A consular officer may suggest applicants undergo DNA testing to establish the claimed biological relationship in conjunction with a citizenship case or an immigrant visa application. This testing is entirely voluntary. All costs of testing and related expenses must be borne by the applicant.
- Selectionof an AABB-Accredited Lab: The applicant selects a lab accredited by the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) and contacts the lab directly to make arrangements and pay for testing. You can find the list of accredited labs on this website.
The lab will send a DNA test kit to the U.S. Embassy. The kit must include a pre-paid, pre-addressed return envelope. Please use FedEx or DHL for shipping and ensure the test kit sent as “documents” rather than “cargo.” The test kit must be sent directly from the selected lab to the following address:
U.S. Embassy/Consular Section
29 Georgian-American Friendship Avenue
Didi Dighomi, Tbilisi, 0131, Georgia
Phone: +995 32 227 7000
Under no circumstances can individuals use third-party vendors to select the lab, arrange their appointments, or transport the specimens.
- DNACollection at the U.S. Embassy: Once the U.S. Embassy receives the test kit, the consular section will contact the applicant to arrange a time to come to the U.S. Embassy to provide a DNA sample, which will be collected by a lab technician from the panel physician’s office.
All individuals providing samples must bring identification in the form of passports or, for minors, their birth certificates. If the birth certificate is not in English, a certified translation must also be provided. Each person providing a DNA sample must also bring two passport photos (2”x 2”/51 mm x 51 mm) of themselves.
Once the test is complete, the consular section staff will seal the DNA samples and ship them, using the pre-paid pre-addressed envelope, to the selected AABB-accredited laboratory.
- Test Results: The selected AABB-accredited laboratory will send the DNA test results directly to the U.S. Embassy. Upon receipt, the consular section will contact the applicant regarding next steps. Even though the applicant may receive the DNA test results earlier than the consular section, the consular section must receive the results directly from the lab before further action is taken.
