One of the most common questions that I receive from the expat community is about their parents’ birth certificates. People applying for French nationality have to submit the birth certificates of their parents. Often, their certificates are not available or have a few errors.
So, this article explains the common details to be added in an affidavit with an actual example. You can add the applicable details on an Indian stamp paper and get it signed from a notary public in your city.
Any errors in your own birth certificate too can be supported by an affidavit. Some of the common errors are spelling mistakes, initials, name change, name not matching the passport, etc. However, it is highly recommended to update the original birth certificate and remove these errors. Many states provide an online facility for this process.
You can find the example template below.
Good to know:
- This affidavit should be apostilled and then translated to French.
- It is highly recommneded to attach an Attestation sur l’honneur along with the affidavit. It is a self attestation that the contents of the affidavit are true and correct to the best of your knowledge and belief and nothing has been concealed therein.
- Its good to make a general purpose affidavit with all the details, so the same document can be used for multiple purposes such as Social Security Number, CAF, Resident permit, French nationality, etc.
Affidavit (Example Template)
I, Mr/Mrs/Ms. Full Name, an Indian citizen holding Indian passport number xxxxxxxx. I further state that I am giving the particulars of my Date of Birth, Parents’ name/surname and their date/place of births.
- Self : your First Name LAST NAME
- Date of Birth : xx-xx-xxxx
- Place of Birth : City, State
- Father’s Name : First Name LAST NAME
- Father’s Date of Birth : xx-xx-xxxx
- Father’s Place of Birth : City, State
- Father’s Date of Death : xx-xx-xxxx (if applicable)
- Father’s Passport Number : xxxxxxxx (if applicable)
- Mother’s Name : First Name LAST NAME
- Mother’s Date of Birth : xx-xx-xxxx
- Mother’s Place of Birth : City, State
- Mother’s Date of Death : xx-xx-xxxx (if applicable)
- Mother’s Passport Number : xxxxxxxx (if applicable)
I further state that my parents were married on xx-xx-xxxx. The following documents (whichever applicable) such as Father’s / Mother’s High secondary school/High school marksheet, marriage certificate, death certificate, legal heir certificate, passport have been attached as the concerned proofs along with this affidavit.
This affidavit is to be produced before the concerned authorities in Republic of France for the purpose of xxxxxxxxx.
I further state the above said particulars are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.
Verification
Verified that the contents of the above affidavit are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief and nothing has been concealed therein.
Date : (Seal & Signature of Notary Public)
Place :
An example affidavit
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Hello,
I am residing in France for about a decade and want to apply for French Citizen citizenship. My parents do not have a birth certificate. The model affidavit which you have provided is enough to apply or will the french authorities would demand for separate birth certificates of parents together with their marriage certificate. My father is expired. Please let me know. Thanks
Hello,
The apostilled affidavit will work.
Hello Prasanth, thanks for sharing the affidavit sample and link. I have made affidavit in name of my mother as attached herewith. Would this work? Also I should get this apostille with district and state and the. MEA authorities?
Hello Himanshu,
As explained via email, have a single affidavit for the BC & MC of both the parents.
Yes, the affidavits must be apostilled with state and central govt attestations.
Hi Prasanth, thanks so much for sharing this helpful link. I just have a few questions
1.My parents only have passports and no MC, school certificates, marksheets. Hence can i just say I am attaching passport as proof?
2.Since I am sworning this affidavit, should I sign on the 1st and 2nd page and if yes where?
3.Towards the end, where there is date and place, under place should I put France (where I reside) or place in India where my parents reside?
Thanks so much,
Sonal
Hello Sonal,
1. No, a passport is not considered as proof of DoB. You can attach the passport as supporting docs to the affidavit, in the absence of birth and marriage certificates.
2.Sign in all the pages at the bottom just like signing any contract or agreement. Nothing special.
3. Please check the example affidavit.
Hi Prasanth! Thanks a lot for this, I think it helps loads of Indians in a similar predicament due to lack of supporting documents.
