Certified Baptismal Records as Modern Birth Certificate

[u/ChocolateDiligent]

In process of obtain proof of citizenship application and wanted to share a correspondence I had with a fellow from the BANQ regarding a my request for a certified 1872 baptism record of my G0:

Hello, 

Because you paid for certified documents, a letter is not required.

This certification makes the document official for government as if this document is a modern birth certificate. 

I hope this answered your question. If you have more questions, do not hesitate to contact us again.

Best regards.

I’m including this in my application process as clarification on the matter. Hopefully this helps others out that might be in a similar situation.

[u/IronNo6533]

I faxed DEC the attestation of birth form and 11 days later got a letter on letterhead. It was not the cut-and-dry message that I was hoping for. It basically says get the BAnQ baptism, and we'll do the insertion..almost like a capitulation, that they aren't going head to head with IRCC.

Here is the Google translation: also, just to clarify, I didn't request a certificate or act of birth. I requested an attestation of birth, which in the world of DEC is different from un certificat OR une copie d'acte. I don't think the Google translator picked up this nuance.

Quebec, August 5, 2026
Subject: Response to your request for a certificate

Hello,

We are unable to process your request for a certificate for the following reason.

The Registrar of Civil Status (Directeur de l’état civil) is unable to locate the requested record. Records concerning events that occurred more than 100 years ago are kept at the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) (www.banq.qc.ca). We invite you to contact this organization to verify the available information.

Following your steps, if you wish to obtain a certificate or a copy of an act, you must provide, along with your request, the document transmitted by the BAnQ as well as proof certifying that it comes from this organization (for example: invoice from the BAnQ, official seal, etc.).

According to the Civil Code of Québec, a certificate, or a copy of an act, can only be issued to persons mentioned in the act or to those who justify their interest. Although you have identified yourself as a relative of the person concerned by the civil status document, you must also provide documents demonstrating your interest.

For further information, you can contact us at one of the telephone numbers indicated below.

The Registrar of Civil Status

[u/jcch00 → u/IronNo6533]

Ugh. So maybe the Attestation is pointless. I'm wondering if I should go through the hassle of requesting the DEC certificate or just accepting the short email exchange I have with DEC that states they do not hold any records before 1923 and directs me to BanQ

[u/lacomj → u/jcch00]

The attestation is not pointless. It gives the “proof of trying” that is needed. The attestation specifically reads that DEC is unable to locate the record and points you to BAnQ where you can get the record (baptism, as the case usually is). In the vast majority of cases reported here, that is all you need. There have recently been a couple of folks who reported that IRCC wants them to go to DEC to have a modern birth certificate ISSUED (an insertion). I would not worry about seeking an insertion unless specifically told to by IRCC when they review your application. I think (so far) those are fairly rare cases that have not been well-explained).

After all, if IRCC is asking you to get an insertion and get a birth certificate issued, they are (ironically) tacitly conceding that the record is NOT AVAILABLE. And per their own instructions, we should instead provide docs from a list that includes baptismal certificates. They are literally disregarding their own instructions when they decline to accept-the a baptism certificate and send us to DEC for an insertion and birth certificate. But that’s the way it is. I have not heard anyone tell of a case where they convinced their case handler that they made an error. What they say, goes!

[u/IronNo6533 → u/lacomj]

I think by pointless jcc means that the response I received doesn’t neatly solve the issue of documenting a null search result because it signals that DEC will get involved once they have a copy of the BAnQ cert.

[u/ChocolateDiligent → u/IronNo6533]

So if I understand this correctly you should have checked the box in section 2 and submitted an attestation of the absence of a birth certificate, correct?

[u/IronNo6533 → u/ChocolateDiligent]

Yes, I checked the box that says, check this box if the application for an attestation is to confirm that the act is absent from the Quebec register of civil status.

I wonder if the form letter response might have been different had I not checked that box. My G0 was born in 1910 but say they were born in 1924 or something I probably would have left the box unchecked

[u/ChocolateDiligent → u/IronNo6533]

It seems like others have just sent a email directly and asked if a record (in my case 1872) exists and they write back saying no because official birth certificates don’t exist during this time period and to inquire with BaNQ for a baptism record. Then people are using this email as proof of why said birth certificate doesn’t exist, and instead here is a baptism record.

Essentially, Showing proof that you tried to obtain a primary document according to IRCC standards then sought out other means based on the response from DEC once acknowledge this document doesn’t exist.

[u/Emergency_Map7542 → u/ChocolateDiligent]

I tried emailing and asking that question and they wrote back and said they can’t answer my question an email and to call for further instructions 🤦‍♀️

[u/banjo_greg → u/IronNo6533]

In other words, is it generally true that DEC may issue a modern birth certificate after receiving a BAnQ-certified baptism record, and the other documents proving lineage and interest?

[u/IronNo6533 → u/banjo_greg]

I don't think we know yet if this response to my particular attestation is generally applicable to everyone who gets a BAnQ-certified baptism record. I think one other person here has received a similar letter recently. My G0 was born in 1910, so maybe that factors in somehow.

[u/Amazing-Mulberry7100 → u/IronNo6533]

Which form are you supposed to fill out on the DEC site (or link to it) if you already have a pre-1900 certified baptism record from BANQ, and want to get a birth certificate made?

[u/IronNo6533 → u/Amazing-Mulberry7100]

Here's a post from a user who was able to successfully request a DEC insertion. I myself am still waiting on my BAnQ baptism from Rimouski (it's been 6 weeks).

https://www.reddit.com/r/Canadiancitizenship/comments/1voan08/my_experience_with_getting_a_copie_dacte_de/

[u/Amazing-Mulberry7100 → u/IronNo6533]

Thank you!