Birth certificate: request for full copy or extract

Verified 31 October 2023 - Legal and Administrative Information Directorate (Prime Minister)

You need a birth certificate and you want to know how to apply? We guide you in your approach. She varies according to place of birth of the person concerned by the act (in France or abroad). In all cases, the application for a birth certificate is free.

Please note

If the person concerned by the act is born in an independent State (for example, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco), you must apply for a birth certificate via the online service dedicated to people born abroad.

Born in France

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You're asking for your own birth certificate

You can make the request directly on the internet :

Application for birth certificate: full copy or extract (birth in France) - Free service

The document is then sent to you by post in a few days. The time limit may vary depending on the processing of the request by the services of the City Council and the time limit for forwarding the mail.

If you do not apply online, you can do it by mail or by visiting the premises. The request is to be made to the town hall of your municipality of birth.

By mail

You can submit the request on free paper.

If you are applying for your birth certificate unrelated, you must provide your full name and date of birth.

If you ask for your copy integral or your extract with parentage, you must provide your surname, first names, date and place of birth, your address + the surname, first names of your parents.

You will receive the document by mail in a few days. The delay may vary depending on the processing of your request, by the services of the City Council, and the time of delivery of the mail.

Who shall I contact
On the spot

If you are applying for your birth certificate unrelated, you must provide your full name and date of birth.

If you ask for your copy integral or your extract with parentage, you must provide your surname, first names, date and place of birth, your address + the surname, first names of your parents.

The document is issued to you immediately.

Who shall I contact

You're asking for another person's birth certificate

You can make the request directly online :

Application for birth certificate: full copy or extract (birth in France) - Free service

The document is then sent to you by post in a few days. The time limit may vary depending on the processing of the request by the services of the City Council and the time limit for forwarding the mail.

If you do not apply online, you can do it by mail or by visiting the premises. The request must be made to the municipality of the municipality of birth of the person.

By mail

You can send the request on free paper.

If you request an extract unrelated, you must enter the full name and date of birth of the person concerned.

If you request a copy integral or an extract with parentage, you must provide the surname, first name, address, date and place of birth of the person to whom the document relates + the usual surname and first name of his parents.

You must attach a document proving your direct relationship with this person (copy of your birth certificate or family record).

You will receive the birth certificate by mail in a few days. The delay may vary depending on the processing of your request, by the services of the City Council, and the time of delivery of the mail.

Who shall I contact
On the spot

If you request an extract unrelated, you must enter the full name and date of birth of the person concerned.

If you request a copy integral or an extract with parentage, you must provide the surname, first name, address, date and place of birth of the person to whom the document relates + the usual surname and first name of his parents.

You must present a document proving your direct relationship with this person (your birth certificate or family record).

In case of doubt about your identity or status, the registrar can ask you for any supporting documents.

The document is issued to you immediately.

Who shall I contact

The approach is free.

FYI  

there is no need to make your request on websites that ask you for financial compensation.

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Full Copy

The full copy shall reproduce all the information contained in the birth certificate entered in the civil register.

It includes your personal information (surname, first names, date of birth and place of birth), and that of your parents.

It indicates the marginal mentions when they exist.

Extract with filiation

The extract with parentage is a summary of the information contained in the birth certificate entered in the civil registry.

It contains your personal information (name, first name, date and place of birth) and that of your parents.

It indicates the marginal mentions when they exist.

Unrelated Extract

The extract without parentage is a summary of the information contained in the birth certificate entered in the civil registry.

It contains your personal information (surname, first names, date and place of birth).

It indicates the marginal mentions when they exist.

Access to a copy of a birth certificate depends on the type of document and the person requesting it.

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Full Copy

You can obtain a full copy of a birth certificate if you are one of the following:

  • Person concerned by the act (provided he is of age) or his legal representative
  • Spouse, wife or partner of Civil partnerships: titleContent
  • Ascendant of the person concerned (parent, grandparent...)
  • Descendant of the person concerned (child, grandchild)
  • Lawfully authorized professional (e.g. a lawyer on behalf of a client)

If you are on this list, you can obtain a copy of a birth or marriage certificate from the public archives. at any time and without limitation in time.

Any other person (for example, an uncle, an aunt) cannot ask the communication of those documents before the following deadlines:

  • 75 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the file, if the person is alive
  • Or 25 years from the date of the death of the person if the latter period is shorter

Warning  

If the person is a minor, the time frames are different:

  • 100 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the file if the person is alive
  • Or 25 years from the date of the death of the person if the latter period is shorter

Extract with filiation

You can obtain an extract from a birth certificate with filiation if you are one of the following:

  • Person concerned by the act (provided he is of age) or his legal representative
  • Spouse, wife or partner of Civil partnerships: titleContent
  • Ascendant of the person concerned (parent, grandparent...)
  • Descendant of the person concerned (child, grandchild)
  • Lawfully authorized professional (e.g. a lawyer on behalf of a client)

If you are on this list, you can obtain a copy of a birth or marriage certificate from the public archives. at any time and without limitation in time.

Any other person (for example, an uncle, an aunt) cannot ask the communication of those documents before the following deadlines:

  • 75 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the file, if the person is alive
  • Or 25 years from the date of the death of the person if the latter period is shorter

Warning  

If the person is a minor, the time frames are different:

  • 100 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the file if the person is alive
  • Or 25 years from the date of the death of the person if the latter period is shorter

Unrelated Extract

Any person may obtain a birth certificate without parentage, without having to justify its application.

Foreign born

The service can issue a birth certificate only of a person who is a national of France.

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You're asking for your own birth certificate

You can apply online. You must have (or create) a Service-Public.fr account or sign in with FranceConnect.

