How to Get a U.S. Birth Certificate for a Child Born Abroad

The United States does not issue a domestic birth certificate for a child born in another country. What it issues instead is a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Form FS-240, which is the federal record of both the birth and the child’s U.S. citizenship. A U.S. citizen parent applies for it at the nearest embassy or consulate, pays a $100 fee, and must file before the child turns 18. Once issued, the FS-240 works the same way a state birth certificate does inside the country: it proves citizenship for passports, school enrollment, Social Security, and federal identification for the rest of the person’s life.

Whether Your Child Qualifies

A child born outside the United States acquires citizenship at birth only if the citizen parent meets specific transmission rules under federal law. The rules turn on whether one or both parents are citizens and whether the parents are married.

When both parents are U.S. citizens and married to each other, the child acquires citizenship as long as at least one parent lived in the United States at some point before the birth. There is no minimum duration.¹

When only one parent is a U.S. citizen and they are married to a foreign national, the bar is higher. The citizen parent must have been physically present in the United States for at least five years before the birth, with at least two of those years after age 14.¹ Physical presence means actual days on U.S. soil. A mailing address does not count. Military service, U.S. government employment abroad, and time overseas as a dependent of someone in those roles do count toward the total.

Unmarried Parents

An unmarried U.S. citizen mother needs to show one continuous year of physical presence in the United States before the birth.²

An unmarried U.S. citizen father must also meet the physical-presence requirement and, additionally, legally acknowledge paternity through a sworn written statement, legitimation under local law, or a court order. He must also agree in writing to support the child financially until age 18. All of this has to happen while the child is still a minor.²

Documents to Gather Before You Apply

The application is built around Form DS-2029.³ Most posts now use the eCRBA online system, where you complete the form, upload documents, pay the fee, and book your appointment through a single portal.⁴ You still bring originals to the appointment:

The child’s foreign birth certificate, issued by the local government or hospital where the birth occurred.
Proof of the parent’s U.S. citizenship: a valid U.S. passport, passport card, naturalization certificate, or certificate of citizenship.
A marriage certificate, if the parents are married. If either parent was previously married, bring proof of how that marriage ended (divorce decree, annulment, or death certificate).
Evidence of the citizen parent’s physical presence in the United States: school transcripts, employment records, tax returns, Social Security earnings statements, leases, or utility bills covering the required years.

Every document must be an original or a copy certified by the office that issued it. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted.³

The physical-presence evidence is where most applications stall. If the citizen parent left the U.S. at 20, they need to document roughly age 14 through 20 to prove five years of presence with two after age 14. Old school records, tax transcripts from the IRS, and Social Security earnings statements are the usual building blocks. Pull them well before the appointment date.

The Embassy Appointment

After you upload documents and pay the $100 fee, you schedule an in-person appointment at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.⁵ The fee is non-refundable regardless of the outcome. Both parents and the child are expected to attend.⁶ A consular officer reviews your originals, asks about the citizen parent’s time in the United States, and administers an oath that the information you submitted is true.

If One Parent Cannot Attend

When one parent cannot make the appointment, the absent parent submits a notarized Form DS-3053 (Statement of Consent) along with a photocopy of a government-issued ID.⁷ An absent unmarried U.S. citizen father also has to submit a notarized Form DS-5507 (Affidavit of Parentage, Physical Presence and Support).

Consent from the other parent is not required when the birth certificate lists only one parent, a court has granted sole custody to the applying parent, or the other parent is deceased. Bring the supporting document (custody order, death certificate, or the birth certificate itself) to the appointment.

After the Application Is Approved

The Department of State issues Form FS-240, the Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Current processing runs about four to five weeks, longer if the officer asks for more evidence.⁸ The document is delivered by secure courier or registered mail.

Apply for the child’s first U.S. passport at the same appointment. The eCRBA system lets you file both together, and the embassy processes them in sequence.⁶ Without a passport, the child has proof of citizenship but no document to travel to the United States.

Getting a Social Security Number

For a Social Security number, file Form SS-5-FS with the Social Security Administration through a Federal Benefits Unit or a U.S. Social Security office abroad.⁹ You need at least two documents proving age, identity, and citizenship; the FS-240 itself works as proof of citizenship. Bring originals. Do not mail them to Baltimore. Staff at the Federal Benefits Unit make certified copies on site.

If Your Child Is About to Turn 18

The application must be filed before the child’s 18th birthday. There are no extensions.⁶

Missing the deadline does not strip the child of citizenship. Someone born abroad to qualifying U.S. citizen parents is a citizen whether or not the paperwork was filed. What’s lost is the easy federal proof. After 18, the alternatives are Form N-600 (Application for Certificate of Citizenship) with USCIS, which has its own fee and a longer processing timeline,¹⁰ or applying directly for a U.S. passport and submitting evidence of citizenship as part of that application. Both routes are more work than the CRBA. If your child qualifies, file early.

Replacing or Correcting an FS-240

If the CRBA is lost, stolen, or damaged, request a replacement through the State Department’s Passport Vital Records Section using Form DS-5542. Replacements cost $50 per copy. Mail the notarized form along with a photocopy of your valid ID and a check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of State.¹¹ The same form corrects errors such as a misspelled name; include original or certified documents supporting the change.

1
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 U.S. Code 1401 – Nationals and Citizens of United States at Birth
2
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 U.S. Code 1409 – Children Born Out of Wedlock
3
U.S. Department of State. Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America
4
U.S. Department of State. Birth of U.S. Citizens and Non-Citizen Nationals Abroad
5
eCFR. 22 CFR Part 22 – Schedule of Fees for Consular Services – Department of State
6
U.S. Embassy & Consulates. Consular Report of Birth Abroad
7
U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic. CRBA – If Only One Parent Can Attend
8
U.S. Embassy & Consulate in Spain and Andorra. Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)
9
Social Security Administration. Application for a Social Security Card
10
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship
11
U.S. Department of State. How to Replace or Amend a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)