When one of the spouses is a foreign national, the divorce procedure is necessarily more complex. However, a cross-border divorce does not necessarily mean that it shall take a long time.
First of all, it is essential to be assisted by a lawyer who has experience in international private law. Indeed, while divorce by mutual consent is possible even for couples where one of the spouses is a foreign national, it is important to verify whether such out-of-court divorce is recognized in the country of the foreign spouse.
For example, since August 1st, 2022, divorce by mutual consent has been recognized in the countries of the European Union. It is also recognized in some US states and in Morocco. However, this is for example not the case in Algeria.
The good news is that divorce by mutual consent is not the only quick amicable divorce available in France.
If the spouses agree on everything, they can now benefit from a court procedure within a short timeframe and have the divorce pronounced by joint petition.
The duration of such a divorce procedure can be in fact similar to that of a divorce by mutual consent.