Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a United States Citizen

Revised: March 2011

If your child was born outside of the United States and you believe he/she is a U.S. citizen, your first step is to apply for the child's Consular Report of Birth Abroad.  This document serves as proof of U.S. citizenship and is generally a prerequisite for the issuance of a U.S. passport.  Although applications are accepted up until the child's 18th birthday, you should apply for your child's Consular Report of Birth Abroad as soon after his/her birth as practical.  Applications submitted years after the child's birth may take significant time to resolve because evidence to prove the child's citizenship may be difficult to obtain.  In some delayed cases it may be impossible to establish the child's citizenship.

To process a child's claim to U.S. citizenship, the U.S. parent must establish that s/he is the biological parent, present proof of sufficient physical presence in the U.S., and present evidence to confirm the child's identity.  In certain cases, the Consular Officer may require additional documentation, and the applicant has 90 days to submit it.  After the 90-day period if the applicant has not responded, the application will be denied and sent to the U.S. Department of State.  Once your application has been denied, if you choose to continue with the process of transmitting citizenship to your child, you will need to schedule a new appointment, submit a new application along with supporting documents and new fees must be paid.

Application and appointment instructions (PDF 412KB)