Registering a child born abroad: the CRBA

If your baby qualifies, they're a US citizen from birth. The Consular Report of Birth Abroad is how Uncle Sam puts it on the record, and it's a whole lot easier to get now than when your kid is 30.

The short version

A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA, printed on Form FS-240) is official proof that a child born overseas became a US citizen at birth. You apply on Form DS-2029 at the US embassy or consulate in the country of birth [1].
Whether your child qualifies depends on the transmission rules in the Immigration and Nationality Act. With one US citizen parent and one foreign parent, the US parent generally needs five years of physical presence in the US before the birth, two of them after age 14 [2].
The CRBA fee is USD 100 [3]. A first child passport adds USD 135 (USD 100 application plus USD 35 execution) in 2026 [4].
Apply soon after the birth. You can usually ask for the first passport at the same appointment, and many embassies also take the Social Security number application.
A CRBA is not a passport, and the passport is not a CRBA. You'll want both, and it's a no-brainer to get them together.

What a CRBA is and why it matters

The State Department describes the CRBA as a document that shows the child was a US citizen or non-citizen national at birth. It is not proof of who the child's legal parents are [1]. In practice it does the job of a birth certificate from back home in the States. The child will use it for a first passport, a Social Security number, school and university enrollment, and, decades later, to prove citizenship for a job or federal benefits.

A CRBA can be issued only while the child is under 18. After that, an adult who acquired citizenship at birth proves it by applying for a passport with the same evidence, which is harder to pull together once records are 20 years old. Register early. Future-you will be grateful.

Registering also brings US obligations. A child with a CRBA is an American for tax purposes, and as an adult will face citizenship-based taxation and FBAR reporting like any other American abroad. Most parents still register, because citizenship is easier to have and later give up than to claim later. But know the trade-off going in.

Does your child qualify? The transmission rules

For children born on or after November 14, 1986, the State Department summarizes the rules like this [2]. They're set out in sections 301 and 309 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Parents at the time of birth	What the US citizen parent must show
Both US citizens, married	At least one parent lived in the US or its territories at some point before the birth
One US citizen, one foreign national, married	The US parent was physically present in the US for five years before the birth, at least two of them after age 14
Unmarried, US citizen father	A blood relationship shown by evidence, the father's written agreement to support the child until 18, and legitimation, a sworn acknowledgment or a court finding of paternity before 18, plus his five years of physical presence (two after 14)
Unmarried, US citizen mother, child born on or after June 12, 2017	Five years of physical presence, two after age 14
Unmarried, US citizen mother, child born before June 12, 2017	One continuous year of physical presence before the birth

The 2017 date comes from the Supreme Court's ruling in Sessions v. Morales-Santana, which ended the shorter rule for unmarried mothers from that date on [2].

Physical presence means days, not domicile

"Physically present" counts the days you were actually in the US. Days spent abroad don't count, even while you kept a US address or your old bedroom at Mom and Dad's. Old school transcripts, W-2s, Social Security earnings statements, college records, passport stamps and leases are the usual evidence. Americans who grew up abroad themselves, or who moved overseas at 18, sometimes can't reach five years. If that's you, an immigration lawyer can check whether another route applies, such as presence through a grandparent under the rules for naturalization of children (INA section 322).

Genetic or gestational link

At least one parent must have a genetic or gestational connection to the child [1]. That matters for families who used assisted reproduction or surrogacy abroad. Embassies may ask for medical records or, in some cases, suggest DNA testing at your own cost. The State Department's guidance on assisted reproductive technology covers specific cases, and a call to the embassy before the birth is time well spent.

If your partner is Australian, your baby may be able to claim Australian citizenship too, and our sister site ExpatCooee explains citizenship by descent for babies born overseas.

What to bring

Each embassy posts its own checklist, but the core is the same everywhere:

Form DS-2029, completed online through the embassy's electronic CRBA system where available, or on paper. It must be signed in front of a consular officer or another official who can administer oaths [1].
The child's local birth certificate, the full version listing both parents, with a certified translation if it isn't in English.
Proof of the parent's US citizenship: a US passport, naturalization certificate or the parent's own CRBA.
Evidence of physical presence for the transmitting parent if the five-year rule applies.
Your marriage certificate, and any divorce decrees from earlier marriages, or the paternity documents for an unmarried father.
Parents' IDs, and the baby, who must usually attend. Bring snacks (for you).
Form DS-5507 if one parent is not a US citizen, if the US parent can't come to the appointment, or for an unmarried US father acknowledging the child [1].
The fee, USD 100 for the CRBA [3].

If one parent can't attend, the other can usually go alone with the right affidavits. Check the embassy page first.

Step by step: CRBA, passport and SSN together

Get the local birth certificate. Register the birth with the local registry, which usually has to happen within days or weeks, and order the long-form certificate.
Gather the evidence. Start the physical-presence evidence before the birth, while you still get some sleep.
Apply online or book an appointment. Many posts let you submit DS-2029 and documents electronically first, then call you in for a short interview.
Apply for the passport at the same time. Bring a DS-11, a baby photo (eyes open, no hands in the shot, good luck), and USD 135. Both parents should attend, or the absent parent signs Form DS-3053 [4][5][6].
Apply for a Social Security number. Many embassies accept Form SS-5 at the same appointment and forward it to the Social Security Administration. Where they don't, the SSA's Federal Benefits Unit for your region handles it. Expect the card to take several months, so don't wait until tax season.
Receive the documents. The CRBA and passport are printed in the US and returned to the embassy or by courier.

Item	Form	2026 fee
Consular Report of Birth Abroad	DS-2029	USD 100 [3]
Child passport book (under 16)	DS-11	USD 135 [4]
Social Security number	SS-5	No fee

Why you need the SSN quickly

A Social Security number isn't required to prove citizenship, but you'll want it soon after birth. Without one you can't claim your child as a dependent on your US tax return, and you can't claim the Child Tax Credit, which requires the child to have an SSN issued before the return's due date. A US expat tax preparer can check what you can claim for your family. Opening a US savings account or starting a 529 college fund also requires one.

After the CRBA: what comes next

Passport renewals every five years. Children's passports last five years and can't be renewed by mail, so plan on an in-person application each time [5].
Dual citizenship. Your child may hold your partner's nationality, or the nationality of the country of birth, too. US law allows dual nationality, but US citizens must enter and leave the US on a US passport.
Lost or damaged CRBA. The State Department's Vital Records office can issue replacement FS-240 copies, but that takes time. Keep the original somewhere safe and a scan in your email.
Selective Service. Boys who are US citizens must register at 18, wherever they live, whether that's Ohio or Osaka.
Taxes and FBAR. Children with income above the filing thresholds need US returns, and their accounts count toward FBAR reporting if they meet the threshold.

Registering a child born abroad: the CRBA, step by step