How to Apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad
If you are an American citizen and your child was born overseas, you should report the birth to the United States embassy using a form known as a Consular Report of Birth. Make sure the birth qualifies the child for reporting an overseas birth. The child must be younger than 18 years old at the time of reporting. At least one of the parents must be a U.S. citizen at the time of the child's birth, and he must prove residency for a certain amount of time, depending on the child's date of birth and the relationship between the citizen and the child.
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Things You'll Need
- Form DS-2029: Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad
- Form DS-11: Application for a U.S. Passport
- Birth certificate
- U.S. passport
- Marriage certificate (if applicable)
- Identification cards
- Proof of U.S. residency
- Proof of legitimation (if applicable)
- Passport photos
- Additional documents
- Self-addressed, prepaid envelope (for delivery, optional)
Instructions
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Gather the required documents. Put together the filing fee, the child's birth certificate ("long form"), the U.S. citizen's passport or other proof of citizenship, the parents' marriage certificate, divorce/death certificates and evidence of the American parent living in the U.S. for the required time. If the father is the only American citizen and the parents aren't married, submit proof of legitimation as well.
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Complete an application form DS-2029 for birth registration. The form requires information such as the child's and parents' name and date and place of birth, current address, evidence of citizenship and information about previous marriages and proof of termination.
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Check your embassy or consulate's website for specific instructions and additional requirements. For example, the U.S. embassy in some countries may ask for proofs of pregnancy and birth such as ultrasound records, photos from the hospital, discharge papers, identification bands, medical bills or baby pictures.
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Include an application for a passport. Fill out a passport application form. Prepare photos of your child that meet official U.S. government standards for travel photos. It is advisable to file the passport application at the same time as the report of birth and Social Security number, especially if the foreign country requires a visa even for children.
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Schedule an appointment with the embassy. Call or visit your embassy's website for information on how to make an appointment. Some posts will send you an e-mail, others let you apply via an online booking facility.
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Show up at the appointed date and time. Both parents and the child must attend in person. Wait for your turn to be interviewed. After the interview is completed, you will be told when your report will be either available for pickup or delivered to your home.
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Make arrangements for delivery. If you wish, and if the option is available, contact the U.S. embassy's designated courier service. Arrange for the Consular Report of Birth, passport and Social Security card to be mailed to your home.
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Tips & Warnings
Procedures may be different for military personnel.
You can apply your child for a Social Security number this way, only if he is younger than 5 years old.
If the father is the citizen and the parents aren't married, he child must undergo legitimation as described in the Immigration and Naturalization Act. Check with your embassy's citizen services for details.
