There are many essential documents for humans. Even if they are not used all the time, they may eventually come in handy, and at the right moment, it will be necessary to have them. Among these is the birth certificate. It is an official written document, whose form and content are defined by law. It proves a person’s birth and is signed by a civil registrar who certifies its legality. The birth certificate serves to attest to a person’s civil status by mentioning their names, date, time, and place of birth, etc. In what cases is it indispensable? How can it be obtained? Discover the answers through this article.
Why request a birth certificate?
There are many events that may lead to requesting a birth certificate. In fact, you can find all the details on this subject on the website https://www.acte-de-naissance-en-ligne.fr/. However, before discussing them, it is important to remember that the people authorized to make this request are:
• The holder of the certificate;
• Their ascendants;
• Their descendants;
• Their spouse;
• Their civil union partner;
• Their legal representative.
Among the reasons this document might be requested, there are:
Obtaining other identity certificates
The birth certificate is among the three civil status documents considered authentic. It is generally kept at the place of birth, either in the civil status registers or in the municipal archives of the town hall. This document is very often issued to complete other administrative formalities. For this purpose, a full copy of the birth certificate is required to make a first application for a national identity card or passport. It is also necessary to renew the family record book or to obtain a certificate of French nationality.
Completing administrative procedures
For example, to get married, it is necessary that full copies or extracts with lineage of the partners’ birth certificates are available. Indeed, this version is a complete reproduction of the certificate. It includes civil status information, lineage, as well as other elements documented during the birth declaration. When compiling a marriage or civil union file, marginal notes are indispensable. These are the ones that allow knowing if the future spouses are free of any commitment.
For any notary deed, you must also provide an extract without lineage of the birth certificate. Moreover, a multilingual birth extract is recommended if you plan to undertake procedures with a foreign administration.
Completing declarative procedures
You will need the birth certificate with lineage that justifies the parent-child relationship if you need to, for example, enroll your child in daycare. The same applies for making a declaration to your employer. In this case, the extract without lineage is used to prove the individual’s identity. The birth extract is also requested by some aid organizations, such as the CAF or the Pension Fund, for the payment of survivor’s pension or benefits. Furthermore, the declarant’s birth certificate is included in the documents required for registration in the company register.
Undergoing a judicial procedure
A judge may authorize a lawyer or notary to obtain an individual’s birth certificate as part of a judicial procedure. The presentation of this document is also necessary during a procedure for:
• Divorce;
• Dissolution;
• Conclusion or modification of civil union;
• Application for French naturalization.
All events that are able to modify or change the content of the certificate are automatically included in marginal notes. This also applies to the marital or family status of the person concerned by the certificate, as well as their legal status. It should be noted that these events often result from a court decision.
How to obtain the birth certificate?
To obtain the birth certificate, there is a procedure to follow according to each case.
In the case of a person born in France
If this is your case, you must request the birth certificate from the town hall of the place where you were born. To do this, three options are available to you. The first is to go directly to the town hall. To obtain a full copy or an extract with lineage, you must go there with an identity document.
This way, you can obtain it immediately. However, it should be noted that the waiting time at the town hall’s reception can be long. Some town halls may even ask you to make an appointment for this type of request.
The second option is to make your request online. For this, you need to fill out an administrative form. Once it is ready, you will receive the birth certificate at your personal address. This procedure takes an average of 4 days.
The third option is to proceed by mail. To do this, you must send a registered letter with acknowledgment of receipt to the town hall. Your request must indicate the name(s), first name(s), and date of birth of the person for whom you wish to obtain the certificate.
In addition to all this, you will also need to provide the parents’ names and first names. If your request is complete, you will receive the birth certificate by mail within a few days. On the other hand, if it is incomplete, your file will not be processed by the town hall.
In the case of a person born abroad
If you are a foreign-born outside French territory, you must contact the consular authorities of the country that issued your birth certificate. However, if you were born abroad but are French, you must contact the Central Civil Status Office of Nantes (SCEC).
This service is not open to the public. Therefore, you have two options to obtain your birth certificate. You can make the request online, via the Pastel Diplomatie portal, or proceed by mail by sending a letter to SCEC. The delivery times are generally quite short. However, they depend on your country of residence.
