Birth
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). United States non-citizen nationals are also eligible for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, using the non-citizen option. CRBA applications must be made before the child’s 18th birthday. We recommend that parents apply for the CRBA as soon as possible after obtaining the child’s birth certificate.
You may file the applications for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad and the first U.S. passport together, during the same appointment.
Eligibility Requirements
To apply, your child must have been born in Romania and you must travel to Bucharest for the in-person interview.
To be eligible to apply for a CRBA online with the U.S. Embassy Bucharest, you MUST answer YES to ALL the following criteria.
- Was the child born in Romania?
- Is the child under the age of 18?
- Was at least one parent a U.S. citizen or U.S. non-citizen national when the child was born?
- Are you a biological parent of a child born abroad who is applying for that child?
- Was the U.S. citizen parents present in the United States for the duration required by law to transmit citizenship to the child? (You may review the citizenship transmission requirements below).
How to Apply
- Prepare for the application: Review the CRBA necessary documents and information on our checklist in advance to prepare for filing your online CRBA application.
- Create an account: To apply for a CRBA online, you need to create a MyTravelGov account. MyTravelGov is a secured, encrypted portal. (You may watch this video to learn more about creating your account).
- Occasionally the eCRBA portal returns an error message: “At this time, eCRBA service is not available for the selected place of birth. Please click for instructions on applying for a CRBA using Form DS-2029.” Customers reported that after receiving such an error message, they did subsequently manage to submit their eCRBA online.
- Apply online: After you have created a MyTravelGov account you can access eCRBA and submit your application online. The easy-to-use online process provides applicants with step-by-step instructions on how to complete the application.
- Upload your documents: You must also upload all the applicable documents from the checklist (general documents, proof of maternity/paternity and evidence of physical presence of the parents in the United States). The documents uploaded must be clear digital copies of original documents, created using a scanner or mobile application (for example, a phone’s scanner function from the Google Driver application) to convert physical documents into digital formats like PDF or JPEG files. Do not upload photos, or digital copies of documents with visible fingers or objects, because they can compromise the document’s integrity. These digital copies will become part of your application.
- Request an appointment for your interview: Once you complete the online application and submit payment, send an email to ACSBucharest@state.gov to request an appointment. Your appointment can be scheduled at least 5 days after payment submission. This provides time for your payment to be processed prior to your CRBA interview. You may submit a passport application for the child during the same appointment (more information is provided below).
- Attend your interview at the Embassy: Attend you scheduled in-person interview with your original documents and their photocopies (single-sided). Original documents will be returned to you after reviewing your application. You must provide English translations for all foreign language documents. The child must be present at the time of application. Generally, both parents also attend the interview. Please do not make another (or duplicate) $100 payment for a CRBA at the Embassy.
Need Help?
We are here to help!
- You can access eCRBA 2.0 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Here.
- You can view an application how-to-guide
- For questions or concerns please contact ACSBucharest@state.gov.
Other Important Information
Passport applications and Social Security Card applications must be completed and submitted separately.
Passport application
If you wish to apply for a passport for your child at the same time, you must bring the following:
- Completed Passport Application – Form DS-11 (PDF 104 KB) – if applying for a U.S. passport at the same time: While you are not required to apply for your child’s passport at the same time that you apply for his/her Consular Report of Birth Abroad, you are encouraged to do so. Please do not sign the application until the consular officer interviews you.
- If you decide to apply at another time, both parents and the child may have to appear at the Embassy again. For children under age 16, the presence of the child and both parents is required at the time of application. Unequivocal consent to passport issuance is demonstrated by the parents signing the application form in front of a Consular Officer. If there are special circumstances and both parents cannot submit the application together, for example if one parent is not present in country, the absent parent’s English language, notarized Statement of Consent, Form DS-3053, not older than 90 days, must be submitted. If a parent has sole custody, an original or court certified copy of the custody order granting sole custody must be submitted with the application. If one parent is deceased, the death certificate should be submitted.
- The name of the applicant should match their birth document(s). Any material changes to the applicant’s name must be supported by an amended birth certificate or other name change evidence.
- Application Fee: $135. Payment options are as follows:
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- Credit Card – Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express or Diners Club. Fees cannot be paid with virtual cards. All credit card transactions are in U.S. dollars as if the transaction occurred in the United States. Please be advised that due to intermittent network connection issues we are sometimes unable to process credit card payments.
- Pay.gov – Pay online before your scheduled appointment using the U.S. government’s secure payment site: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/1274042472/. Paying online will reduce the wait time during your appointment. If you are paying online, you must print your payment confirmation page (which shows the transaction details) and bring it to your appointment. Online payments on Pay.Gov can be made via U.S. or international credit or debit card, or PayPal. Applicants who choose to pay the fee onsite at our facilities may still do so in cash (U.S. dollars or lei) or by credit card.
- Cash – U.S. or Romanian currency (lei)
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- One passport photograph: No photo is required for the Consular Report of Birth Abroad however, if you decide to apply for your child’s passport, you must submit a printed passport photograph of the child, measuring 5×5 cm (2×2 inches) and with a white background. You must bring a passport photo to the appointment. There is no photo booth at the embassy. The nearest photo shop is located in the Baneasa Shopping City, by the Carrefour supermaket entrance at “Cadouri personalizate“. See our photo requirements for information. Photos which do not meet the requirements will be rejected. Romanian sized photos will not be accepted.
Please note that an application for a Social Security Number can only be submitted after receiving the original Consular Report of Birth Abroad and Passport. To obtain a Social Security Number for your child, see further details here:
HOW TO APPLY FOR A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
- Wait for your US Passport and Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA). The American Citizen Services will provide you certified copies of the child’s passport and CRBA, and of the U.S. passport of the applying parent.
- Fill out an SS-5, Social Security Card application. Include the form in an envelope with the certified copies received from us and mail them to the Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Consulate Naples, Italy:
U.S. Consulate General/FBU
Piazza della Repubblica
80122 Naples (Italy)
For instructions and contact information see the US Consulate Naples website at: https://it.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/fbu/.