Birth certificate: request for full copy or extract

Verified 14 August 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)

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

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 ask 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

If you can't apply online, you can apply by post or on-site with the town hall of the place of birth :

By post

You can send the request on free paper.

If you ask for your copy integral or your excerpt with parentage, you must indicate your surname, forenames, date and place of birth, your address, and the surname and forenames of your parents.

If you ask for your birth certificate unaffiliated, you must provide your full name and date of birth.

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

Who shall I contact
On site

If you ask for your copy integral or your excerpt with parentage, you must indicate your surname, forenames, date and place of birth, your address, and the surname and forenames of your parents.

If you ask for your birth certificate unaffiliated, you must provide your full name and date of birth.

Please note

You must present a identity document to prove your identity.

The document is delivered to you immediately.

Who shall I contact

You are requesting 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

If you can't apply online, you can apply by post or on-site with the town hall of the place of birth of the data subject :

By post

You can send the request on free paper.

If you apply for copy integral or a excerpt with parentage, you must indicate the surname, forenames, address, date and place of birth of the person to whom the document relates, as well as the usual surname and forename of his parents.

If you make a request for an extract unaffiliated, you must indicate the surname, forenames and date of birth of the person concerned.

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

Who shall I contact
On site

If you apply for copy integral or a excerpt with parentage, you must indicate the surname, forenames, address, date and place of birth of the person to whom the document relates, as well as the usual surname and forename of his parents.

If you make a request for an extract unaffiliated, you must indicate the surname, forenames and date of birth of the person concerned.

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 of charge.

FYI  

There is no need to apply on websites that ask you for financial compensation.

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Full Copy

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

It includes your personal information (surname, first names, date and place of birth) and also that of your parents (surnames, first names, ages, professions and domicile).

It shall indicate the marginal terms where they exist.

Extract with filiation

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

It contains your personal information (surname, first names, date and place of birth) and also that of your parents (surnames, first names, ages, professions and homes).

It indicates the marginal terms where they exist.

Extract without parentage

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

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

It indicates the marginal terms where they exist.

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

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Full Copy

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

  • Person concerned by the act (provided that he is of legal age) or legal representative
  • Spouse, wife or partner of Civil partnerships: titleContent
  • Ascendant of the person concerned (parent, grandparent...))
  • Descendant of the person concerned (child, grandchild)
  • Professional authorized by law (example: 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.

However, any other person (for example, an uncle, an aunt) will not be able to ask the submission of such documents before the following deadlines:

  • 75 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the record
  • Or 25 years from the date of the person's death, whichever is shorter.

Warning  

If the person is a minor, the deadlines are different:

  • 100 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the record
  • Or 25 years from the date of the person's death, whichever is shorter.

Extract with filiation

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

  • Person concerned by the act (provided that he is of legal age) or legal representative
  • Spouse, wife or partner of Civil partnerships: titleContent
  • Ascendant of the person concerned (parent, grandparent...))
  • Descendant of the person concerned (child, grandchild)
  • Professional authorized by law (example: 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.

However, any other person (for example, an uncle, an aunt) will not be able to ask the submission of such documents before the following deadlines:

  • 75 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the record
  • Or 25 years from the date of the person's death, whichever is shorter.

Warning  

If the person is a minor, the deadlines are different:

  • 100 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the record
  • Or 25 years from the date of the person's death, whichever is shorter.

Extract without parentage

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

Born abroad

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

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You ask for your own birth certificate

You can apply online :

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

FYI  

Once your dematerialized document has been received, you can also request to receive the birth certificate by mail.

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

If you ask for your copy integral or your excerpt with parentage, you must indicate your surname, forenames, date and place of birth, your address, as well as the surname, forenames of your parents.

If you ask for your birth certificate unaffiliated, you must provide your full name and date of birth.

Who shall I contact

  • Attention: the Central Civil Registry does not welcome any public.

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

    Only by mail to the following address:

    Central Civil Registry Service

    11 White House Street

    44941 Nantes Cedex 09

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

    For further information, you can:

Please note

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

You are requesting another person's birth certificate

You can apply online :

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

FYI  

Once your dematerialized document has been received, you can also request to receive the birth certificate by mail.

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

If you apply for full copy or a extract with filiation, you must indicate the surname, forenames, date and place of birth of the person to whom the document relates, as well as the usual surname and forename of his parents.

If you ask for your birth certificate unaffiliated, you must provide your full name and date of birth.

Who shall I contact

  • Attention: the Central Civil Registry does not welcome any public.

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

    Only by mail to the following address:

    Central Civil Registry Service

    11 White House Street

    44941 Nantes Cedex 09

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

    For further information, you can:

Please note

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

The request is free of charge.

Warning  

There is no need to apply on websites that ask you for financial compensation.

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

Full Copy

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

It includes your personal information (surname, first names, date and place of birth) and also that of your parents (surnames, first names, ages, professions and domicile).

It shall indicate the marginal terms where they exist.

Extract with filiation

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

It contains your personal information (surname, first names, date and place of birth) and also that of your parents (surnames, first names, ages, professions and domicile).

It indicates the marginal terms where they exist.

Extract without parentage

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

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

It indicates the marginal terms where they exist.

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

Répondez aux questions successives et les réponses s’afficheront automatiquement

Full Copy

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

  • Person concerned by the act (provided that he is of legal age) or legal representative
  • Spouse, wife or partner of Civil partnerships: titleContent
  • Ascendant of the person concerned (parent, grandparent...))
  • Descendant of the person concerned (child, grandchild)
  • Professional authorized by law (example: 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.

However, any other person (for example, an uncle, an aunt) will not be able to ask the submission of such documents before the following deadlines:

  • 75 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the record
  • Or 25 years from the date of the person's death, whichever is shorter.

Warning  

If the person is a minor, the deadlines are different:

  • 100 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the record
  • Or 25 years from the date of the person's death, whichever is shorter.

Extract with filiation

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

  • Person concerned by the act (provided that he is of legal age) or legal representative
  • Spouse, wife or partner of Civil partnerships: titleContent
  • Ascendant of the person concerned (parent, grandparent...))
  • Descendant of the person concerned (child, grandchild)
  • Professional authorized by law (example: 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.

However, any other person (for example, an uncle, an aunt) will not be able to ask the submission of such documents before the following deadlines:

  • 75 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the record
  • Or 25 years from the date of the person's death, whichever is shorter.

Warning  

If the person is a minor, the deadlines are different:

  • 100 years from the date of the most recent document or document included in the record
  • Or 25 years from the date of the person's death, whichever is shorter.

Extract without parentage

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

Who can help me?

Find who can answer your questions in your region

  • If the person concerned by the act was born in France

    Town hall

  • If the person concerned by the act was born abroad

    Attention: the Central Civil Registry does not welcome any public.

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

    Only by mail to the following address:

    Central Civil Registry Service

    11 White House Street

    44941 Nantes Cedex 09

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

    For further information, you can:

FAQ