In my case, apart from a lack of my parents’ birth and marriage certificates, my birth certificate (that I got apostilled and translated into French to move to France) also has a minor spelling error (a space in my surname). Is it enough to just write the correct full name as in the template above, or is something else needed too? Additionally, I will be asking my father to write the affidavit from his point of view so he can get it notarized and apostilled until I can visit India.
Thanks a lot!
Hello Sarthak,
Thanks for your feedback.
Personally, I would go with correcting the Birth certificate to match the passport. If not you can go for an affidavit but it must be done by you and not your father.
I hope you are doing good. I wanted to ask you my mama papa both died mama died in 2000 and papa in 2014 for papa I have death certificate. But for my muma I don’t have any certificate, and as I don’t have any brother sister I don’t know where to ask in this case what can be done?
Get one affidavit for both the parents as explained in the article. It must be done in India via a local Notary public (lawyer).
Hello! Thanks a lot for the article, it has been a lifesaver for those of us who don’t have the necessary documents. One thing I’m not unsure about that I’m hoping you could clarify for me please – in my case, the missing docs are both my parents’ birth certificates. So I have prepared 2 affidavits, one for each parent, attaching High School marksheets, marriage certificate and passports.
1. Is this the right way of going about it? 2. do these supporting documents also need to be apostilled and translated into French, the same way as the affidavit itself?
Thanks.
Hello Avantika,
As explained in the example, one affidavit containing the details of your parents is enough. Don’t have to do it separately for each parent.
Only the affidavit is required to be apostilled and translated into French.
Hi Prasanth, thanks for sample affidavit.
My parents name in their passport and their name in my all documents have a little mismatch. For example my mother name in her passport is Seema Devi BANDWAL but in my documents her name is Seema BANDWAL.
What do you suggest in this situation?
Thanks
Hello Yashwant,
Either update her passport or get an affidavit that both the names belong to the same person
Hi Prasanth ,
In my birth certificate name is printed as ” XXXX Y” . Last name is an initial.
Whereas passport has full name like ” XXX YYY” with expansion of last name.
Will an affidavit in the similar format above be sufficient?
Is one and the same name affidavit sufficient ?
Thanks
Hello,
Yes, you can submit such an affidavit. If it is good enough, the administration will et back to you.
Thanks Prashanth, could you please clarify my below questions
1. Both my father and mother dont have birth certiciates and marriage certificate. Should i get one affidavit for both their birth certificate and marrige certificate?
2. Should i personally visit India to get this affidavit?
Thanks
Hello Naga,
1. The affidavit clearly explains this part. If not, I would have mentioned 2 separate affidavits.
2 Ideally, yes. If it not possible, you can ask your parents to do it.
Cheers
Prasanth
Prasanth – thank you so much for this incredible advice. I have been lost trying to figure out how to obtain legal proof of my parents’ births as they were born in the 40s/50s and no such birth certificates exist. I’m heading to India this week and will follow your advice. Merci beaucoup!
Hello Lisa,
Cool. Let me know how it goes.
Cheers.
Hi Prashanth,
Thanks for sharing the information to others. I have question,
I want to apply passport for my mother who has no birth certificate. But the date on Aadhar card and Pan Card are different. What do you suggest to get the birth date on affidavit.[Aadhars date is correct though]
Or in general what do you suggest in such case.
Thanks in advance.
Hello Manasa,
If aadhaar card details are correct, then it will not be a problem for the Passport application. Pan card should be corrected but it is not relevant for Passport application.
This is really helpful, Thank you Prasanth.
1)Can you suggest some options where this affidavit can be appostiled and translated.
2My fathers name is different in my birth certificate and death certificate(this has correct name), I will attach his death certificate as proof to the affidavit, will this work?
3)With regards to my own birth certificate, When I came to France in 2018, I did appostile my birth certificate, will it work or it has to be done again?
1. Regarding Apostille & Translation, please check my detailed explanations in https://prasanthragupathy.com/2024/09/apostille-process-of-indian-birth-and-marriage-certificates/
2. Yes. You can attach his death certificate too as proof.
3. It’s good enough. Not required to Apostille your BC again.
Hi Prasanth,
First of all thanks for creating this blog. This is really simple and easy to follow through the process. I have filled all the informations in the affidavit format as you have mentioned in the screen shot according to my situation. I just wanted to clarify with you do I need to get seperate affidavits for my Parents Birth certificate and Marriage certificate?
