Automatic delivery of the family record book at the wedding

Verified 27 October 2023 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Are you going to get married and want to know the rules for issuing the family record book? They differ according to whether the marriage takes place in France or abroad. We'll give you the information you need to remember.

Marriage in France

A family record book shall be issued automatically if the marriage takes place in France, irrespective of the nationality of the spouses.

The family record book is then given to the spouses, at the end of the ceremony, by the registrar of the marriage municipality.

FYI  

if the spouses have children in common at the time of marriage, the family record given to the birth of the first child shall be supplemented by their marriage certificate.

The family record book, given at the wedding, contains the following elements:

  • Extract from the marriage certificate of the spouses
  • Information on family law (marriage, parentage, adoption, parental authority,...)

Yes, the family record given at the wedding is free.

Any modification related to the civil status of the persons registered in the booklet (separation, birth, adoption, divorce, death, change of sex,...) must be subject to a updating.

Marriage abroad

No, in that case, the family record book is not automatically provided.

If the wedding is celebrated abroad and that one of the spouses is French nationality, the latter must ask transcription of the foreigners marriage certificate to obtain a family record.

The transcript is to be requested from the Central Civil Registry Service of Nantes.

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

The family booklet shall contain the following elements:

  • Extract from the marriage certificate of the spouses
  • Information on family law (marriage, parentage, adoption, parental authority,...)

Yes, the first family book given to the spouses is free.

Any modification related to the civil status of the persons registered in the booklet (separation, birth, adoption, divorce, death, change of sex,...) must be subject to a updating.

Who can help me?

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