Chile Civil Registration - FamilySearch Historical Records

Chile

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records of births, marriages, and deaths for various localities in Chile from 1885 to 1932.

The majority of the records have been well-preserved. Some may be faded but are still readable if the image is enlarged. Some earlier records were handwritten in narrative style, however, the majority of the records were handwritten in formatted registers with a similar style as to a ledger.

These records are organized by province, according to the jurisdictions in place at the time of the creation of the records. Only records from a few localities have been indexed. More records and images will be added as they become available. For a complete list of all the provincias and comunas included in this collection, see the Provinces of Chile - Civil Registration coverage table.

Reading These Records
These records are written in Spanish. For help reading them see: If you speak Spanish, the following free online lesson may be helpful to learn how to use the information in these records:
 * Spanish Genealogical Word List
 * BYU Spanish Script Tutorial
 * FamilySearch Learning Center videos:
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 1
 * Reading Spanish Handwritten Records, Lesson 2
 * Registros Civiles y Parroquiales – Spanish

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information is usually found in these records:

Birth Records
 * Date of registration
 * Child’s name and gender
 * Birth date and place
 * Parents’ names
 * Parents’ nationality, occupation and residence
 * Name, age, occupation and residence of informant
 * Names of witnesses

Marriage Records
 * Date and place of marriage
 * Name, age, marital status, occupation and nationality of bride and groom
 * Residence of bride and groom at time of marriage
 * Names of bride and groom’s parents
 * Witnesses’ names

Death Records
 * Name of deceased
 * Date of the registration
 * Gender, age, nationality and occupation of deceased
 * Date, place and time of death
 * Marital status/name of spouse
 * Cause of death
 * Burial place
 * Name, age and occupation of informant

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before using this collection it is helpful to know:
 * Your ancestor's given name and surname
 * Identifying information such as residence
 * Estimated marriage or birth year

View the Images
View images in this collection by visiting the 
 * 1) Select Province
 * 2) Select Municipality
 * 3) Select Record Type and Years to view the images

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Check the image the index was taken from to see if there is additional information
 * Use the information to find more. For instance, use the age listed in the record to estimate a year of birth, if that is yet undetermined
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each spouse to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * Compile the marriage entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variants of given names, surnames, and place names. Transcription errors could occur in any handwritten record; also, it was not uncommon for an individual be listed under a nickname or an abbreviation of their name

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in Chile.
 * Record Finder
 * Research Tips and Strategies

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.

Chile, Registro Civil (Registros Históricos do FamilySearch) Chile registro civil (Registros históricos de FamilySearch)