How to obtain civil status documents in Quebec – On several occasions in a lifetime, we need to provide civil status documents. To request a certificate or a copy of a marriage or civil union act, a birth certificate or act, or a death certificate, you must contact the Directeur de l’état civil.
How to obtain civil status documents – Prerequisites for a marriage or civil union certificate
To receive your marriage or civil union certificate or a copy, the marriage must first be registered in the Quebec Civil Status Register. It is up to the celebrant, for example your notary or any other authorized celebrant /officiant who conducted your wedding ceremony, who is responsible for this task, once the ceremony is over and the forms have been signed. It is only after a few weeks that you can apply for your marriage certificate.
For all civil documents
To request your birth, marriage or death certificate online, submit your request through DEClic!. You can do this in four quite simple steps:
- Select a form
- Have your identity authenticated by .
- Fill the form and order your documents.
- Pay online.
Please note that a request for a certificate and a copy of an act made online cannot be modified or cancelled.
If, however, for one of the following reasons: you do not have Internet access; you do not have or cannot obtain a clicSÉQUR ID; or if you would like assistance in completing the application, you can do so at a DEClic! Comptoir or send your request by mail.
DEClic! Comptoir offers the following advantages: obtaining your documents at a lower cost, at the same rate as a request made over the Internet; benefit from the accompaniment of an agent and it also eliminates the delay associated with sending your application by mail.
To use this service, you must:
- be mentioned in the act covered by the requested document or present a document justifying the reason for your request.
- present a valid identity document with photo and a valid proof of residence. It is preferable to present your original documents and not photocopies.
Rates and delays
The rates vary according to the processing time, normal or accelerated and the means of transmission of the request. Expedited processing is three (30 business days, compared to regular processing ten (10) business days and is therefore more expensive. If you apply by post, it is also more expensive than via the internet.
Please refer to the following table for up-to-date rates. Depending on the need, the urgency and the means used to make your request, you will pay between $33.75 and $76.75 for a certificate or a copy of an act.
Finally, note that to receive your document abroad, it is important to check with Canada Post if the postal service is suspended for the international destination concerned, during the pandemic crisis.
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