Do I ask the DEC for a certificate or a copy of an act?
Ask for the copie d’acte de naissance, the full register entry. From outside Canada it is about CA$64 by mail and about 90 days to a US address.
The DEC issues several documents, and the short certificate is not the right one. The full copie d’acte de naissance shows the whole register entry.
IRCC does not accept Québec birth or marriage certificates issued before January 1, 1994, so an old certificate from a family drawer will not do. Order a fresh copy.
Québec birth, last 100 years
- Who has it
- Directeur de l’état civil (Québec)
- What to ask for
- Copie d’acte de naissance (the full register entry, not the short certificate)
- What it costs
- About CA$64 by mail. No surcharge for non-residents.
- How long
- About 90 days to a US address.
The full guides
More questions
- BAnQ or DEC: which one has my ancestor’s birth record?
- Is my FamilySearch copy enough, or do I need a certified one?
- My ancestor was born before civil registration. Where is the birth record?
- Born in Ontario in 1919 or 1920: which office has the birth record?
- My order is taking months. Did I order the right thing?
- What if my ancestor’s birth record does not exist or was never archived?
Fees and times are approximate, checked against official pages on 2026-10-01. Confirm with each office before ordering. Legal questions go to a licensed Canadian lawyer or consultant.