Get a birth, marriage or death certificate in Belgium

The municipal civil registry issues them, often online

Civil status certificates come from the civil registry (burgerlijke stand in Dutch, état civil in French) of a Belgian municipality. Choose a short extract with the current details or a full copy that also shows later changes, whichever the organisation asking for it requires. You can usually order your own and your close family’s, and some towns let you order online with your electronic ID. For use outside Belgium, ask whether a multilingual version or legalisation is needed.

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How it works

Get a birth, marriage or death certificate

Order an official birth, marriage or death certificate from the civil registry.

You may need a birth, marriage or death certificate for a residence application, a wedding, an inheritance or a name change. It is usually issued by the civil registry where the event was recorded, not where you live now. Check whether the recipient needs a full copy, a short extract or a multilingual version, and whether it must be legalised or carry an apostille for use abroad. Many registries accept orders online or by post.

Also searched as

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At a glance

Offices
66 offices in 31 cities
Book online
At 15 of 66 offices
Apply online
At 42 of 66 offices

Walk-in, online or booked visit, depending on the town

Where to request a civil status certificate

Many civil registry desks accept online requests with your electronic ID, while some serve visitors only by booking and others without an appointment. An extract is a short summary of the entry and a full copy includes any later changes, so say which one you need.

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For anyone who has moved house in Belgium. See who reports, what happens after the address check and which office handles it in your new town.

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See who can apply, what is different for children and how to prepare, then find the municipal office that handles passports.

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Other countries

The same task in other countries

Moving on, or comparing before you decide? See how this works elsewhere.

Where to next

Civil status offices in Belgium by city

Civil registry counters for extracts and full copies, from walk-in desks to booked-only visits, town by town.

Civil registry offices in Belgium

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