Cohabitation agreement for an unmarried couple (France)
Published byDocMuse
This document is in French
The PDF you download is in French — that is the language it has to be filed in, so it is not translated. Everything on this page is here to tell you what it says.
For an unmarried couple without a PACS who live together in France and want to set their own rules in writing, since the law provides almost none (article 515-8 of the French Civil Code): who owns the furniture and purchases, how rent and expenses are shared, what happens to the home and joint property on separation. A list of each partner's property can be attached. Signed by both partners, in two copies. It creates no right to inherit from the other.
- Made for use in France
- Last updated October 13, 2026
When to use this document
- You live with your partner in France without marriage or a PACS and want to set your own rules in writing.
- You bought furniture or a car together and want it clear who owns what.
- You want to agree now how rent and household costs are shared and what happens if you split up.
- You need a cohabitation agreement for an unmarried couple.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- First partner
- First partner's date of birth
- First partner's address
- Second partner
- Second partner's date of birth
- Second partner's address
- Living together since
- Shared home address
- Who rents or owns the home
- Partner who alone rents or owns the home (if so)
- How shared costs are split
- How costs are paid (joint account, monthly transfers, optional)
- Each partner's property (list, optional)
- Time to move out after separation (e.g. two months)
- Additional terms
- City
- Date
Preview
This document is produced for you. Your answers are typed into it and the finished PDF is yours to keep.
Common questions
- Why sign a cohabitation agreement in France?
- Because the law arranges almost nothing between unmarried partners: no property regime, no compulsory contribution to costs, no rule for sharing on separation (article 515-8 of the French Civil Code). If you split up, each must prove what they bought, and disputes about furniture or accounts end up before a judge. The agreement sets in advance how expenses are shared, who owns what and what happens to the home; keep the invoices for large purchases with it.
- Does an unmarried partner inherit in France without a will?
- No. An unmarried partner is not an heir, and the cohabitation agreement cannot change that: only a will can pass property to them, within the share reserved for children, and the transfer is then heavily taxed between unrelated people. Couples who want more protection often choose a PACS or marriage. For a will, see a notary, who can also record it in the central register of last wishes.
- Must a French cohabitation agreement be registered?
- No formality is required: the agreement binds the two parties from their signature, in two originals. You may have it registered at the tax office to give it a certain date against third parties (article 1377 of the French Civil Code), which can help if the list of property must be relied on against a creditor. Each keeps an original, the list and the invoices; update the agreement by an amendment after a large purchase.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
DocMuse sells documents, not legal advice. Acceptance always depends on the recipient's rules and your local law.
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