And can you share me the link where I can get done the apostille services with resonable price in India.
Thanks in advance Bro,
Hello Sheik Mohideen Shahul hameed,
One affidavit with all the details is good enough. Exactly, why the affidavit example lists all the details in the same document.
Cheers,
Prasanth
Regarding the apostille, check my detailed explanations in https://prasanthragupathy.com/2024/09/apostille-process-of-indian-birth-and-marriage-certificates/
Cheers,
Prasanth
Hello @prasanth,
Thanks for this amazing blog, which makes so many people’s lives easier. Unfortunately, I am also in the same boat, but with multiple complications or errors in one birth certificate, as specified below:
1) My birth certificate has only my Initial mentioned on the surname, compared to my passport and the rest of my French documents where full surname is given
2)My father’s first name on my birth certificate has a slight spelling mistake where it has one letter missing “h” compared to my passport, and that has an additional “h”
3) My Father’s surname on my birth certificate is his initial like “First Name” “X” “Y” and in my passport, it is “First Name” “XXXX” “YYYY” different from his birth certificate/passport where it is “First Name” “XXXX”.
So, will a single affidavit clarifying all these minor/major errors and explaining that it’s all the same person will work in my situation or should I do it any differently?
Hello Anvee,
1. The best solution is updating your birth certificate and apostilling it. Other options are obtaining a concordance certificate from Indian Embassy, affidavit from India, etc.
2 & 3. Yes, a single affidavit will do.
Cheers,
Prasanth
Ok, perfect, Prasant. Thanks a lot for your response, much appreciated!
Hello,
First of all, many thanks for this forum!
I’m falling under the same category, I don’t have my parents BC and marriage certificate. My question is more on the template of the document – as per your template it is addressed as you are describing the situation (with your parents details). Should it be this way or can the parents address their situation themselves (for instance like my parents are writing this document & signing it).
I guess if it has to be addressed & signed by me, then I’ll have to go to India to have this one done?
Kind regards,
Hello Madhu,
Yes, your parents can do it by themselves too because the affidavit is actually about their personal details. So, its done either by you or your parents and the affidavit text must be drafted according to it.
Cheers,
Prasanth
Hello Prasanth,
Thank you for this informative blog; it has been really helpful!
I have read through the comments and your responses.
In my birth certificate, my name is mentioned as XXX.Y, whereas in my passport, it is XXX YYY. I am in the process of obtaining an affidavit for this correction.
Additionally, for my parents’ birth certificates, marriage certificate, I am also arranging affidavits,(similar to the example you provided.) and they do not have supporting documents,
I have a few questions regarding the process:
1. Will Aadhaar card be accepted as a supporting document? If not, what other documents can I submit?
2. Should my birth certificate affidavit and my parents’ birth affidavits be separate, or can they be combined?
I appreciate your time and guidance. Looking forward to your response!
Thanks and regards
Harshitha
Hello Harshitha,
Let me put it this way. If I was in your situation,
1. For issues in my BC: I will try to correct it, get a new BC, apostille it and translate. If this is not practically, I will try to obtain a concordance certificate from Embassy of India in Paris.
2. For my parents’ missing BC and/or MC: I will obtain a affidavit as explained in the article.
Other supporting documents from Parents are not mandatory. If they have a Passport, you can attach photocopies because it is an internationally accepted document. But, docs such as Aadhaar card, Voter ID, etc do not belong to this category.
Cheers,
Prasanth
Thanks for the quick response Prasanth
Hello Prasanth,
As per your guidance, I have obtained a Concordance Certificate from the Embassy of India in Paris for the issue in my BC. Additionally, for my parents’ missing Birth Certificate and/or Marriage Certificate, I have obtained an affidavit with a Notary seal and signature.
I now have a doubt—do I need to get the affidavit Apostilled as well?
