How much a certificate costs in France
France practises a rare principle: civil status is a free public service. No fee for the copie intégrale, none for the extrait, none for the online request. The France→Brazil corridor's bill is made entirely of the edges — which is why it is one of Europe's most predictable.
What is free
- The issuance of any acte (naissance, mariage, décès), in any format.
- The online request via service-public.fr — and the mairie's plain postal delivery.
- Browsing the digitised old records at the Archives Départementales.
What costs
Typical figures:
- Apostille: depends on the current competent authority — from free to tens of euros; confirm at the time, the French model changed recently.
- France→Brazil shipping with tracking: ~€15 (lettre recommandée) to €50-80 (courier).
- Sworn translation in Brazil: the dominant share — a few hundred reais for a copie intégrale.
- A certified copy of an archive record (old ones): small reproduction fees, per department.
- Local help, if hired: the mission's value + King Hands' 20%.
A sample bill
Copie intégrale (free) + apostille + courier (~€60) + sworn translation in Brazil: the total sits around the cost of the translation plus transport. It is the corridor where the maths most favours solving from afar — and where the local mission, when needed, is among the shortest: apostille and post.
Frequently asked questions
Does the mairie charge for international delivery?+
Plain delivery is usually free. For tracking (recommended for proceeding documents), the path is receiving it in France and re-shipping registered or by courier.
Are sites that charge to 'issue' a French acte a scam?+
They are intermediaries charging for a free service — at best. Always request via service-public.fr or directly from the mairie; if someone is to earn from the convenience, let it be someone you chose and who answers to you.
Informative content about request procedures. We do not cover citizenship or visa eligibility. Rules and amounts may change; always confirm before acting.