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). 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.
Please note:
- A CRBA is not a travel document or a birth certificate.
- A CRBA serves as a citizenship proof document which does not expire.
- Even if your child holds another nationality, he or she must enter and exit the United States on a U.S. passport. We encourage applying for CRBA and a U.S. passport at the same time.
- Applications for CRBAs and U.S. passports for children born in Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhya must be accompanied by the appropriate Ukrainian civil documents. We do not accept or recognize the validity of Russian civil documents issued in these areas. For information regarding obtaining civil documents related to life events that occurred in Crimea, please contact U.S. Embassy Kyiv’s American Citizen Services Unit at KyivACS@state.gov.
Step 1: Prepare Required Documents
Ensure that you have all the required documentation ready. You will need physical documents as well as scanned electronic versions:
- The child’s U.S. passport photograph. Please ensure you have reviewed photograph requirements here .
- The child’s original birth certificate: The birth certificate should the child’s full name, date and place of birth, and the parents’ full names. If written in a language other than English, you must provide an official English translation.
- Proof of the parent(s) U.S. citizenship. U.S. Passport (original plus two photocopies of the biographical data page including the signature page). The passport must be signed. If the U.S. passport was issued subsequent to the child’s birth, the transmitting parent must show they were a U.S. citizen at the time of the child’s birth. If the parent was naturalized as a U.S. citizen, please also bring the original Certificate of Naturalization.
- If one of the parents is not a U.S. citizen: Foreign passport or other government issued photo ID (original plus two photocopies). The passport must be signed. If the identity document is not in English, provide an official English translation.
- If the child’s parents are married: The original civil/legal marriage certificate, and an official English translation if applicable.
- If either parent has ever been married in the past: The original divorce decree or death certificate for all previous marriages and English translation, if applicable
- If the child has been issued with a passport of another nationality: Their Russian and/or other nationality passport.
- Evidence of the U.S. citizen parent’s physical presence in the United States before the child’s birth. See more details here .
- DNA Testing: In cases involving Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), including surrogacy, clear evidence of the child’s genetic relationship to the U.S. citizen parent is required. It is likely that DNA will be recommended in ART cases. Please see this page for more information.
Step 2: Complete Online eCRBA Application
You must apply online for a CRBA following the below directions. After you complete your online application, you will still need to appear at an interview and bring original civil documents.
- Create your profile: To apply for a CRBA online, you need to create a MyTravelGov account.
- Complete the online application: Access eCRBA through your MyTravelGov account, which provides easy, step-by-step instructions to complete your application. You should review the necessary documents for the CRBA application in advance by reviewing the below list of required documents.
Step 3: Complete First-Time Passport Application (DS-11)
If you would like to apply for a passport for your child, please complete and print your DS-11 application. We can adjudicate the passport application for your child at the same time as the CRBA interview. You do not need to schedule a separate passport appointment.
Step 4: Schedule an in-person appointment
Complete the online eCRBA application, and then schedule an appointment.
1. Request an appointment:
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- To schedule an appointment, you must first complete an eCRBA application and upload all required supporting documents.
- EMAIL US at MoscowCRBA@state.gov with the following information:
- USE THIS SUBJECT LINE: CRBA Appointment – [Applicant’s Full Name]
- Last name of child
- First name of child
- Child’s date of birth
- Case Number on CRBA application
2. Attend your scheduled in-person interview: You MUST bring all original documents to your appointment.
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- Please bring photocopies of your documents, and your original documents will be returned to you.
- You must provide English translations for all documents written in a language other than English.
- Please note that both parents and the child should come in person to the appointment if possible.
Step 5: Apply for Social Security Number (SSN) Card
Upon receiving the CRBA and passport, parents can apply for the social security number (SSN) for the child. The Federal Benefits Unit in Warsaw, Poland, processes SSN applications from Russia. U.S. Citizen Services at Embassy Moscow can certify necessary documents as true copies for an SSN application free of charge. If one of the parents is picking up the documents, you may request certified copies of the CRBA and passport at the time of document pickup. Social Security Numbers are not automatically assigned. We encourage you to apply for this as soon as possible.