In all the countries of the world, the birth certificate is recognized as being the basic document that every citizen must necessarily have in his possession. However, although we often hear about it, there are many things to clarify about this document. Discover in this article the essentials on the birth certificate.
What is a birth certificate?
The birth certificate is defined above all as the legal document, which provides proof of the birth of a person who now has legal status. In general, it is required to provide a copy of this document, especially when you wish to carry out relatively important steps, such as those related to the development of your passport or for your marriage.
The birth certificate in each of these contexts protects you durably against acts signed without your knowledge and attests to your assent within the framework of the marriage. This highly important document is also authentic proof of the person's registration in the civil register. She is therefore recognized as a full member of the community.
From that moment, she enjoys the status of citizen. This therefore grants him the same rights as other citizens, as provided by law. The birth certificate obviously informs various details of the person who has just been born. It contains, among other things, personal information such as:
- The birth date
- Birthplace
- The last name
- First names)
- Sex
Similarly, a birth certificate also provides some information relating to the parentage of the subject. It will specify in particular: the name of the father and mother of the child, as well as the profession of each of them at the time of birth.
Read about it: Can I be forced to change my child's first name?
How do I apply for a birth certificate?
For all individuals, the procedure for applying for a birth certificate is very simple, but may vary depending on whether you were born on French territory or outside the limits of France.
In general, it is with the town hall of the district of birth that the applicant must make his request. To this end, collaborating with the officers of the town hall is enough to make the procedure a success. However, for French people born abroad, they should instead turn to the Service central d'civil status from Nantes.
All French people born in the country, whether in metropolitan France or in the overseas regions, are subject to the same special conditions for obtaining their birth certificate. To find out more about the application procedure, you can Read this article.
The request can be made directly by going to the premises of the town hall. It is also possible to apply online without having to travel. The third alternative is to apply by mail. It should be emphasized that for French people born abroad, only the last two possibilities are possible. The Central Civil Status Service of Nantes is not accessible to the public.
Who can apply for a birth certificate?
The request for a birth certificate can be made by various categories of people. This may be the data subject himself. For this, however, it must have reached the majority, and be emancipated. Other people are also authorized to do this. These are descendants, ascendants, the spouse, a legal professional acting with a mandate, or the legal representative.
What is the difference between a full copy and a birth certificate?
Most people don't necessarily know the difference between a full copy and a birth certificate extract. However, the nuance between the two documents is significant. Above all, it should be emphasized that these are two forms of birth certificates that are very similar to each other. In reality, you find in one as in the other more or less the same information and indications. A difference is nevertheless to be underlined at this level.
A person's birth certificate mainly contains information relating exclusively to the individual and the mentions in the margin. You will not find information about his parents there. The birth certificate is therefore only part of the full document. It should be noted that this is a birth certificate without filiation.
It is also possible to obtain a birth certificate with filiation, which includes information specific to the holder of the certificate, his filiation, and marginal information. The complete copy, on the other hand, takes into account all the details of the birth certificate. The other major difference that should be noted is that relating to the status required to request one or the other document. In the case of the birth certificate without filiation, it is open and accessible to all.
Marginal mentions
In a complete copy of the birth certificate, the marginal mentions present are:
- Recognition of a child
- Wedding
- Divorce
- PACS
- Change of first and/or last name
- sex change
- Death
- Decisions entered in the civil register (change of matrimonial regime, guardianship, curatorshipEtc.).
The birth certificate is not only an important document for the individual, it is also essential for the establishment of the majority of the administrative documents required in France.
