During your asylum application, you must send OFPRA the originals of your identity, civil status (birth certificate, marriage certificate) and travel (passport) documents from your country of origin, if you have any.

• If your asylum application is refused, OFPRA will automatically return your documents to you by post.
• If your asylum application is accepted, you have the status of refugee, stateless person or beneficiary of subsidiary protection. OFPRA then becomes responsible for your protection and it is they who give you your civil status documents.

You can then request to recover your original documents in 2 situations:

• if you obtain French nationality: France becomes responsible for your civil status documents.
• If you renounce the protection of France and your refugee status: it is your country of origin which becomes responsible for your civil status documents.

> Also read: the Réfugiés.info factsheets “ Apply for French nationality ” and “ Renounce refugee status ”.