Birth

The birth of a child abroad to U.S. citizen parent(s) should be reported as soon as possible to the nearest American consular office for the purpose of establishing an official record of the child’s claim to U.S. citizenship at birth. A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) is an official record of U.S. citizenship issued to a person under age 18 who was born abroad to United States citizen parent(s) and acquired citizenship at birth. Schools, the Social Security Agency, and other institutions throughout the United States accept it and give it the same credence they give to birth certificates issued by state authorities in the United States.

NOTE: Only biological children of Americans may qualify for a CRBA. Adoption of a child by an American citizen does not confer U.S. citizenship on the child. However, adopted children may be eligible for citizenship through naturalization pursuant to a lawful admission into the US as a permanent resident. See the Department of State’s Child Citizenship Act of 2000 page for more information.

Only the child’s biological parent or legal guardian, preferably the U.S. citizen parent, can apply for a CRBA. Either parent, including a non-U.S. citizen parent, may execute and sign this application. If it will be signed and executed by a legal guardian, a special power of attorney from the parent(s) or guardianship affidavit must be submitted. The application must be made before the child’s 18th birthday and the child must make a personal appearance at the U.S. Embassy. Delays in reporting of the birth of your child could cause inconvenience and possibly deprive your child of this valuable document because persons age 18 and over are not eligible for a CRBA.

Report of Birth Abroad

Please read all information on this page to understand the application process, including making an appointment and preparing documents for the interview. In order for a child/applicant to be documented as a U.S. citizen, the U.S. citizen parent(s) must fulfill all of the following three requirements:

1) Transmission – This is the ability of a U.S. citizen parent to transmit citizenship to their child. The U.S. citizen parent(s) must have been a U.S. citizen at the time of the child’s birth and must have accrued sufficient physical presence in the U.S. to transmit citizenship. The transmission requirements depend on the date of birth of the child and the legal relationship between the parents at the time of the birth of the child. For a child born to a U.S. citizen father and a non-U.S. citizen mother (whether married to each other or not) on or after November 14, 1986, the child may be entitled to citizenship provided the U.S. citizen parent, before the birth of the child, had been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for five (5) years, at least two years of which were after the U.S. citizen parent reached the age of fourteen. For a child born to an unwed U.S. citizen mother, or to two U.S. citizen parents who are married to each other, or for those born before November 14, 1986, please click on the Transmission Requirements for Citizenship for the specific time period required by law.

2) Legitimation – The child/applicant must meet the legal requirements pertaining to legitimation. A child born to a female U.S. citizen (and a non-U.S. citizen father) is automatically legitimated. Proof of legitimation is, however, required for a child born to a male U.S. citizen. Persons born to an in-wedlock U.S. citizen father and non-U.S. citizen mother are legitimated by virtue of the marriage. Persons born to an out-of-wedlock U.S. citizen father and non-U.S. citizen mother, and not legitimated by the natural parents’ subsequent marriage can be legitimated by the following procedures:

While the person is under the age of 18 years old, the father acknowledged paternity of the person in writing under oath or the paternity of the person was established by adjudication of a competent court, and
Before the applicant reached the age of 18, the father (unless deceased before the applicant’s 18th birthday) agreed in writing and under oath to provide financial support for the applicant until the applicant reaches the age of 18 years old. (NOTE: The father should complete the form “Affidavit of Parentage, Physical Presence and Support” (DS-5507) (PDF 280KB), in conjunction with a CRBA application, to satisfy these requirements.

3) Filiation – A biological and legal relationship with the child/applicant and the claimed U.S. citizen parent must be established. The burden of proving a claim to U.S. citizenship, including blood relationship, is on the person making such claim. When no substantive form of credible evidence is available in conjunction with a CRBA or Passport application, a parent may find genetic testing to be a useful tool for confirming a stated biological relationship. Note: Do not initiate a DNA test unless it was recommended by the Embassy for your pending CRBA or Passport application. A DNA Test that was done independently and not according to Department of State procedures will not be accepted to support a CRBA or Passport application.

Schedule an Appointment

Our hours of operation for are Tuesdays from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. In order to make an appointment to apply for a CRBA, please click here. We are closed on all American and Marshallese holidays. For a listing of the holidays for which we will be closed, please click here.

Requirements for CRBA

You will be asked to present the following documents at the time of the interview for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Please bring photocopies when required. Otherwise, you will be charged for the photocopying fee of $1.00 per page at the Embassy:

