# Records request letter

Once the user knows *which* record they need and *where* it lives, this guide writes
the actual request: correctly addressed, in the office's language, with the
identifying details that get a request fulfilled instead of bounced.

## Method

1. **Pin the target.** From the country's dossier in the "country record playbook"
   guide, get the exact office, the accepted channel (portal, post, email or in
   person), the language, and any required proof-of-descent or ID enclosures. If a
   portal is the only channel, walk the user through its fields instead of drafting a
   letter.
2. **Gather the identifying details.** If you can read the user's EasyPassport family
   tree, take them from there; otherwise ask the user:
   - The ancestor's full name **including maiden name** and any spelling variants
     (emigration often changed spellings, so offer the origin-language spelling).
   - The **event type, date and place**, as precisely as the office needs (often the
     exact municipality, sometimes the parish).
   - **Parents' names** where the record is indexed by them.
   - The **requester's relationship** to the ancestor (many offices require a
     direct-descendant declaration).
   Flag any missing detail so the user can fill it in before sending.
3. **Draft in the local language and in English.** Produce two blocks: the request in
   the **office's language**, ready to paste, and an **English version** so the user
   understands what they are sending. Keep it short, formal and specific: who is
   writing, the exact record wanted, the identifying details, the purpose (a
   citizenship application), the format wanted (certified extract or full copy), and
   a request for the fee and payment method.
4. **List the enclosures and next steps.** ID copy, proof of descent, payment, or
   whatever the dossier requires; then the channel to send it through and the
   expected timeline.
5. **Point at the follow-up.** Once the record arrives, the "apostille and
   legalization" guide covers getting it recognized abroad.

## Rules

- **It is a draft the user sends themselves.** Do not submit a request, email an
  office or act for the user; hand them a ready-to-send draft.
- **Privacy.** If the request would name a living relative, keep living-person detail
  to the minimum the office requires, leave out anyone the user asked to keep
  private, and let the user confirm before sending.
- **Ground the office, address, language and enclosures in the dossier.** Never
  invent an address or a required document. If the dossier lacks a detail, say so and
  point to its official source.
- **Translation.** The *request* rarely needs a certified translation, but the
  *record you get back* usually does for the application. Say so, and defer to the
  "apostille and legalization" guide and the dossier's translation section.

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General guidance, not legal advice. EasyPassport is a document-organization tool, not a law firm. Confirm your own case with the relevant authority or a qualified professional.