Procedure

Any French citizen getting married outside of France, under local authorities, can register his/her marriage at the French Vital Statistics through the French Consulate of its district. Once the registration is completed, a Livret de Famille (Family Record Book) will be issued by the Consulate.

If the marriage between two French citizens or between one French citizen and a foreigner, takes place in British-Columbia, Alberta, Yukon or North-West Territories, you can register it at the French Consulate in Vancouver with the following documents. The documents that are not Canadian have to be translated in French.

Documents required

Certified photocopy of marriage registration : in order to get this document, you need to contact Canadian Vital Statistics of your province. This is the sole document, once signed by the Director of Canadian Vital Statistics, that can be used to register a marriage. Small or large types, extracts, plastified certificates... can not be used for the registration.

 

Copy of the marriage certificate

 

Certified photocopy of the French spouse birth certificate . This birth certificate should have been issued over the last 6 months.

 

Certified photocopy of the foreign spouse birth certificate. In order to get this document for a Canadian spouse, you need to contact Canadian Vital Statistics of his/her province.

 

The proof of French nationality (only if the person is not registered at the Consulate of Vancouver) : certificate of French nationality or French National ID Card.

NB : the passport is a travel document and this is not relevant as proof of nationality.

 

If there was a prior marriage, you need to show a proof of divorce : you can send the decree absolute of the divorce or a civil status document mentioning the divorce.

 

If the prior spouse died, you need to show a proof of death : you can send the death certificate of the spouse or a civil status document mentioning the death.

 

Documents (originals) sent for the registration will be kept by the Consulate.

Time process

The registration is done immediately and the Livret de Famille (Family Record Book) will be issued the same day.

Fees

The marriage registration is free of charge from the French administration. However, you will need to pay some fees to the canadian provincial administration. To find out the exact amount, please contact Canadian Vital Statistics directly.