How to Get Birth Certificates for Children Born Abroad
By law, all children born to a U.S. citizen are also U.S. citizens. This applies regardless of the location of the birth. However, the task of navigating overseas bureaucracy in order to prove this can be daunting. Yet the U.S. government has taken steps to ensure that all children of American parents can obtain documents proving their citizenship.
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Things You'll Need
- $30
- Official record of the child's birth
- Evidence of the parent(s)' US citizenship
- Affidavits of parent(s)' US citizenship
- If applicable, evidence of parents' marriage
- Form DS-2029
Instructions
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Locate your nearest consulate by going to usembassy.gov. This site contains records of all the U.S. embassies.
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Fill Out Form DS-2029. These can be obtained online or in person at the consulate, however you must not sign the document until you are at the consulate's office.
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Go to the consulate where you will be asked to produce a variety of documents. These will include form DS-2029, evidence of parent(s)' U..S citizenship, affidavits of parent(s)' U.S. presence in the United States and possibly evidence of the parents' marriage. Evidence of the parent(s)' citizenship may take the form of a U.S. passport, U.S. birth certificate, Consular's Report of Birth Abroad, a U.S. Certificate of Naturalization, or a U.S. Certificate of Citizenship.
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Pay the $30 fee to have your documents processed and your child will soon reap the benefits of full American citizenship.
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Tips & Warnings
You will probably want to fill out an SS-05 as well to provide your child a Social Security number. Divorced men and women will be asked to provide evidence of their divorce, and if only the father is a U.S. citizen, he will be asked to provide proof of paternal support.
While the CRBA (Consulate Record of Birth Abroad) is officially a different document than a U.S. birth certificate, it functions in the same way. It is also suggested that you obtain your CRBA as quickly as possible. Technically you can apply until the child is 18 years old, but the sooner the better.
