What Is The Family Book?
The Family Book is an official document that certifies the relationship between spouses, as well as between parents and children. In Spain, this document is necessary to carry out different official procedures, such as requesting the first DNI or processing a maternity or paternity leave, among others.
It is a physical document in which all the civil events that occur in the family are recorded: births, deaths, marriages, divorces, etc. All married couples or couples with children must have a Family Book. However, this document could be on the way to extinction.
A few years ago, in 2015, the Civil Registry had planned its replacement by an individual, telematic registry. However, the reform was not approved, so, for now, the Family Book is still in force. Next, we will see some elements to better understand what the Family Book is and what it is for.
What is the Family Book and how is it obtained?
The Family Book has been, for decades, one of the most important documents that every person should have. The entity in charge of extending it is the Civil Registry. This document contains within it the marriages, divorces, births and deaths that occur in a family.
Until recently, all couples, upon getting married, had to go through the process of requesting the Family Book in the Civil Registry. Those couples who had a child without being married, had to request it at the time of registering the newborn in the Registry, in the presence of the mother and father.
But this is no longer the case. According to the new law, it is no longer necessary to go to the Civil Registry to register the birth of a child and request the Family Book. Now the same hospitals are trained to register births. In the case of marriages, a notary, a court or a city council can do it.
What is it for?
By registering marriages, divorces, births, deaths and adoptions in the Family Book, the Administration keeps abreast of everything that happens in a person’s family environment. In turn, people use it to certify their sentimental or family situation.
This document is an essential requirement to carry out some procedures. For example, to issue the first National Identity Document (DNI) of a person or to process maternity or paternity leave.
It is also necessary to request a place in nurseries and schools, or to travel with a baby when he or she does not yet have a DNI, and as long as the trip is within Spain.
Can I request a duplicate of the Family Book?
In case of loss, theft or deterioration of the Family Book, it is possible to request a duplicate. To do this, it is necessary to go to the Civil Registry office where the first document was obtained, depending on the place of residence.
To request a duplicate of the Family Book, some requirements must be submitted. The first is the ID of the spouses and the ID or birth certificate of all the children of the couple. The previous book must also be kept, in case the duplicate request is made due to deterioration.
If the previous document was stolen or lost, a photocopy or the marriage or domestic partnership certificate must be presented. In case of loss, a report of loss must also be filed. Finally, an application must be filled out with all the available data.
The next disappearance of the Family Book
The Family Book, as a physical document, could be close to disappearing. In effect, the new Civil Registry law of 2015 provided for the elimination of this document.
According to this 2015 regulation, the book would be replaced by an individual registration certificate, that is, a personal file in which all the news that affect the civil life of an individual are registered. Access to this document would be done electronically.
Although the objective of the reform was to automate and simplify the processes, this article was not approved, so it did not finally enter into force. However, it is very likely that in the near future the physical document will be replaced by an electronic record, available at all Administration offices.
