Archive research
Archive research and recovery of historical documents
We search for historical records in state and departmental archives, rebuild the links between generations and prepare evidence for citizenship, repatriation and inheritance.
We work under a power of attorney: no need to travel to the country of issue.
Online check
Assessing yourstarting data
You can start from very little. Tick what you know about your ancestor to see what work is needed, how long it takes and what it costs.
- We search every spelling of a surname
- We account for which country held the territory at the time
- A report on the result, including a negative one
You can start like this: we rebuild the chronology from family stories and indirect documents. It will take longer.
from €1,000
starting cost of research
Weeks to months
archives set the timing
All variants
of names and surnames
Dossier
report, family tree, archive map, documents
Situations
What archiveresearch is for
A search starts where the place of the record is unknown, the archive may not have survived, or several generations need linking.
- Citizenship by descent
Ancestors' birth and marriage records for a citizenship application.
- Proving kinship
A chain of documents from you to your ancestor through every generation.
- Repatriation
Proof of origin for return programmes.
- Inheritance
Kinship and death records for inheritance matters.
- Recovering a document
When there is no record in the current registry.
- Correcting a record
When old documents contain an error or a different spelling.
Special cases
What complicatesa search
- The territory was another country
- Common in Central and Eastern Europe. We determine which country held the territory on the date of the record and search the archives of the relevant countries.
- The surname is spelled differently
- Normal for families who moved. We search all likely variants and separately prepare confirmation that the documents refer to the same person.
- The record has not survived
- We look at other evidence: indirect documents, other collections, registers. If there is no administrative route, we assess a court option with a local lawyer.
- The surname was found, but that is not enough
- A matching surname does not prove kinship. You need a documentary chain the receiving authority will accept.
Four steps
How we work
We report interim results as we go, not at the end.
- 01Starting data
Names, dates, place, documents, family stories.
- 02Search strategy
The country and archive at the date of the record, spelling variants.
- 03Search and requests
Archives, registers, collections, requests in several countries.
several weeks to several months
- 04Documents
Official copies, apostille, translation, legal assessment.
Result
The dossier is with youA report, family tree, map of the archives checked and the documents obtained.
Cost
What the costdepends on
We send the estimate after analysing the starting data.
- Country and period
- Access to archives and their tariffs.
- Number of archives
- One archive or several countries.
- Depth
- One record or a chain across several generations.
- Legal work
- Proving kinship, or a court if there is no record.
from €1,000
starting cost of research. Several generations, countries or legal work are estimated after the initial analysis.
To get started
- Ancestors' names and approximate dates
- A place of birth or residence, even approximate
- Any surviving documents and photos
Archive researchThe essentials
Questions and answers
Did not find your answer? A lawyer will reply on your situation.
If you know where and when a record was made, that is a document request, a separate service from €100. Archive research is needed when the place of the record is unknown, the data is incomplete or several generations need linking.
No: some archives are lost and some records were never kept. We search every available direction and report the result, including a negative one.
Any starting data: names, approximate dates, a town, documents, family stories. More detail makes the search more precise, but you can start with very little.
From several weeks to several months: archives set the timing. We report interim results as we go.
We determine which country held the territory on the date of the record and search the archives of the relevant countries, sometimes several at once.
It is normal for families who moved. We search all likely variants and, for filing, prepare confirmation that the documents refer to the same person.
From €1,000. Complex tasks with several generations, countries or legal work are estimated after the initial analysis.
A dossier: a research report, a documentary family tree, a map of the archives checked, the archives' replies, the documents obtained with apostille and translation, and a legal assessment of the evidence.
Updated 2 November 2026.
TeamWorking with documents
Your specialists
BRIDGES specialists who check the requirements, handle the filing and stay in touch with the authorities in the country of issue.
ServicesDocuments
All document services
Order any service on its own or combine several into one request.
Documents01 / 08ApostilleFor the 130 states of the Hague Convention. Issued in the country of the document, without you travelling.Details 
Documents02 / 08Consular legalisationFor countries outside the Hague Convention: notary, ministry and consulate in one chain.Details 
Documents03 / 08Police certificateFrom any country where you have lived, timed to your filing date.Details 
Documents04 / 08Sworn translationTranslation certified in the form the receiving country accepts.Details 
Documents05 / 08Civil status certificatesBirth, marriage, divorce, death and change of name: reissued documents and extracts.Details 
Documents06 / 08Document retrievalReissued copies and extracts in the country of issue when the original is gone.Details 
Documents07 / 08Education recognitionDiplomas and transcripts prepared for recognition abroad.Details 
Documents08 / 08DocumentsOrder any service on its own or combine several into one request.Details What clients say
Reviews from clients we have supported in different countries.
ViktorInvestor
I did everything correctly: chose the fund, invested the money, and waited for my residence permit. Then it turns out the fund's certificate has an error, and because of that I might be denied. The money is invested, but the paperwork is flawed - and I'm the one who suffers!
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DanielOwner of a car dealership chain
I compared four companies and stayed with the one that told me about the risks in my case first and about prices second. Compliance went through without a single additional request.
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FadiFrom Beirut
Ziraat wanted me to freeze a deposit. Nikos showed that with property the accounts could be opened without it. The accounts are open, residence granted.
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