Marriage certificate: request for full copy or extract

Verified 22 March 2022 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of Justice

Three types of marriage certificates can be given to you: full copy (i.e. the reproduction of your entire marriage certificate) or a extracted with parentage or a unrelated extract. The application for a marriage certificate shall be free.

Gait varies by place of marriage : in France or abroad.

In France

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

On the Internet

You can make the request directly online :

Application for marriage certificate (celebrated in France) - Free service

You will receive the document at home 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.

By mail

You can send your request by free paper mail to the mayor's office.

Who shall I contact

If you are applying for someone else, you will need to provide your contact information.

The information you want to include in your mail depends on the document you requested:

Tableau - Mail information to be provided

Type of document requested

Mail information to be provided

Full Copy

Date of marriage, surnames, first names of the spouses + surnames and first names of their parents

Extract with filiation

Date of marriage, surnames, first names of the spouses + surnames and first names of their parents

Unrelated Extract

Date of marriage, surnames, first names of spouses

You will receive the document at home 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.

On the spot

You must apply to the mayor's office.

Who shall I contact

The document will be issued to you immediately.

Warning  

if you request a marriage certificate (full copy or extract with filiation) other than yours (that of your daughter, for example), proof of your direct filiation with this person (copy of your birth certificate, family record,...) will be requested. You will also need to show your ID card.

Yes, 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 complete copy shall reproduce all the information contained in the marriage certificate entered in the register of civil status.

It shall include in particular the following information:

  • Surnames, first names, date and place of birth, on each of the spouses
  • Identity, occupation and domicile, on each of their parents
  • Marginal entries where they exist

Extract with filiation

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

It shall contain the following information:

  • Surname, forenames, date and place of birth, on each of the spouses
  • Identity, occupation and domicile, on each of their parents
  • Marginal entries where they exist

Unrelated Extract

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

It shall contain information on each spouse (surname, forenames, date and place of birth) and marginal mentions when they exist.

Access to a copy of a marriage 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 marriage 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)
  • Lawyer (example: a lawyer)

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.

However, any other person (e.g. uncle, aunt) will not be able to request the release of these documents until:

  • 100 years if the person is a minor
  • 75 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the file, if the person is alive
  • 25 years if the person has died

Extract with filiation

You can obtain an extract from a marriage 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)
  • Lawyer (example: a lawyer)

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.

However, any other person (e.g. uncle, aunt) will not be able to request the release of these documents until:

  • 100 years if the person is a minor
  • 75 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the file, if the person is alive
  • 25 years if the person has died

Unrelated Extract

You can obtain an excerpt from a marriage certificate without having to justify your request.

Abroad

The marriage certificate must have been entered in the civil registration records of the consulate.

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

On the Internet

To apply online, you must create an account Service-Public.fr or connect via FranceConnect.

Application for marriage certificate (celebrated abroad) - Free service

The time limit for issuing your marriage 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 to your personal space.

You can also request to receive it by mail.

The document shall include the electronic signature of a registrar.

By mail

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).

Who shall I contact

FYI  

if you are a foreigner, you have to go to the authority that drew up the act.

If you are applying for someone else, you will need to provide your contact information.

The information you want to include in your mail depends on the document you requested.

Tableau - Mail information to be provided

Type of document requested

Mail information to be provided

Full Copy

Date of marriage, surnames, first names of the spouses + surnames and first names of their parents

Extract with filiation

Date of marriage, surnames, first names of the spouses + surnames and first names of their parents

Unrelated Extract

Date of marriage, surnames, first names of spouses

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

Warning  

if you request a marriage certificate (full copy or extract with filiation) other than yours (that of your daughter, for example), proof of your direct filiation with this person (copy of your birth certificate, family record,...) will be requested. You will also need to attach a copy of your identity card.

Yes, 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 complete copy shall reproduce all the information contained in the marriage certificate entered in the register of civil status.

It shall include in particular the following information:

  • Surnames, first names, date and place of birth, on each of the spouses
  • Identity, occupation and domicile, on each of their parents
  • Marginal entries where they exist

Extract with filiation

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

It shall contain the following information:

  • Surname, forenames, date and place of birth, on each of the spouses
  • Identity, occupation and domicile, on each of their parents
  • Marginal entries where they exist

Unrelated Extract

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

It shall contain information on each spouse (surname, forenames, date and place of birth) and marginal mentions when they exist.

Access to a copy of a marriage 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 marriage 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)
  • Lawyer (example: a lawyer)

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.

However, any other person (e.g. uncle, aunt) will not be able to request the release of these documents until:

  • 100 years if the person is a minor
  • 75 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the file, if the person is alive
  • 25 years if the person has died

Extract with filiation

You can obtain an extract from a marriage 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)
  • Lawyer (example: a lawyer)

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.

However, any other person (e.g. uncle, aunt) will not be able to request the release of these documents until:

  • 100 years if the person is a minor
  • 75 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the file, if the person is alive
  • 25 years if the person has died

Unrelated Extract

You can obtain an excerpt from a marriage certificate without having to justify your request.