Children Born Abroad to U.S. Citizen Parents

The Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) is official evidence of U.S. citizenship issued to a person under the age of 18 who was born abroad to U.S. citizen parent(s) and acquired U.S citizenship at birth.

           Do you qualify to pass on U.S. Citizenship to your child?

Once you have reviewed the information, if you believe that your child has a claim to U.S. Citizenship, you must apply for the CRBA in person at the Embassy through a pre-arranged appointment.  It is essential that the child appear in person at the appointment. 

You will need to bring the following:

• Birth certificate showing the parent(s)’s names;
• Evidence of parent(s)'s identity and U.S citizenship;

• If married, your original civil marriage certificate. If the document is in a language other than English, a certified translation must be provided;

• If previously married, the original divorce decree, annulment or death certificate of your former spouse(s). If the document is in a language other than English, a certified translation must be provided;
• Proof that the U.S. Citizen parent has lived in the United States long enough to transmit citizenship to their child.  Examples of acceptable evidence include, but are not limited to: current/previous passports showing entry/exit stamps, school/college transcripts, military records or wage statements. Further information about the physical presence requirements is available by clicking on this link;
• Form DS-2029 (Click to download the form, pdf 352Kb)
  Please read all the instructions carefully
  You must print each page on a separate sheet.
  Please do not mail this form to the United States.
  DO NOT sign this form until requested to do so by a Consular Officer. 
• The non-refundable application fee for a CRBA is $100.  Fee information is available here.  

When reporting the birth of a U.S. citizen abroad, the presence of the child and parent(s) listed on the birth certificate is normally required.  If only one parent is a U.S. Citizen and that parent is not presently in the country, please click here for information about how to contact us. 

If also applying for your child's first passport, you will need the following:

• One passport sized (2x2 inch) photograph - see photo requirements for information.  Photos which do not meet the requirements will be rejected;

• Government issued photo I.D. of parents.  If the child is 16/17, they will also need photo I.D. (such as foreign passport or driving licence);
• The non-refundable application fee for a first passport is $105.00 (for under 16s) or $135.00 (for over 16s).  Fee information is available here; 
• Form DS-11 (Click here to be taken to the form)
  You will complete an online form, which you will then print and submit in the UK.
  Please ignore instructions regarding expeditious processing as these do not apply outside the United States. 
  You must print each page on a separate sheet.
  DO NOT mail this form to the United States.

When applying for a passport for a child under 16, the presence of the child and both parents is normally required.  If one parent is unable to attend please click here for additional information. 

Applying for your child's Social Security Number

If your child is under the age of five, and you are applying for both a Consular Report of Birth Abroad and a first U.S. passport you may also submit form SS-5 to apply for a Social Security Number Card for your child.  You should bring the form with you to the Embassy and hand it to the Consular Officer at the time of your application.  Please do not mail the form to the United States, as this may delay the application. 

The Federal Benefits Unit of the Embassy in London will process the application.  It will generally take 6-8 weeks for the card to be mailed directly to you from the United States.

Scheduling the Appointment

You are required to report the birth of your child in person through a pre-arranged appointment. Please note that if you also wish to apply for your child's first U.S. passport, it is not necessary to book separate appointments for these services.

If you reside in England or Wales and will be applying for a passport service at the U.S. Embassy in London, please follow this link for further detailed information. 

If you reside in Northern Ireland and will be applying for a passport service at the U.S. Consulate General in Belfast, please follow this link for further detailed information

If you reside in Scotland and will be applying for a passport service at the U.S. Consulate General in Edinburgh, please follow this link for further detailed information.