By Raphaël MORENON
1 April 2025
You have obtained a favourable court decision abroad, for example ordering a debtor to pay you a sum of money. If this person lives or owns property in France, you might think that all you have to do to obtain satisfaction is present the foreign judgment. Unfortunately, the situation is more complex. To be able to use the legal means of enforcement in France (such as a seizure on a bank account or wages), your foreign judgment must receive some sort of official French authorisation: this is the exequatur procedure. Without this step, your foreign decision, even if perfectly valid in its country of origin, remains a dead letter as far as enforcement in France is concerned. This article explains when this procedure is essential and how it works overall in the French courts. When is exequatur absolutely necessary? The principle is simple: exequatur is compulsory as soon as you are considering...
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