What do French authorities mean by a ‘recent’ birth certificate?

Reader Question: I have been asked multiple times to provide a ‘recent’ birth certificate in France. What does this mean? The information has not changed from when I was born.

This confusion arises because in France, important family documents (notably birth and marriage certificates) are updated from time to time to include information about new events such as the birth of children, a marriage etc. 

So, authorities ask for a ‘recent’ version of the document to have access to the most accurate information to help with the administrative task in question.

Comparatively, birth certificates in other countries such as the UK and US are static, with no additional information being added to them. 

Carefully check what is required 

French authorities are now mostly aware of these differences, and in most cases if the document is originally not from France, you will likely not need to provide a ‘recent’ version. 

This is the case for most applications with the exception of French national ID cards or passports (documents provided as part of the application must be less than three months old), or certain pension services. 

When getting married or Pacsed (a civil partnership) in France, you may be asked to provide recent documents no less than three or six months old. 

However for marriages, if the documents needed are provided from a country that does not issue updates to birth certificates, this is not required. 

Be aware that authorities may want a ‘long form’ version of your birth certificate, which contains information about both you and your parents as opposed to solely yourself. 

Read more: What are ‘long’ birth certificates French authorities ask for?

French birth certificates also come in long (copie intégrale) and short (extrait) versions.

If in doubt, providing a ‘long’ version is best as this contains the maximum amount of information. 

Authorised translations

Remember that in many cases when you are asked for an official document such as your birth certificate, it must also be translated into French, though this should not be the case for social security formalities. 

In France, if you do need an official translation, this must be done by a sworn translator (traducteur assermenté), attached to a court. You can find lists on this page.

Alternatively, you can search online, however, do make sure you confirm they are approved before paying them to translate the documents. 

Read more: Which documents require an official translator in France?

Read more: Do Britons have a right to a translator in a French court?