Two (2) identical passport photographs of the child, two identical separate passport photographs of the mother and the father. These must be in 2in x 2in (5cm x 5 cm) in dimension, set against a while background. Please click here for photo instructions.
Unsigned, completed Application for CRBA (form DS-2029). Only the child’s biological parent or legal guardian, preferably the U.S. citizen parent, can apply for a CRBA. Either parent, including a non-U.S. citizen parent, may execute and sign this application form before a Consular Officer. If it will be signed and executed by a legal guardian, a special power of attorney from the parent(s) or guardianship affidavit must be submitted. Please read and follow the “Instructions Page of the CRBA form” when filling it out. Complete items 1-15 but do not sign this form until you are standing before the Consular Officer during your appointment at the Embassy. Click here (PDF 61KB) for the application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad (form DS-2029).
The child’s original RMI birth certificate and one photocopy of same. For an applicant born in a country other than the Marshall Islands, please bring the birth certificate issued by the government in the country of birth.
For a school-age child, photo identification of child, if available, and photographs of the child at different ages. These photos should be a sampling that represents the child’s growth from infancy to current age.
Evidence of parent’s(s’) U.S. citizenship. The U.S. citizen parent(s) must present his/her current and expired U.S. passports and a photocopy of each. A notarized copy of the current U.S. passport and its pages is acceptable in lieu of the original. If the U.S. citizen parent was naturalized, he/she must bring the original Certificate of Naturalization and one photocopy.
Original Passport/Identification document for non-U.S. citizen parent, with one photocopy of the same. A non-U.S. citizen parent must bring his/her passport. In the absence of a passport, two other forms of official photo identification are acceptable.
Parents’ marriage certificate, if applicable. Please bring the original Marriage Certificate and one photocopy.
If the parents were not married at the time of the birth of the applicant, a completed Affidavit of Parentage, Physical Presence and Support (Form DS-5507) is required for an applicant born to an unmarried U.S. citizen father. Do not sign the document if the father will be present at the interview. If the father will not be present, the form must by signed by the father (signature is required on page 3 and page 4) and notarized by a U.S. commissioned notary. If the father is deceased, an original Death Certificate and one photocopy must be submitted. Click here (PDF 54KB) to download Form DS-5507.
Any original divorce decree and annulment decrees/death certificates, if applicable, and one photocopy of same. The mother and/or father will need to show termination of all prior marriages. If the U.S. citizen parent is deceased, please provide an original death certificate.
Documentary Evidence (original and one photocopy) of U.S. citizen parent'(s’) physical presence in the U.S. The law requires the U.S. citizen parent(s) to bring proof of having physically resided in the United States for a defined period of time. For a child born to a U.S. citizen father and a non-U.S. citizen mother (whether married to each other or not) on or after November 14, 1986, the child may be entitled to citizenship provided the U.S. citizen parent, before the birth of the child, had been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for five (5) years, at least two years of which were after the U.S. citizen parent reached the age of fourteen. For a child born to an unwed U.S. citizen mother, or to two U.S. citizen parents who are married to each other, please click on the Transmission Requirement for Citizenship for the specific time period required by law. Regularly available documents that may establish physical presence in the U.S. before the child’s birth include: Transcripts from High School and/or College, Income Tax Returns and W2s, old passports, and a DD-214 Separation Statement (Military Members only). There are many other documents that may be submitted to demonstrate previous physical presence in the U.S., and the Consular Officer will evaluate any of these. Please bring one photocopy of each document to be presented.
Prenatal records and/or other evidence of the mother’s pregnancy.
Evidence of the couple’s relationship prior to the conception of the applicant. The burden of proving a claim to U.S. citizenship, including blood relationship, is on the person making such claim. Photos prior to the time of conception, letters, and other correspondence may help establish the couple’s relationship prior to the conception of the applicant. When no substantive form of credible evidence is available in conjunction with a CRBA or Passport application, a parent may find genetic testing to be a useful tool for confirming a stated biological relationship. Note: Do not initiate a DNA test unless it was recommended by the Embassy for your pending CRBA or Passport application. A DNA Test that was done independently and not according to Department of State procedures will not be accepted to support a CRBA or Passport application.
Non-Refundable Application Fee for CRBA. The fee for a CRBA is $100. Payment will be made at the Consular Section’s Cashier on the day of the appointment, in cash.

Upon approval of the CRBA, many parents wish to apply at once for the child’s first passport. Parents interested in taking advantage of this convenient opportunity should come prepared with the following additional forms and expectations:

Unsigned, completed Application for a U.S. passport (Form DS-11). Click here for Form DS-11 PDF format (PDF 81KB). Click here for Form DS-11 wizard (if completing form electronically or online). Complete but do not sign this form until you are before the Consular Officer. For children under the age of 16, both parents/legal guardians are required to come to the Embassy in person to accompany the child.
Passport Fee. The passport fee for a child under 16 is $105; for those 16 and over, the fee is $135.
If one of the parents of the child under the age of 16 cannot come to the Embassy, an original Statement of Consent Form (Form DS-3053) (PDF 41KB) signed by the absent parent must be presented. The form must be notarized by a U.S. commissioned notary. (The Statement of Consent document is valid in the passport application process for 90 days after the date of notarization.)
If both parents of the child under the age of 16 will not be present and only a guardian will be signing on the passport application of the child, submit guardianship affidavit or special power of attorney (SPA) signed and executed by both parents along with signed and notarized Statement of Consent form (Form DS-3053) (PDF 41KB) from each parent. The SPA from both parents should contain the child’s full name and date of birth and must authorize the guardian to apply for the child’s passport and to act in the parents’ capacity. The form must be notarized by a U.S. commissioned notary. (The Statement of Consent document is valid in the passport application process for 90 days after the date of notarization.)