Marriage Act: request for full copy or extract
Verified 11 March 2021 - Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister), Ministry of Justice
An act of marriage may give rise to the issuance 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. Approaches to obtaining it vary according to the place of marriage.
Marriage in France
Full Copy
The complete copy shall reproduce in full the information contained in the marriage certificate entered in the civil register.
It includes information on each spouse (surname, first name, date and place of birth) and their parents (identity, occupation and domicile).
It shall include marginal mentions where they exist.
Filiation
The extract with filiation is a summary of the information contained in the marriage certificate entered in the civil register.
It includes information on each spouse (surname, first name, date and place of birth) and their parents (identity, occupation and domicile).
It shall include marginal mentions where they exist.
Unbound extract
The extract without parentage is a summary of the information contained in the marriage certificate entered in the civil register.
It includes information on each spouse (surname, first name, date and place of birth) and marginal mentions where they exist.
The possibility of obtaining a copy or extract of a marriage certificate depends on the type of document requested and the applicant.
Full Copy
You can get a full copy of a marriage certificate if you are in one of the following situations:
- You're a husband
- You are an ascendant (parent, grandparent) of the spouses
- You are a descendant (child, grandchild) of the spouses
- You are an authorised professional who can do this (lawyers, for example, on behalf of their 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
You can get a certificate of marriage with filiation if you are in one of the following situations:
- You're one of the spouses
- You are an ascendant (parent, grandparent) of the spouses
- You are a descendant (child, grandchild) of the spouses
- You are an authorised professional who can do this (lawyers, for example, on behalf of their 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
Anyone can obtain an extract of a marriage certificate without filiation, without having to justify their request.
On site
You must apply to the wedding hall.
For an application for a full copy or an extract with filiation, one must present an identity document and, possibly, a document proving his or her relationship with one of the spouses (family booklet or other civil status document).
No document is required for an unbound extract request.
By mail
You must apply to the wedding hall.
The request may be sent by post on free paper.
The information to be specified on the mail depends on the requested document:
Type of act requested | Mail Information |
|---|---|
Full Copy | Date of marriage, surnames, first names of spouses + first names of their parents |
Filiation | Date of marriage, surnames, first names of spouses + first names of their parents |
Unbound extract | Date of marriage, surnames, first names of spouses |
Free
If requested on site, it shall be issued immediately.
If requested by Internet or by mail, it is sent to the applicant's home within 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.
Marriage to foreigner
Full Copy
The complete copy shall reproduce in full the information contained in the marriage certificate entered in the civil register.
It includes information on each spouse (surname, first name, date and place of birth) and their parents (identity, occupation and domicile).
It shall include marginal mentions where they exist.
Filiation
The extract with filiation is a summary of the information contained in the marriage certificate entered in the civil register.
It includes information on each spouse (surname, first name, date and place of birth) and their parents (identity, occupation and domicile).
It shall include marginal mentions where they exist.
Unbound extract
The extract without parentage is a summary of the information contained in the marriage certificate entered in the civil register.
It includes information on each spouse (surname, first name, date and place of birth) and marginal mentions where they exist.
The possibility of obtaining a copy or extract of a marriage certificate depends on the type of document requested and the applicant.
Full Copy
You can get a full copy of a marriage certificate if you are in one of the following situations:
- You're a husband
- You are an ascendant (parent, grandparent) of the spouses
- You are a descendant (child, grandchild) of the spouses
- You are an authorised professional who can do this (lawyers, for example, on behalf of their 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
You can get a certificate of marriage with filiation if you are in one of the following situations:
- You're one of the spouses
- You are an ascendant (parent, grandparent) of the spouses
- You are a descendant (child, grandchild) of the spouses
- You are an authorised professional who can do this (lawyers, for example, on behalf of their 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
Anyone can obtain an extract of a marriage certificate without filiation, without having to justify their request.
The marriage certificate must have been transcribed on the consulate's civil registration records.
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.
Bill of Marriage (celebrated at the foreigner) - Free service
By mail
You must apply to the Nantes Central Registry Office (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).
The application may be sent by post on free paper indicating the applicant's address.
The information to be provided on the mail depends on the requested document.
Type of act requested | Mail Information |
|---|---|
Full Copy | Date of marriage, surnames, first names of spouses + first names of their parents |
Filiation | Date of marriage, surnames, first names of spouses + first names of their parents |
Unbound extract | Date of marriage, surnames, first names of spouses |
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
if you are a foreigner, you have to go to the authority that established the act.
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.
- Civil Code: Articles 63 to 76
- Decree No. 2017-890 of 6 May 2017 on the Civil Status
- Code of Public Administration Relations: Articles L311-9 to R311-15
- Circular of 23 July 2014 on civil status (PDF - 249.4 KB)
- General Civil Registration Directive (Igreek) of 11 May 1999 - Annexe193
- 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
- How can I challenge a refusal of the city hall regarding civil status?
- How do you change your marital status following a name change by decree?
- What is a marginal entry on a civil registration document?
- How do I use a foreigner registration certificate?
- How do I write the name of my husband or wife on my paperwork?