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Asylum and administrative proceedings in France: what you should know

France is one of the few European countries with two parallel and fully separate court systems, so the first question in any case is which order has jurisdiction. The blocks below summarise the structure, the time limits, the rules on representation and the way costs and legal aid work in France.

Two separate court orders

France maintains two fully independent court systems. Private and criminal disputes go to the judicial order, with the tribunal judiciaire, the cour d’appel and the Cour de cassation. Disputes involving public authorities go to the administrative order: tribunal administratif, cour administrative d’appel and Conseil d’État. A Tribunal des conflits settles disagreements about which order has jurisdiction, and the Conseil constitutionnel reviews statutes against the Constitution.

Challenging a decision by a public authority

Where a public authority takes a decision that affects you, the challenge is heard by the administrative courts rather than the civil courts. A contentious appeal, known as a recours contentieux, must in principle be filed within two months. Proceedings before the administrative courts are free of charge, and an avocat prepares the written case and appears for you.

What legal representation costs

Court acts themselves are free in France, but filing a claim before a civil court of first instance or the conseil de prud’hommes requires a €50 fiscal stamp, and an appeal with mandatory representation requires a €225 electronic stamp. Proceedings before the administrative courts carry no fee. Lawyers’ fees are freely agreed between you and your avocat, normally recorded in a convention d’honoraires.

Legal aid: aide juridictionnelle

If your income is modest you may qualify for aide juridictionnelle, which covers all or part of the costs of proceedings, including lawyers’ fees and bailiff or notary costs. Full legal aid is granted to a single person whose reference taxable income does not exceed €12,862 (2025 threshold); partial aid is granted at 55% or 25% depending on income brackets and household composition.

Who is qualified to act for you

Only an avocat registered on the roll, or tableau, of one of France’s 164 local bars may practise, under the umbrella of the Conseil national des barreaux. Qualification requires a Master 2 in law, the Certificat d’aptitude à la profession d’avocat after eighteen months at a CRFPA, and an oath before the cour d’appel. Lawyers must also complete 20 hours of continuing education each year.

Language and practical practicalities

Proceedings in France are conducted in French, and pleadings, submissions and correspondence with the court are drafted in French. When you choose a lawyer, ask about their working languages and their experience of cases in which the state is the other party. Specialised avocats practise across France, including in Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Nice, Nantes, Montpellier, Strasbourg, Bordeaux and Lille.

All country facts on this page are drawn from official French sources — the Ministère de la Justice, the Conseil national des barreaux, justice.fr and Legifrance — consulted for this page in 2026.

• Organisation of the courts and tribunals in France – Ministère de la Justice
• The French legal and judicial system – Ministère de la Justice
• Conditions of access to the legal profession – Conseil national des barreaux
• Court fees and the cost of proceedings – justice.fr
• Contentious appeal – two-month time limit (Code de justice administrative)
• Employment claims – limitation periods (Code du travail, art. L1471-1)
• Civil and commercial limitation periods (Code civil)
• Consumer debt – limitation period (Code de la consommation)
• Succession – option to accept or renounce an inheritance (Code civil)
• Rental lease actions – limitation period
• Divorce – action for divorce (Code civil)