Applying for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) and a child’s first passport

*This page has been updated as of September 16, 2024*

Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)

A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) is a formal document certifying the acquisition of United States citizenship at birth for a person born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent or parents who meet the requirements for transmitting citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). In order to transmit U.S. citizenship to a child, the U.S. citizen parent(s) must have been a U.S. citizen at the time of the child’s birth and must have accrued sufficient physical presence in the United States to transmit citizenship.

CRBA applications must be made before the child’s 18th birthday. We recommend that parents apply for the CRBA as soon as possible after the child’s birth. We strongly encourage you to report your child’s birth to Indian officials as soon as possible and apply for an Indian visa or exit permit. There may be a hefty fine for not applying for an Indian visa or an exit permit within the first weeks after birth.

Eligibility Requirements

To apply for a CRBA in India, your child must be under 18 years of age and must appear in person at the Embassy or one of the four Consulates. Generally, both parents must attend the interview. To see if your child may qualify for U.S. citizenship at birth see Acquisition of U.S. citizenship at Birth by a Child Born Abroad.

How to Apply (Online Application and Payment)

STEP 1: Online procedure and required documents

To complete and submit your electronic CRBA application, please follow these instructions:

Start an electronic application by creating a MyTravelGov account. MyTravelGov is a secured, encrypted portal. Watch our video on how to create a MyTravelGov account.
Complete your e-CRBA application form. Scan and upload all documents required. Review the checklist of required documents for the CRBA application using this checklist.
Review the steps to complete your online CRBA application here.
Pay the CRBA fee online and schedule an appointment 72 hours after making payment
You must bring the original documents, or certified copies, and single-sided photocopies of each document. Review the checklist of required documents once again before your interview appointment.

Please note that a CRBA is not a travel document. Therefore, we recommend that you apply for your child’s CRBA and first time U.S. passport simultaneously and well in advance of any prospective travel to the United States.

DS-11 Passport Application Instructions:

Complete the DS-11 passport application form for the newborn child’s passport. Review these steps to complete an online passport application. For a first-time DS-11 accompanying a CRBA application, enter zeroes in the Social Security Number box (box 5).
Print out and bring the completed application along with a passport sized photo (2 in x 2 in) of the minor child. Please make sure the photo meets requirements.
Passport Application Fee: Pay the appropriate product fee via the U.S. government’s secure payment site. After successfully paying the fee, you must print out the electronic payment confirmation you receive via email and include it in the application package in preparation for your in-person appointment to the embassy or consulate. Complete fee information is available on our fee information page.
If one parent will not be able to attend the interview, the non-applying parent should complete a DS-3053 parental consent form, which must be notarized, and the original document submitted with the application. Click here for more information.

STEP 2: Interview

Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai or Hyderabad consular district applicants (click here to find your consular district): Schedule a CRBA interview appointment online after completing your eCRBA application. You can also book an appointment by clicking here.

New Delhi and Hyderabad consular district applicants (click here to find your consular district )

To book a CRBA interview appointment, send an email using the following instructions (do not book an appointment using the appointment system):

For Hyderabad- Hydacs@state.gov

For New Delhi- acsnd@state.gov

· USE THIS SUBJECT LINE: E19- Name of CRBA child – CRBA application number

· Please provide the following details in your email

– Full name of child

– Date of birth

– CRBA application number

– Payment date

– Indian contact number (if available)

– Whether you have an emergency travel need, including intended date of travel

Interview guidelines:

Arrive 15 minutes prior to your appointment time. Applicants are subject to screening and may not bring in any electronics. Review our guidelines for visiting the Embassy or Consulate.
Both parents along with the minor child are required to be present at the time of application.
You must bring all original documents uploaded to online CRBA portal. If concurrently applying for a passport, you must also bring the completed DS-11 passport application and pay.gov confirmation email.
Third party attendance: You may bring a third party with you to your appointment (examples: attorneys, interpreters, or family members). Applicants who wish to bring a third party to their interview must first email the ACS unit of the embassy or consulate where they will appear for their appointment. The email must include the full name and date of birth of the third-party individual who will accompany them. Guidelines for visiting the Embassy or Consulate remain the same. Please use the ACS Navigator for any email correspondence.-

Courier Delivery Fee

Click here for information on courier delivery fees.

Applying for a Social Security Number

Please note that an application for a Social Security Number can only be submitted after receipt of the original Consular Report of Birth Abroad and Passport.

Your child’s Social Security application and certified documents should be mailed directly to the Federal Benefits Unit located in the U.S. Embassy in the Philippines.
In order to certify documents, you can mail the documents listed below to Embassy or consulate along with a demand draft for courier services to have documents returned to you after certification. You may also wish to schedule an in-person notary appointment at a U.S. embassy or consulate to have these certified.

o Original Consular Report of Birth Abroad and photocopy.

o The minor child’s original U.S. passport (a parent should print the child’s full name on the signature line. The parent should also sign their name next to the printed name of their child and note their relation to the child — example: mother, father, or guardian — and make a photocopy after signature).

o Proof of the identity of the parent signing the application (an original passport, which must be currently valid and signed)

The above documents, once certified, can be forwarded along with a completed and signed Form SS-5-FS to the Social Security office in the Philippines:

U.S. Embassy – Manila
Social Security Administration
1201 Roxas Boulevard
Manila, Philippines 0930
PH: +632-5301-6200

If you do not wish your Social Security Number application to be processed by mail through the Federal Benefits Unit in the Philippines, you should delay your application until you are in the U.S and you can make your application in person at a local Social Security Administration office.

Refund

Passport and Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) fees are NOT refundable except in very limited circumstances. Please use our ACS Navigator to request a refund.

Fees for visa and other consular services not associated with a Pay.Gov transaction are NOT refundable. Requests for such refunds will NOT be responded to.

Need Help?

eCRBA Frequently Asked Questions
You can view an application how-to-guide
For questions or concerns please contact the appropriate Embassy or Consulate.