Is there a period of validity of a civil status document?

In principle, civil status documents (extracts and full copies) are valid irrespective of their date of issue.

One birth certificate, of marriage or death shall remain valid as long as the elements contained therein have not been modified.

However, for the following steps, seniority may not be exceeded:

• National identity card or passport: the date of the act is a maximum of 3 months
• Marriage: the date of the deed is a maximum of 3 months if the service issuing the deed is French (6 months maximum if the service issuing the deed is foreigners). But there is no time limit if the country's system does not provide for the updating of the acts.
• Civil partnerships: the date of the document is a maximum of 3 months if the service issuing the document is French (6 months maximum if the service issuing the document is foreigners).

For other procedures (e.g. application for a survivor's pension), a period of validity of the civil status document is not required. However, in practice, pension funds may ask you to provide them with a recent document to ensure that you have not remarried.