Arranging child custody between separated or divorced parents
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Know what to do in the case of international parental child abduction
If the other parent has gone abroad with your children, or is keeping them aboard without your agreement, this constitutes international parental child abduction. There are solutions for bringing your children back to France.
Verified by Hansu Yalaz on 09/02/2024
If the other parent has gone abroad with your children, or is keeping them aboard without your agreement, this constitutes international parental child abduction, regardless of your relationship with them: married, civil partnership, cohabiting, separated or divorced.
What should you do in an emergency?
As a first step, you can call 116 000, a freephone number that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- On the phone, someone will listen to you and support you. They will provide you with advice, including legal information, and open a case file. They can help you with your administrative and legal procedures.
- You will be able to benefit from their assistance free of charge until the child is returned to you.
- Languages spoken: English, French, Arabic, Spanish, Russian.
After that, it is strongly recommended that you hire a lawyer specialising in private international law. If your resources are too limited to pay for their services, there are solutions.
- In certain cases and depending on the country, it may be possible to benefit from legal aid to cover French legal costs, known as “aide juridictionnelle”.
- You can also check with the country your children have been taken to and find out whether financial assistance exists. Call 116 000 or ask your lawyer to help you.
Procedure by country
The procedure for obtaining the return of your children depends on the country they have been taken to and their nationality. Your lawyer will be able to advise you according to your situation and help you with the procedure.
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Your lawyer will first check whether your child or children are in a country that is party to the Hague Convention or a country with which France has a bilateral agreement.
If the relevant country is listed, it is important to contact the French Ministry of Justice’s “Bureau du droit de l’Union, du droit international privé et de l’entraide civile” as soon as possible.
- You can call them on 01 44 77 61 05, or contact them via email [email protected]
- If required, you can write to them at the following address:
Ministère de la Justice
Bureau du droit de l’Union, du droit international privé et de l’entraide civile
13 place Vendôme
75042 PARIS CEDEX 01
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If your child is held in a country with which there is no agreement and they have French nationality, it is important to contact the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ “Bureau de la protection des mineurs et de la famille (PMF)” as soon as possible.
- You can call them on 01 43 17 80 32.
- If required, you can write to them at the following address:
Ministère des Affaires étrangères
Bureau de la protection des mineurs et de la famille (PMF)
244 bd Saint-Germain
75007 Paris
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If your child is held in a country with which there is no agreement and they are not a French national, you will need to contact the authorities of the country concerned through your lawyer.
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Your lawyer will advise you on the procedure to follow. You may be advised to file a report with the police to report the abduction and obtain assistance.
Find support
In France, there are many services that can support you, give you advice, and assist you with procedures and paperwork. Most of them are free of charge.
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This telephone advice service managed by “Droit d’enfance” is available for all people whose child has disappeared, including in the event of abduction by the other parent. They can also provide you with advice on prevention, if you are afraid that the other parent will take your children without your consent.
- This service is free of charge.
- On the phone, someone will listen to you and support you. They will give you advice, including legal advice, and open a case file. They can also help you with administrative and legal procedures.
- They will assist you until your child is returned to you.
- Languages available: French, English, Arabic, Spanish, Russian.
- Contact: by telephone on 116 000, free number and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
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“Femmes Informations Juridiques Internationales Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (FIJI)” is an organization specializing in international family law.
- This service is free.
- Their team of lawyers will be able to answer your questions and provide you with advice concerning your separation, divorce and/or child custody matters. This is an information service only: they cannot represent you in legal proceedings, you will have to contact a lawyer for this.
- Languages available: French, English.
- Contact: by e-mail at [email protected] or by telephone on 04 78 03 33 63 from Monday to Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m
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- Be careful to choose a good lawyer.
- Lawyers have fees that you will need to pay.
- If you have limited resources, you could be eligible for state financial assistance to pay these fees. This is called "aide juridictionnelle".
- If you have not had a lawyer recommended to you by a professional or a person you trust, you can look for one on this directory which lists all the lawyers in France. You can search by languages spoken and legal specialisation.
While the utmost care has gone into providing you with the most accurate and up to date information, this page is not intended to replace legal or professional advice. Laws and procedures change regularly so it is important to consult qualified professionals.
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