA Paag ·
Yes, for the transcription it’ll be faster, not for the visa. We got married without a CCM. After that, in France it’s the "offi" (civil registry). But the main thing is being together.
AN AnneDola ·
In short, every case is different! I got the CCM after three and a half months. Everyone says transcription is faster, but so far that hasn’t been the case for me. For the visa, in theory it’s a one-week wait, but from what I’ve read from others, it can take much longer! 😅

With us, we got it after 2 months, which is why I was pretty confident about the transcription timeline.
PA Paag ·
Yes, every case is different. But you’ll make it—you’ll be together in a few months. Which city in France are you from?
AD Adjo64 ·
I live near Le Mans. Sorry to bother you, but I have one last question. Is the long-stay visa issued a 3-month visa that requires applying for a residence permit upon arrival, or is it a 1-year visa that serves as a residence permit?
PA Paag ·
The visa is equivalent to a one-year residence permit. On my mother’s side, we’re from Sarthe.
BL Blupinho ·
Hi everyone, Every case is different, but there’s always at least one *super* long document to get For me, 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 over three months later, we still haven’t heard anything... and then there’s the visa to deal with after that. I’m starting to worry we won’t be able to spend the holidays together at the end of the year. It’s crazy what an obstacle course you have to go through just to live together...

Hang in there, everyone! !
AN AnneDola ·
Good evening, I have exactly the same timeline. CCM in mid-April after three and a half months. Wedding in May. Transcription filing in May. Still waiting. I’m also wondering how the family record book will be issued.

Hello everyone, Indeed, every case is different, but there’s always at least one *long* document to obtain For my part, I requested the CCM at the end of December and received it in mid-April (so three and a half months). We started to stress, but we were able 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 holidays together at the end of the year. It’s crazy how much of an obstacle course we have to go through just to live together...

Hang in there, everyone!
AD Adjo64 ·
Thanks for all the info, Paag!

Hope things clear up quickly for all of you!
AD Adjo64 ·
Hello,

I just received the acknowledgment of receipt for my transcription request, but it’s completely blank—no writing, signatures, or stamps. The only things filled in are the sender and recipient names, which I had entered myself when sending it. Was it the same for you?
PA Paag ·
Hi there. I didn’t even get an acknowledgment of receipt. And the consulate doesn’t answer phone calls or emails. Don’t worry, it’ll work out in time.
AD Adjo64 ·
Alright, thanks. Yeah, you just gotta be patient...
AN AnneDola ·
Good evening, Have you had any news regarding the transcription?
AD Adjo64 ·
No, still not unfortunately,
AN AnneDola ·
Was your file submission in July, right? Mine was in May. I already followed up in September, but I still haven’t heard anything yet.
AD Adjo64 ·
Yeah, that’s exactly it, and that’s what’s driving me crazy. When I see how long it’s taking for you, I realize I’m really not close to seeing my wife again.
BL Blupinho ·
Hi, I got back from Togo yesterday at noon and got some fresh updates at the Consulate. Personally, I sent my transcription request at the end of May and had to send additional documents in July. According to the person I met at the consulate in early October, the normal processing time is 4 months. For me, it's been a little over four months, and she assured me the file was complete. All that was left was to finalize the paperwork and send it.

The only way I found to get a response was to go see them in person or send *a lot* of emails to the Consulate’s address...

Hang in there, everyone! We’ll get there eventually!!!!
AN AnneDola ·
Good evening, Thanks for your feedback. Yes, the timeline is 4 to 6 months, so technically we're still within the window, but still. Okay, I'll start by sending some emails. I already emailed the person who gave me the CCM directly, but no luck. I'm not gonna pay for a trip just to talk to them. I have a friend going there at the end of October—do you think she could ask around for me? Though I doubt they’ll give her the time of day.

How’s the current situation in Lomé these days?
BL Blupinho ·
In my opinion, if you don’t go in person, they’ll brush off your friend...

For the situation in Lomé, it seems to be getting more intense. During the last protest, there was a lot of damage (paving stones thrown in the streets) and the main roads were impassable.

In a relatively quiet neighborhood (Adewi), I saw someone really agitated who was ready to jump on any motorbikes to stop them from passing. At the Grand Marché, everyone was so scared that almost all the shops were closed (I’d never seen that before!). A friend who lives in the La Colombe district told me it was even worse there: they’re throwing tear gas into people’s homes to force them outside and march with them.