Thank you 🙂
Hello, The article above explicitly mentions that affidavits must be apostilled too.
Some do & some don’t. So, it’s your choice to do it or not.
Cheers,
Prasanth
Dear Mr. Prasanth,
I am planning to apply for a family reunion visa for my wife to Germany. One of the mandatory documents for the application is her 10th standard mark sheet including her date of birth in it. However, there is a discrepancy in her date of birth across her educational documents (10th, 12th, and Degree mark sheets show 25.06.1992) and her passport and birth certificate (which show 25.08.1992).
In this situation, should I submit an affidavit stating the correct date of birth as mentioned in her passport and birth certificate? I believe it will be challenging to change the date of birth in her educational documents.
I would appreciate your advice on this matter.
Kind regards
Hello Ram,
For Germany, please check with the local German Embassy/Consulate in India or France. I can answer about requirements and solution for France.
Cheers,
Prasanth
Hi Prasanth,
Thanks once again for your efforts.
In my Indian marriage certificate, only initials instead of family name were used for myself and my wife. If I remember well, they told they can only add initials. Moreover, only central govt apostille stamping is present at its back. So far, it was enough for all her French administrative purposes.
What should I do in this case in order to have proper document for Naturalization?
Thanks in advance.
Regards,
Raj
Hello Raj,
For the initial issue, you can either try to update the marriage certificate by expanding the initials or obtain a Certificat de concordance from Indian Embassy (issued to justify discrepancy between name on passport and Indian civil documents).
For the apostille issue, a State govt attestation and a Central govt apostille sticker are mandatory. Please refer to my detailed article Apostille Process of Indian Birth and Marriage Certificates https://prasanthragupathy.com/2024/09/apostille-process-of-indian-birth-and-marriage-certificates/
A social security application and a naturalisation application cannot be compared. Its your application and so your choice about submitting a complete or incomplete application.
Cheers,
Prasanth
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Hi Prasanth,
Thanks for your reply.
For the MC, if they cannot expand our initials in a new MC, then, I need to get 2 individual certificat de concordance for myself and also my wife from Indian Embassy, Paris, right ?
I checked your article “Apostille Process of Indian Birth and Marriage Certificates”. I understand that I need to get a state govt seal first before the central govt apostille. In my case, I just have the central govt apostille and not the state govt seal as mentioned before.
Do you think is it even possible to have the state govt seal on the same MC having the central govt apostille already? Moreover even if it is possible, I am worried whether the years difference between these 2 seals can create problems with the French authorities!
Regards,
Raj
Hello Raj,
The initials in Marriage Certificate may not be a problem for most procedures. But for naturalisation, please obtain a concordance certificate from the Embassy. Ideally, one application per applicant of naturalisation.
You should check with your state secretariat about it. They might do it on the existing doc or ask you to redo the complete apostille process.
Regarding France, apostilled Indian docs don’t have any expiry dates. So, different dates may not be a problem.
Cheers,
Prasanth
Hello,
I am planning to give this affidavit as my parents birth certificates are not available with their passport copy and marriage certificates. However, in my birth certificate, parents first name is included , not the last names. But in my passport and their passport, they have their first name and last names.
In this affidavit by including
name of father : full name , (also referred as ‘first name’)
name of mother : full name , (also referred as ‘first name’)
Will it work?. or should i get a certificate stating person with ‘first name’ and ‘fist name last name’ are one person ?
As the birth certificates and school certificates of my parents are missing, i am unable to change my birth certificate. Thank you for responding
Hello Isabel,
In the affidavit, always include the parents full name (First name + Last name). Yes, you can also mention that person with ‘first name’ and ‘first name last name’ are one person.
Cheers,
Prasanth
Thank you very much for replying.
The main issue i am facing is parents first name is included in my birth certificate, not the last names. So along with my birth certificate, attaching the affidavit would be the solution?
or shpuld i get a seperate affidavit mentioning person with ‘first name’ and ‘first name last name’ are one person ?
Thank you very much
Feel free to scroll the previous comments above. The same question was asked and answered.