If you are a U.S. citizen and your child was born abroad, you must apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) as soon as possible. You can contact the U.S. embassy or consulate to report the child is a U.S. citizen and apply for the CRBA and a passport at the same time. Once the embassy or consulate determines the child is a U.S. citizen, the officer will approve the CRBA application, and the Department of State will issue Form FS-420 in the child’s name.
Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA, or Form FS-240)
To apply for the CRBA, you must visit a U.S. embassy or consulate in person to complete the application. The CRBA of a U.S. citizen is only given to minors under the age of 18. Others who are over 18 years must apply for a Certificate of Citizenship since they are not eligible for a CRBA.
Once before you were able to get an original copy of the CRBA at an embassy or consulate but not anymore. To prevent fraudulent activities in regards to the CRBA, copies are no longer given at the embassy or consulate you may visit. The document is printed only in the U.S.
If your child was born in one of the U.S. territories, he or she may have acquired U.S. citizenship or U.S. nationality at birth but are not qualify for a CRBA. You are qualified for the CRBA if you were born in a country other than a U.S. territory.
Applying For a U.S. Passport
To apply for a minor passport, you must complete the application form, provide supporting documents, and pay the fee. Since you are applying for a minor, most of the necessary documents must come from you. The form to complete is DS-11, Application for a New Passport. The form has a list of all the supporting documents you must submit with the application.
The additional documents include:
- Proof of citizenship:
- Birth Certificate
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad
- Proof of Identity
- Photo ID (driver’s license, government-issued ID, military ID)
- Passport size photo
- Application Fee
After submitting all the necessary documents and fees, you can now wait to receive your child passport. Keep in mind that anyone who is returning to the U.S. needs a passport to enter or exit. The passport will show proof of citizenship and identity for your child.