Birth certificate: request for full copy or extract
Verified 11 March 2021 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)
A birth certificate may give rise to the issue of 3 different documents: full copy, extract with filiation and extract without filiation. The conditions of issue depend on the nature of the document you are requesting. The procedure for obtaining it varies according to the place of birth of the person concerned by the act. The gait is always free.
Born in France
Full Copy
The complete copy shall reproduce in full the information contained in the birth certificate entered in the register of civil status.
It shall include information on the person concerned (surname, first names, date and place of birth) and his or her parents.
It shall include marginal mentions where they exist.
Filiation
The extract with filiation is a summary of the information contained in the birth certificate entered in the register of civil status.
It shall include information on the person concerned (surname, first names, date and place of birth) and his or her parents.
It shall include marginal mentions where they exist.
Unbound extract
The extract without parentage is a summary of the information contained in the birth certificate entered in the register of civil status.
It shall include information on the person concerned by the document (name, first names, date and place of birth).
It shall include marginal mentions where they exist.
Access to a copy of a birth certificate is more or less free depending on the type of document and the person making the request.
Full Copy
The following persons may obtain a full copy of a birth certificate:
- Person concerned by the act (provided he is of age) or his legal representative
- Spouse, wife or partner Civil partnerships: titleContent
- Ascendant of the person concerned (parent, grandparent...)
- Descendant of the person concerned (child, grandchild)
- Lawful Professional (e.g., lawyer for a client)
Please note
the communicability of the public archives allows any person to request the reproduction of an act that is more than 75 years old (since the closing date of the register) or 25 years after the date of death of the person concerned by the act.
Filiation
The following persons may obtain a parentage extract:
- Person concerned by the act (provided he is of age) or his legal representative
- Spouse, wife or partner Civil partnerships: titleContent
- Ascendant of the person concerned (parent, grandparent...)
- Descendant of the person concerned (child, grandchild)
- Lawful Professional (e.g., lawyer for a client)
Please note
the communicability of the public archives allows any person to request the reproduction of an act that is more than 75 years old (since the closing date of the register) or 25 years after the date of death of the person concerned by the act.
Unbound extract
You can obtain a birth certificate without a filiation, without having to justify your application or who you are.
On site
You must apply to the town hall of birth of the person concerned by the act.
For an unrelated extract request, you must provide the date of birth and the first and last names of the person concerned.
For a full copy or a parentage extract, you must provide the name, first name, date and place of birth of the person to whom the document relates. You must also provide the usual surname and surname of the parent.
If you do not know this information, you can present your ID card. If you are not the person concerned by the deed, you must also provide another document proving the parentage (family booklet or other civil status document).
FYI
in case of doubt as to the identity or quality of the applicant, the registrar is entitled to request any supporting documents.
Who shall I contact
By mail
The request may be sent by post on free paper indicating:
- the name, first names and date of birth of the person concerned by the act (+ names and first names of the parents for a complete copy or an extract with filiation),
- and the applicant's address.
Who shall I contact
Free
If requested by Internet or by mail, it is sent to the home and usually arrives in a few days. However, the delivery time may vary depending on the processing by the City Hall services and the delivery time of the mail.
If requested on site, it shall be issued immediately.
Born in foreigner
Full Copy
The complete copy shall reproduce in full the information contained in the birth certificate entered in the register of civil status.
It shall include information on the person concerned (surname, first names, date and place of birth) and his or her parents.
It shall include marginal mentions where they exist.
Filiation
The extract with filiation is a summary of the information contained in the birth certificate entered in the register of civil status.
It shall include information on the person concerned (surname, first names, date and place of birth) and his or her parents.
It shall include marginal mentions where they exist.
Unbound extract
The extract without parentage is a summary of the information contained in the birth certificate entered in the register of civil status.
It shall include information on the person concerned by the document (name, first names, date and place of birth).
It shall include marginal mentions where they exist.
Access to a copy of a birth certificate is more or less free depending on the type of document and the person making the request.
Full Copy
The following persons may obtain a full copy of a birth certificate:
- Person concerned by the act (provided he is of age) or his legal representative
- Spouse, wife or partner Civil partnerships: titleContent
- Ascendant of the person concerned (parent, grandparent...)
- Descendant of the person concerned (child, grandchild)
- Lawful Professional (e.g., lawyer for a client)
Please note
the communicability of the public archives allows any person to request the reproduction of an act that is more than 75 years old (since the closing date of the register) or 25 years after the date of death of the person concerned by the act.
Filiation
The following persons may obtain a parentage extract:
- Person concerned by the act (provided he is of age) or his legal representative
- Spouse, wife or partner Civil partnerships: titleContent
- Ascendant of the person concerned (parent, grandparent...)
- Descendant of the person concerned (child, grandchild)
- Lawful Professional (e.g., lawyer for a client)
Please note
the communicability of the public archives allows any person to request the reproduction of an act that is more than 75 years old (since the closing date of the register) or 25 years after the date of death of the person concerned by the act.
Unbound extract
You can obtain a birth certificate without a filiation, without having to justify your application or who you are.
Online
To apply online, you must create a Service-Public.fr account or connect with FranceConnect.
When the act is available, you will need to log in again: you can download it in PDF format on your personal space. You can also ask to receive it by mail.
The document shall include the electronic signature of a registrar.
Application for birth certificate: copy or extract (birth at foreigner) - Free service
By mail
You must apply to the Nantes Central Registry Office (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
The request may be sent by post on free paper with the following information:
- Name, first names and date of birth of the person concerned by the deed (+ names and first names of the parents for a complete copy or an extract with filiation)
- Applicant Address
Who shall I contact
Central Registry Office (Scec) - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Foreigner (birth, marriage or death) of a Frenchman
Only by mail to:
Central Registry Office - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
11 White House Street
44941 Nantes Cedex 09
The service is not open to the public.
You can also use the online service
For additional information, you can:
- View Site diplomacy.govt.fr
- Call+33 1 41 86 42 47 Monday to Friday from 9am to 12pm and from 1pm to 4pm
Free access to a video-interpretation or instant voice transcription service for the deaf or hard of hearing - Email courrier.scec@diplomatie.gouv.fr
FYI
to obtain a copy (or extract) of a birth certificate from a foreign person born in the foreigner, you must contact the authority that issued the birth certificate in the country of birth.
Free
Online
The time limit for issuing an act is approximately 10 calendar days.
To get it, you have to sign in to your Service-Public.fr account. You can download the PDF document in your personal space online.
By mail
The time limit for issuing an act is approximately 10 calendar days, increased by the time of delivery by post.
- Decree No. 2017-890 of 6 May 2017 on the Civil StatusConditions of issue: Articles 25 to 38
- Civil Code: Articles 34 to 54Establishment of civil status documents
- Civil Code: Articles 55 to 59Declaration of birth and content of birth certificate
- Circular of 28 October 2011 on various civil registration documents relating to birth and filiation (PDF - 1.0 MB)
- Circular of 23 July 2014 on civil status (PDF - 249.4 KB)
- Ordinance No. 2019-724 of 10 July 2019 on the experimentation with the dematerialisation of civil registration documents issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Decree No. 2019-993 of 26 September 2019 on the experimentation of the dematerialisation of civil registration documents issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
FAQ
- IDService-Public.fr
- PassportService-Public.fr
- MarriageService-Public.fr
- Civil solidarity pact (Civil partnerships)Service-Public.fr
- Civil status and French nationalityMinistry for Europe and Foreign Affairs
- Births in foreignerMinistry for Europe and Foreign Affairs