Acknowledgement of debt — reconnaissance de dette (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 someone in France who owes money to a private person or a business and wants to acknowledge it in writing: a loan received, an advance, an unpaid invoice. The document, in French under French law, states where the debt comes from and how it will be repaid, and leaves a space where the debtor writes the sum in words and figures by hand, as article 1376 of the French Civil Code requires. The debtor alone signs it and hands it to the creditor, who keeps the original.
- Made for use in France
- Last updated October 13, 2026
When to use this document
- A friend or relative in France lent you money and you want to acknowledge the debt in writing.
- You owe a business for an unpaid invoice and want to set out in writing how you will repay it.
- The person who lent you money is asking for a signed paper confirming what you owe.
- You want to sign an IOU, a reconnaissance de dette, stating the sum and how it will be repaid.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Debtor
- Debtor's date of birth
- Debtor's address
- Creditor
- Creditor's address
- Where the debt comes from (e.g. loan of …, invoice no. …)
- Payment 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 must the debtor write the sum in a French acknowledgement of debt?
- Because article 1376 of the French Civil Code requires it: a promise to pay a sum is proof only if it bears the debtor's signature and the sum in words and figures written by the debtor; if they differ, the words prevail. Without it the document is only a beginning of proof. So the template leaves that space blank. The phrases “lu et approuvé” and “bon pour” have no legal force and are not printed.
- Does an acknowledgement of debt in France need a notary?
- No. It is a private deed, valid without a notary and signed by the debtor alone; the creditor keeps the original and the debtor a copy. Registering it with the tax office gives it a certain date (article 1377 of the French Civil Code) but is not compulsory. A notarial deed bearing the enforcement formula would allow enforcement without a judgment; a private acknowledgement does not: if the debt is not paid, the creditor must first obtain an enforceable title, such as an order to pay (injonction de payer).
- How does a French acknowledgement of debt affect the limitation period?
- It interrupts the limitation period: a new period of the same length runs from its date (articles 2231 and 2240 of the French Civil Code). Between private persons that period is five years (article 2224); for a business's claim against a consumer, two years (article L. 218-2 of the French Consumer Code). If the debtor does not pay, the creditor sends a formal demand and can then apply to the tribunal judiciaire for an order to pay, with no prior amicable attempt; a summons for €5,000 or less must instead be preceded by an attempt at conciliation (article 750-1 of the French Code of Civil Procedure).
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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