A child born outside of the United States to a U.S. citizen, or to a person married to a U.S. citizen at the time of the birth, may acquire U.S. citizenship and be issued a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA). See USCIS regulations and following the Transmission of U.S. Citizenship rules for more specific eligibility guidelines.

TRANSMISSION OF U.S. CITIZENSHIP REQUIREMENTS:

• At least one parent has U.S. nationality at the time of the child’s birth;
• There is a blood relationship between the child and U.S. citizen parent(s), or between the child and the spouse of the U.S. citizen parent, as long as the marriage occurred before the child’s birth;
• The transmitting U.S. citizen parent(s) has sufficient presence in the United States prior to the child’s birth, as specified among the following transmission requirement descriptions:
  • Birth to Two U.S. Citizen Parents
    • A child born to two U.S. citizen parents abroad acquires citizenship at birth, so long as either parent had a residence in the United States or its possessions sometime before the child’s birth.  There is no specific length of physical presence required.
  • Birth to a U.S. Citizen Parent Married to an Alien Parent, or Birth to an Alien Unmarried U.S. Citizen Father
    • A U.S. citizen parent may transmit citizenship if s/he has been physically present in the United States for a certain period of time prior to the child’s birth.  For children born on or after November 14, 1986, the citizen parent must prove that s/he was physically present in the U.S. for 5 years, 2 of which were after age 14. It is important to recognize that the burden of proof is on the applicant.
  • Birth to Unmarried U.S. Citizen Mother
    • An unmarried U.S. citizen mother may transmit citizenship to a child born abroad if she has been physically present in the United States for a certain amount of time prior to the child’s birth. For children born between November 14, 1986 and June 11, 2017, the mother must prove that she was physically present in the U.S. for a minimum period of one continuous year. For children born on or after June 12, 2017, the mother must prove that she was physically present in the U.S. for 5 years, 2 of which were after age 14. It is important to recognize that the burden of proof is on the applicant.

CRBA CHECKLIST

 If, after reviewing the Transmission of U.S. Citizenship you wish to continue the CRBA application, please ensure you first have everything in order using the information below, then make an appointment using our online scheduling system. If you have any questions or require assistance making an appointment, please email BrazzavilleConsular@state.gov. We will respond as quickly as possible, and generally within 24-48 business hours.

To avoid delays, make sure to have your documentation completed and ready for adjudication at the time of your interview. Failure to do so will result in delays and may require you to make a follow-on appointment at the Embassy for further adjudication. When filling out forms, do not leave any fields blank. For any question that does not apply, mark “N/A” (not applicable). The following list will aid you in making sure you have everything in order and, again, please email BrazzavilleConsular@state.gov to clarify any questions ahead of your interview.

• Complete Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad DS-2029, to include properly completing the proof of presence information on pages 2 and 3, as appropriate; and
• Complete passport application DS-11 (if you are applying for your child’s passport as well);
• Gather documents: On the day of your appointment, you will need all the following (original and one photocopy of each document):
  • Child’s original birth certificate issued by the Civil Registrar;
  • Two passport pictures (2”x2”) of the child;
  • Proof of the parent(s) U.S. citizenship, such as an original U.S. birth certificate, passport, CRBA, Naturalization Certificate, or Certificate of Citizenship;
  • Proof of physical presence in the United States of the U.S. citizen parent(s): valid time includes when undocumented, as a Legal Permanent Resident, or as a U.S. citizen. All physical presence must have occurred prior to the birth of the child. Examples of proof of physical presence includes vaccination records, baptismal certificate, elementary and middle school report cards, high school and college transcripts and diplomas, military records (DD-214), income tax return, W2s (from employment held while in the United States), Social Security Statement, old passports, etc. You can often find significant evidence of your proof of presence through your tax records by visiting ssa.govand retrieving your estimated lifetime earnings by year;
  • Proof of identity for each parent: a valid, original passport, or driver license;
  • Marriage/Divorce Certificate(s): If you are married, provide an original or certified copy of the marriage certificate. If you were previously married, please provide marriage, divorce, or death certificates for all previous marriages;
  • Pregnancy/antenatal and birth records: dated ultrasounds/scans containing the name of the mother, laboratory test results, doctor/ultrasound/hospital receipts, pictures of the mother pregnant, pictures of mother and baby immediately following the birth and during the hospital stay. Any and all hospital or medical documents (discharge orders, paid hospital bill, prescriptions following the birth, etc.)
  • Proof of relationship between parents: For example, time-stamped photos of the couple together before, during, and after the pregnancy, photos of the U.S. citizen parent with the newborn baby, Western Union money transfer receipts over time, birthday cards, email printouts, lease agreements, bank statements, home utility bills, etc. Proof the couple was together at the time of conception, i.e. passport with entry and exit stamps, etc.

On the day of your appointment at the Embassy, the child and at least one of the biological parents must appear in person unless alternate arrangements have been approved by the Embassy. You must bring all of the above documents, plus two photocopies of each. In addition, inside the Embassy, you must pay $100 USD (or equivalent in CFA) to apply for the CRBA. If you decide to apply for your child’s first-time passport at the same time, you must pay an additional $135 USD (or equivalent in CFA) for that application and follow all appropriate guidelines found here. There are no refunds for either service. Payment must be made in cash.

Please note that the Consular Cashier cannot accept any bills older than 2006. Please visit here for other important information on forms, fees and other required documentation.