So basically, if you’re in a tense neighborhood on protest day, it’s better to leave Lomé. If you’re in a slightly calmer area, stay home and don’t go out if you can’t leave the city.

I spoke to my wife on the phone this morning—apparently, there’s another unauthorized protest today and tomorrow. This time, the army has been deployed in the city.
AN AnneDola ·
Hi,

Yes, my husband told me about this week’s march. The army handled it with batons and tear gas... He’s in a northern neighborhood that’s relatively spared from the protests by luck, but things are definitely heating up across Lomé. About the transcription, I tried calling the consulate yesterday—what a joke hearing their voicemail: "We don’t provide any information over the phone. If you’d like updates on a file’s progress, please send an email."... Anyway, we’re just patiently waiting, I guess.. !
PA Paag ·
Hi there, I waited 7 months to get the transcription, but that was without CCM. We waited 3 months for the visa. We’ve been together for 3 months now. Hang in there!
AN AnneDola ·
Hi, So, has the good news finally arrived? Best, Anne.
BL Blupinho ·
Still no, I’ve been sending an email every week for three weeks but haven’t gotten a reply. It’s looking pretty bad for spending the holidays together in France. It’s really disheartening...

How about you—any news???
KC Kchoupapy ·
Hi everyone, I’m new to this forum and I’d love to get some additional info about a Franco-Togolese wedding. I’m French, my fiancé is Togolese, and we’d like to get married in Togo this August. We need to start the paperwork and send it via diplomatic pouch, but I’d love more details about this—cost, timeline, what exactly this service is. If anyone could fill me in, that’d be amazing! Here’s my email: k-62-boulogne@hotmail.fr Hope to hear about your experiences soon!
BA Bashomar ·
Hello. I got married without a CCM in June and the transcription in January. Everything went smoothly. Now we’re preparing the visa.

Hi, could you please tell me how you managed to get married without a CCM? Thanks!
PA Paag ·
Hi. We got married directly at a town hall and then went to the French consulate in Lomé. Best regards, Françoise.
BA Bashomar ·
Thanks for your reply. But I have another question. Can we get married without a CCM? And when you went to the consulate, didn’t they ask you why there’s no CCM? THANKS
PA Paag ·
Hello. Yes, you can get married without a CCM. After the wedding, we go to the consulate. They asked me why we didn’t have a CCM, but it’s okay—you just need to allow 2 extra months. Don’t hesitate if you’d like more info. Best, Françoise.
BA Bashomar ·
Thanks! But for the marriage transcription file, did you pick it up at the consulate or how did you do it?
BA Bashomar ·
I see that they’re asking for the original completed transcription request, dated and signed
PA Paag ·
Hi! After the wedding, we got a paper and went to the consulate. They gave us a whole list of documents to provide. Once we gathered them, I sent them to the consulate, and 7 months later, we received our family record book.
BA Bashomar ·
Hi everyone, and thanks for all the replies you gave me earlier. I’m getting ready for May. I’ll do the same as you because I live in France and can’t keep making round trips—I work and don’t have the time. How long did it take you to get all the wedding paperwork done? I only have a month.
PA Paag ·
Hi there. We got married in Badou. The process was quick. Birth certificate, certificate of single status, divorce decree if that’s your case, and maybe proof of residence. I sent everything by mail to Togo, and he took the papers to the town hall. Then we got a date quickly. Do you want to get married in Lomé or somewhere else?
BA Bashomar ·
for the wedding in Lomé on short notice, I was told it was impossible. Since I’m originally from Tchamba, I’ll head toward Sokodé or even Tsevié. But I’m still not entirely sure yet.
BA Bashomar ·
I already had the traditional wedding, and I even have a two-year-old child.
PA Paag ·
A traditional marriage isn't recognized. You need a civil ceremony at the town hall. But having a child will help with registering the marriage in the French records.
BA Bashomar ·
Yeah, I know the traditional wedding doesn’t count for much. So for the child, it’s a good point for the transcription.
BA Bashomar ·
Hi Paag, I’m getting ready to go to Lomé for my wedding. I was wondering, since you’ve already done this, could you share some tips on what to do and what not to do? Thanks!
PA Paag ·
Hi! Is your wedding coming up soon? In Lomé?
BA Bashomar ·
YES

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