Application for birth certificate: full copy or extract (birth abroad) - Free service

The time limit for issuing your birth certificate is approximately 20 days.

To get it, you need to log in to your Service-Public.fr account.

You can download the PDF document on your personal space Service-Public.fr.

You can also request to receive the birth certificate by mail.

The document shall include the electronic signature of a registrar.

If you do not wish to apply online, you can submit your request by mail, on free paper, with the Central Civil Registry Service of Nantes (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

If you ask for your copy integral or your extract with parentage, you must provide your surname, first names, date and place of birth, your address + the surname, first names of your parents.

For an application by post, the time limit for issuing a birth certificate is approximately 30 days.

Who shall I contact

  • Central Civil Registry Service (Scec)

    Civil status (birth, marriage or death) of a Frenchman abroad

     Only by mail to:

    Central Civil Registry Service

    11 White House Street

    44941 Nantes Cedex 09

    The service is not open to the public.

    You can apply for a civil status certificate through a online service.

    For more information, you can:

    • Go to diplomatie.gouv.fr
    • Call the+33 1 41 86 42 47 Monday to Friday from 9 am to 12 pm and from 1 pm to 4 pm
      Free access to video interpretation or instant speech transcription for the deaf or hard of hearing
    • Email courrier.scec@diplomatie.gouv.fr

You're asking for another person's birth certificate

You can apply online. You must have (or create) a Service-Public.fr account or sign in with FranceConnect.

Application for birth certificate: full copy or extract (birth abroad) - Free service

The time limit for issuing your birth certificate is approximately 20 days.

To get it, you need to log in to your Service-Public.fr account.

You can download the PDF document on your personal space Service-Public.fr.

You can also request to receive the birth certificate by mail.

The document shall include the electronic signature of a registrar.

If you do not wish to apply online, you can submit your request by mail, on free paper, with the Central Civil Registry Service of Nantes (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

If you are applying for full copy or a extract with parentage, you must indicate the surname, forenames, date and place of birth of the person to whom the document relates + the usual surname and forenames of his parents.

You must also attach proof of your direct filiation relationship with this person to whom the document relates (copy of your birth certificate, family record...).

For an application by post, the time limit for issuing a birth certificate is approximately 30 days.

Who shall I contact

  • Central Civil Registry Service (Scec)

    Civil status (birth, marriage or death) of a Frenchman abroad

     Only by mail to:

    Central Civil Registry Service

    11 White House Street

    44941 Nantes Cedex 09

    The service is not open to the public.

    You can apply for a civil status certificate through a online service.

    For more information, you can:

    • Go to diplomatie.gouv.fr
    • Call the+33 1 41 86 42 47 Monday to Friday from 9 am to 12 pm and from 1 pm to 4 pm
      Free access to video interpretation or instant speech transcription for the deaf or hard of hearing
    • Email courrier.scec@diplomatie.gouv.fr

The request is free.

Warning  

there is no need to make your request on websites that ask you for financial compensation.

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

Full Copy

The full copy shall reproduce all the information contained in the birth certificate entered in the civil register.

It includes your personal information (surname, first names, date of birth and place of birth), and that of your parents.

It indicates the marginal mentions when they exist.

Extract with filiation

The extract with parentage is a summary of the information contained in the birth certificate entered in the civil registry.

It contains your personal information (name, first name, date and place of birth) and that of your parents.

It indicates the marginal mentions when they exist.

Unrelated Extract

The extract without parentage is a summary of the information contained in the birth certificate entered in the civil registry.

It contains your personal information (surname, first names, date and place of birth).

It indicates the marginal mentions when they exist.

Access to a copy of a birth certificate depends on the type of document and the person requesting it.

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

Full Copy

You can obtain a full copy of a birth certificate if you are one of the following:

  • Person concerned by the act (provided he is of age) or his legal representative
  • Spouse, wife or partner of Civil partnerships: titleContent
  • Ascendant of the person concerned (parent, grandparent...)
  • Descendant of the person concerned (child, grandchild)
  • Lawfully authorized professional (e.g. a lawyer on behalf of a client)

If you are on this list, you can obtain a copy of a birth or marriage certificate from the public archives. at any time and without limitation in time.

Any other person (for example, an uncle, an aunt) cannot ask the communication of those documents before the following deadlines:

  • 75 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the file, if the person is alive
  • Or 25 years from the date of the death of the person if the latter period is shorter

Warning  

If the person is a minor, the time frames are different:

  • 100 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the file if the person is alive
  • Or 25 years from the date of the death of the person if the latter period is shorter

Extract with filiation

You can obtain an extract from a birth certificate with filiation if you are one of the following:

  • Person concerned by the act (provided he is of age) or his legal representative
  • Spouse, wife or partner of Civil partnerships: titleContent
  • Ascendant of the person concerned (parent, grandparent...)
  • Descendant of the person concerned (child, grandchild)
  • Lawfully authorized professional (e.g. a lawyer on behalf of a client)

If you are on this list, you can obtain a copy of a birth or marriage certificate from the public archives. at any time and without limitation in time.

Any other person (for example, an uncle, an aunt) cannot ask the communication of those documents before the following deadlines:

  • 75 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the file, if the person is alive
  • Or 25 years from the date of the death of the person if the latter period is shorter

Warning  

If the person is a minor, the time frames are different:

  • 100 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the file if the person is alive
  • Or 25 years from the date of the death of the person if the latter period is shorter

Unrelated Extract

Any person may obtain a birth certificate without parentage, without having to justify its application.

Application for birth certificate: full copy or extract (birth in France) - Free service

Application for birth certificate: full copy or extract (birth abroad) - Free service

FAQ