Holographic will: model to copy out by hand (France)
France · in French
€2.00This document is sold blank, to print and complete by hand.
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.
Made for use in France
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This document is sold blank, to print and complete by hand.
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A model holographic will and instructions for copying it out in your own hand. A printed or typed text is not a will: a holographic will is valid only if written entirely, dated and signed in its author's hand (article 970 of the French Civil Code), and a will made by two people in one document is void (article 968). The instructions cover the heirs' reserved shares, the authentic will made before a notary, and the option of lodging the will with a notary, who registers it in the central register of last wishes (FCDDV). In French.
- Made for use in France
- Last updated October 27, 2026
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- You want to write your will by hand at home in France.
- You are unsure how a handwritten will has to be written, dated and signed.
- You want to leave a particular item or your savings to someone after your death.
- You want a model text to copy out by hand and keep with your papers.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Testator
- Testator's address
- Testator's date of birth
- Testator's place of birth
- City
- Date
Common questions
- Is a French will typed on a computer and then signed by hand valid?
- No. A holographic will is valid only if written entirely, dated and signed in the testator's hand (article 970 of the Civil Code): a printed text, even signed, is not one. That is why this document is a model to copy out, not a form to fill in. If you cannot write it yourself, an authentic will received by a notary remains possible (article 971 of the Civil Code).
- Should a French holographic will be lodged with a notary?
- It is not a condition of validity, but it is how you make sure the will is found: the notary who receives it registers it in the central register of last wishes (FCDDV), which the notary handling the estate consults. On death, every holographic will is handed to a notary, who draws up a record of its opening and condition before it is carried out (article 1007 of the Civil Code).
- Can a French will leave everything to one person?
- Yes, within the disposable portion. Children are reserved heirs: the reserve is half the estate with one child, two thirds with two and three quarters with three or more; with no descendants, a surviving spouse who is not divorced is entitled to a quarter (articles 912, 913 and 914-1 of the Civil Code). A legacy exceeding the disposable portion can be reduced at the reserved heirs' request. A will made by two people in one document is void (article 968).
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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