Can I enter a civil partnership (PACS)?
Yes, if you meet the conditions. The civil solidarity pact (PACS) is open to two adults, of different or the same sex, provided they are not already married or in a PACS and have no close family or in-law tie. You draw up a PACS agreement and have it registered at the town hall (registrar) of your common residence, or with a notary. The PACS creates rights and duties: material aid and mutual assistance, joint taxation, some social rights. It dissolves freely (joint or one-sided declaration), more simply than a divorce.
📋 The rules
- Two adults, same or different sex
- Neither already married nor in a PACS
- No close family/in-law tie
- Agreement registered at the town hall or a notary
- Creates rights and duties (mutual support, taxation)
🔓 Exceptions
- Person under guardianship/curatorship: special conditions and authorisations
- Foreign partner: extra documents (custom, single status)
- PACS doesn't automatically grant the same rights as marriage (inheritance, adoption)
⚠️ Penalties & fines
The PACS carries no 'penalty', but legal effects to know: partners are jointly liable for debts taken on for everyday-life needs, and subject to joint taxation. On dissolution, sharing of property depends on the chosen regime (separation of property by default, or joint ownership). Unlike marriage, the PACS gives no automatic inheritance right or survivor's pension: a will is often needed to protect the partner.
📎 Official sources
- Service-Public.fr · Civil solidarity pact (PACS) →
- Légifrance · Civil Code (PACS, art. 515-1 ff.) →
- Service-Public.fr · Registering a PACS →
❓ Frequently asked
Who can enter a PACS?
Two adults, of different or the same sex, who are neither married nor already in a PACS and who have no close family or in-law tie. You need a common residence and a PACS agreement.
Where do you register a PACS?
At the town hall of your common residence (with the registrar) or with a notary. You provide the PACS agreement, a joint declaration and civil-status documents. Registration is free at the town hall.
What rights does the PACS give?
Material aid and mutual assistance, joint taxation, some social rights and leave. But it doesn't automatically grant marriage rights: no automatic inheritance right or survivor's pension, hence the value of a will.
How do you end a PACS?
More simply than a divorce: by a joint declaration of both partners, or a one-sided decision served on the other. The dissolution is registered where the PACS was concluded. Property sharing follows the chosen regime.
PACS or marriage, what's the difference?
Marriage offers fuller protection (automatic inheritance, survivor's pension, easier joint adoption). The PACS is more flexible to enter and end, but often needs a will to protect the partner on death.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “enter pacs conditions”
- “pacs town hall or notary”
- “pacs rights and duties”
- “pacs vs marriage difference”
- “end a pacs procedure”
- “pacs agreement registration”