Getting a certificate of life in France
If you are a Dutch national living in France and need to have a pre-printed certificate of life signed and stamped. Or you need the embassy to draw up a certificate of life for you. Find out below how to proceed.
Step 1 : Gather the documents that you need
You will need the following documents in order to have a certificate of life drawn up or signed and stamped:
- A valid Dutch passport or Dutch identity card.
- Proof of address. This can be proof of registration with your municipality, for example. If this is not available in your country, you can instead provide a bank statement or utility bill from the past month bearing your name and address, or a rental contract bearing your name and address.
- Official proof of your civil status issued by a government body in the Netherlands or elsewhere. This can be your marriage certificate, your divorce certificate or your spouse's death certificate, for example. It cannot be a self-declaration or a document drawn up by a notary.
Step 2: Make an appointment
Below you will find where and how you can get a certificate of life:
You can have your pre-printed certificate signed and stamped or drawn up by the embassy in Paris.
You can have your certificate signed and stamped at the office of your local municipality. Check if you need (to make) an appointment.
Please note: Not every local authority does this for foreign residents.
Step 3: Check whether you need to pay
You don't always need to pay for a certificate of life. Select where you want to have the certificate signed and stamped or drawn up to find out what applies in your situation:
- You can have a pre-printed certificate of life signed and stamped for free at the embassy.
- Having the embassy draw up a certificate of life costs €30.
Check with your local municipality to see if they will sign and stamp the declaration and how much you will have to pay.
See the overview of consular fees in France for information on how you can pay.
Step 4: Receive the certificate
Select your situation to find out how long it will take before you receive the certificate and in what language you will receive the certificate.
- The embassy will sign and stamp the certificate while you wait.
- If you want to have the local authorities sign and stamp the certificate, ask them how long it will take.
Having a certificate of life signed and stamped by the embassy takes between 1 and 2 working days. Check when you can collect your document from the embassy. Or ask when you are there.
What language will the certificate be in?
You will receive a multilingual standard form in Dutch, English, French and German.
If you need the certificate in another language, you will need to have it translated by a sworn translator. Ask the organisation requesting the certificate whether you need to have the certificate and/or the translation legalised.
Contact
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.