Death certificate: request for full copy
Verified 10 August 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
You wish to request a death certificate and you want to know how to proceed? The steps to obtain it depend on the place of death : in France or abroad. In all cases, the request is free.
We present the process.
In France
Any person may request a death certificate, without particular justification.
You can apply on the internet or on-site.
On the Internet
An online service is available:
Request for death certificate (in France) - Free service
You must have or create an account Service-Public.fr or connect via FranceConnect.
You will receive the death certificate at home by mail within 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
If you don't make the request on the internet, you can do it by going there either to the town hall of the place of death or to the town hall of the last residence of the deceased.
You can make the request at the counter by indicating the name and forenames of the deceased and the date of death.
No documents are required.
The death certificate is given to you immediately.
Yes, the death certificate request is free.
The complete copy shall reproduce all the information contained in the death certificate entered in the civil registry.
It mentions the following:
- Date, time and place of death
- First names, surname, date and place of birth, profession and domicile of the deceased
- Parents' first names, last names, professions and homes
- First names and surname of spouse or Civil partnership partner
- First names, surname, age, occupation and domicile of the declarant (if any, his degree of kinship with the deceased)
FYI
death is mentioned on the margins of the birth certificate of the deceased.
Abroad
Any person may request a death certificate, without particular justification.
You can apply online or by mail.
On the Internet
An online service is available:
Request for Death Certificate (Overseas) - Free Service
You must have a Service-Public.fr account or create one or sign in with FranceConnect.
The time limit for issuing a death certificate shall be approximately 20 days.
To get it, you need to log in to your Service-Public.fr account.
You will be able to 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 make the request on the internet, 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
Central Civil Registry Service (Scec)
Attention: the Central Civil Registry Service does not welcome any public.
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
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 must specify in your application the surname and first names of the deceased and the date of death.
The time limit for issuing a death certificate shall be approximately 30 days.
Warning
to obtain a copy of the death certificate of a foreign person who died abroad, you must contact the authority that issued the certificate in the country concerned.
Yes, the death certificate request is free.
The complete copy shall reproduce all the information contained in the death certificate entered in the civil registry.
It mentions the following:
- Date, time and place of death
- First names, surname, date and place of birth, profession and domicile of the deceased
- Parents' first names, last names, professions and homes
- First names and surname of spouse or Civil partnership partner
- First names, surname, age, occupation and domicile of the declarant (if any, his degree of kinship with the deceased)
FYI
death is mentioned on the margins of the birth certificate of the deceased.
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
If the death occurred in France
Town HallIf the death occurred outside Canada
Central Civil Registry Service (Scec)
Attention: the Central Civil Registry Service does not welcome any public.
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
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
FAQ
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