U.S. Citizen Services
Report Birth Abroad
The birth of a child abroad to U.S. citizen parent(s) should be reported as soon as possible to the nearest American consular office for the purpose of establishing an official record of the child's claim to U.S. citizenship at birth. The official record is in the form of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America. This document, referred to as the Consular Report of Birth (CRBA) or FS-240, is considered a basic United States citizenship document. An original FS-240 is furnished to the parent(s) at the time the registration is approved. A Consular Report of Birth can be prepared only at an American consular office overseas while the child is under the age of 18.
The application for a CRBA requires the following:
- An official record of the child's foreign birth (i.e., birth certificate);
- Evidence of the parent(s)' U.S. citizenship (e.g., current U.S. passport);
- Evidence of the parents' marriage, if applicable;
- Identity documentation for a non-citizen parent;
- Completed Application for Consular Birth Abroad (DS-2029) ;
- Completed Application for Social Security Card; and
Fees.
Please do not sign any of the documents until requested to do so by the Consular Officer.
Both parents are requested to appear at the Embassy, together with their child and the above documents. The Embassy will provide blank affidavits in the proper format.
In certain cases it may be necessary to submit additional documents, including Affidavit of Parentage and Physical Presence, divorce decrees from prior marriages, evidence of pre-natal care, evidence of prior U.S. residence and/or physical presence, or DNA tests. All evidentiary documents should be certified as true copies of the originals by the registrar of the office where each document was issued.
Whether an American citizen can transmit citizenship to a child born overseas depends on several factors: whether both parents are American, whether the child is born in wedlock, when the child is born. The most common case is a child born in wedlock to one American citizen parent, and one non-American parent. The American citizen parent must have been physically present in the United States for five years prior to the birth of the child. In addition, two of those five years must be after the parent reached the age of fourteen. For children born before 1986, the parent must have spent ten years in the United States with five years after the age of fourteen. The five years is cumulative so a few months here and a few years there can be used to add up to the five years. When both parents are American, they need only show that one of them has ever resided in the United States (no specified time). An American citizen mother of a child born out wedlock needs to show that she spent one continuous year in the United States. An American citizen father of a child born out of wedlock must have the five years and must have recognized the child and agreed to the child's financial support.
Parents are encouraged to apply for a U.S. passport for their newborn child at the same time that they apply for a CRBA. Please see our information on Passports for Minors.
For more detailed information on CRBAs and replacement copies of these documents, please see the Department of State's webpage on Documentation of U.S. Citizens Born Abroad.
Appointment System for American Citizen Services
The American Citizen Services (ACS) Unit has introduced an Appointment System for all services, including passport renewals (and passport extra pages), birth registrations, notarial services, and general inquiries. Please make your appointment before you visit the Consular Section.
Appointments are available immediately; beginning September 1, 2009, only customers with appointments will be admitted into the Consular Section. Appointments may be made at any time via the link below, or by calling the ACS Unit at 7 (495) 728-5577. Appointments are available Monday through Friday, 9:00 am to 12:30. For details, or to make an appointment, please follow this link: Make an Appointment Now!