The Moroccan family booklet (livret de famille) is issued exclusively to the husband by the civil status officer of his place of birth. After loss, theft or damage, a duplicate is possible; the wife, a divorcee or an authorised agent can get a certified true copy. Births abroad are recorded at the consulate. Information checked on 21 October 2026 on consulat.ma.
Costs & fees
| Issue of the family booklet | Not stated on consulat.ma: check with the office concerned or the consulate | Two recent colour photos of the husband (3.5 x 4.5 cm) are required. |
| Duplicate of the family booklet | Not stated on consulat.ma: check with the office concerned or the consulate | The fee page that consulat.ma links to could not be opened on 21 October 2026. |
| Certified true copy of the booklet | Not stated on consulat.ma: check with the office concerned or the consulate | No amount is given here because no official source could be opened. |
| Birth recording at the consulate | Set by the consulate: check on consulat.ma | Chancery fees follow the consular tariff in force. |
Timeline
Understand who receives the booklet
The family booklet is an official document proving family ties. It is written in Arabic, with a Latin-script transcription of first names, surnames, places of birth and the parents' names. The husband requests it when he marries, so that the children's births can be entered in it. According to consulat.ma, it is issued exclusively to the Moroccan husband registered in the civil status system, by the civil status officer of his place of birth. It must then be shown to the civil status officer for any change.
⚠️ Warning: The booklet is issued exclusively to the husband; a wife or divorcee goes through the certified true copy (step 5).
Gather the documents for a first issue
The consulat.ma list includes: the family booklet application, completed and signed; a copy of the applicant's CNIE; a copy of the wife's identity document; the original and a photocopy of the adoulary or recognised civil marriage certificate; for the husband, the full copy or extract of his birth certificate; and two recent colour photos of the husband, 3.5 x 4.5 cm. For a Moroccan wife, the full copy of her birth certificate is required, not the extract. For a foreign wife, a full copy showing parentage (father's and mother's names), with an Arabic translation.
File with the right civil status office
The application goes straight to the civil status office of the applicant's place of birth, in Morocco or abroad. If the applicant was born abroad and has settled permanently in Morocco, the civil status officer of his place of residence also has jurisdiction. An agent can file the application and collect the booklet at the office of the place of birth, on presentation of a legalised power of attorney. Diplomatic and consular agents also draw up the family booklets of Moroccans born within their district.
Ask for a duplicate after loss, theft or damage
The duplicate is requested from the civil status officer who issued the booklet. The documents to attach are: the legalised declaration of loss, theft or damage; the CNIE; the children's earlier birth certificates, where relevant; and a copy of the lost, stolen or damaged booklet, if one exists. The form is the "Demande de duplicata du livret de famille". The file is lodged directly with the office that drew up the original booklet, or by an agent holding a legalised power of attorney. Where there are no family ties, it is sent to the civil status officer by the consular services of the place of residence.
Obtain a certified true copy
The wife, a divorced woman or the legal agent are entitled to a certified true copy, issued by the civil status officer of the office that drew up the original booklet. The documents are: the Moroccan applicant's CNIE, or the foreign wife's identity document; the original marriage or divorce certificate; the husband's death certificate in case of death; the full copy of the booklet holder's birth certificate; the children's full birth copies where relevant; and a sworn statement that the applicant does not hold the original booklet and has never received a copy. The procedure follows that of the duplicate.
Have a child's birth abroad recorded
Consular services draw up the civil status records of Moroccans living abroad, including the recording of foreign birth and death certificates. The birth is recorded with the consular service covering the place of birth. It is requested, in this order, by the father or mother, the testamentary guardian, a brother, a nephew, or any duly authorised person. For a child of a Moroccan father, consulat.ma asks in particular for the parents' consular registrations if they live in the district, and the family booklet or the identity and civil status booklet, or an undertaking to produce it. The full list is on the consulate's page.
💡 Tip: To enter a birth in the booklet afterwards, contact the civil status offices that made the original entries.
Request supplementary birth certificates
A full copy and an extract of a birth certificate are issued to the holder, ascendants, descendants, the spouse, the guardian, the testamentary or court-appointed guardian, or any authorised person, by the civil status officer of the place of declaration or recording. The file contains the family booklet, or an earlier extract, or an earlier full copy, or the place, number and year of the record, with an identity document. People born in Morocco can request their birth certificates on www.watiqa.ma and receive them at home.
💡 Tip: See also: /en/guides/moroccan-birth-certificate-from-abroad.
In depth
The family booklet differs from birth certificates by its function: it brings together a couple's family ties and carries the entries for the children. Consulat.ma describes it as a document written in Arabic, with a Latin transcription of first names, surnames, places of birth and parents' names. The husband requests it when he marries, from the civil status officer of his place of birth. If he was born abroad and has settled permanently in Morocco, the office of his place of residence also has jurisdiction. Any change goes through the civil status officer, to whom the booklet must be shown.
The marriage must be proven by an adoulary or recognised civil certificate, original and photocopy. For a foreign wife, the records are provided as full copies showing parentage, translated into Arabic. For the duplicate, the declaration of loss, theft or damage must be legalised. For the certified true copy, the marriage or divorce certificate is required, and the husband's death certificate is added in case of death. In both cases a file can go through the consulate of the place of residence where there are no family ties.
For children born abroad, the birth is recorded with the consulate. The competent consulate is the one covering the place of birth, and the request is made, in order, by the father or mother, the testamentary guardian, a brother, a nephew, or an agent. Entering the child in the booklet then falls to the civil status offices that made the original entries.
❌ Common mistakes to avoid
- ✕The family booklet is issued exclusively to the husband: the wife, a divorced woman or the legal agent are entitled to a certified true copy.
- ✕For a Moroccan wife, the booklet file requires the full copy of her birth certificate, not the extract.
- ✕For a foreign wife, the full copy must show parentage (father's and mother's names) and come with an Arabic translation.
- ✕The certified true copy requires a sworn statement: the applicant does not hold the original booklet and has never received a copy.
- ✕An agent must present a legalised power of attorney to file the application or collect the booklet.
🔗 Official links and resources
Issue of the family booklet (consulat.ma)
Who receives it, documents and filing.
Family booklet duplicate (consulat.ma)
Documents and procedure after loss, theft or damage.
Certified true copy of the family booklet (consulat.ma)
Copy for the wife, divorcee or agent.
Birth recording (consulat.ma)
Who may request the recording and which documents to provide.
Watiqa: birth certificates online
Site cited by consulat.ma for people born in Morocco.
LesMRE guide: Moroccan birth certificate from abroad
Full copy and extract, step by step.
❓ Frequently asked questions
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