U.S. Embassy in Belgium

CRBA Checklist

A Consular Report of Birth (CRBA) is evidence of United States citizenship, issued to a child 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 done before the child’s 18th birthday.  We recommend that the parents apply for the CRBA as soon as possible after the child’s birth.

The following documents are required to be uploaded to the system.  Please note that the form DS-2029 does NOT need to be printed if the application was completed online.

Completed Printed Form (if not completed online) DS-2029 (PDF 64 KB)	Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad
The Child’s Birth Certificate	This is the Belgian Birth Certificate, issued by local authorities. This document must show the biological parents’ names. Short form birth certificates, which do not indicate parentage, are not acceptable. If the Birth Certificate is not in English, an informal translation by parent on a separate sheet of paper must be included.
Photo ID of the child, if applicable	This is not necessary for newborns
Evidence of Parents’ Citizenship and Identity	Acceptable documents include:  U.S. Passport. Original or Certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate (usually bearing a raised seal). Certificate of Naturalization Consular Report of Birth Abroad.
If both parents are U.S. citizens: evidence of one Parent’s residence in the U.S.	Examples of documents that can help demonstrate a residence include, but are not limited to, a combination of some of the following: US driving license, property rental leases and payment receipts, deeds, utility bills, property tax records, automobile registrations, professional licenses, employment records or information, income tax records, stamped school transcripts, military records, income records, including W-2 salary forms, and vaccination and medical records.
Marriage Certificate, if applicable	Original certificate issued by local, state, or national government authorities. If your marriage certificate is in a language other than English, an informal translation must be provided.
Divorce Decrees/ Death Certificates, if applicable	It will be necessary to show termination of all prior marriages for both parents. Please bring original certificates with informal translations, if appropriate.
If the child is born out of wedlock and the father is a U.S. citizen and is listed on the birth certificate, evidence of acknowledgement of paternity by the U.S. citizen father and agreement to pay child support.	As evidence, bring a notarized Affidavit of Parentage and Physical Presence or a U.S. court order regarding child support payment.
If only one parent is a U.S. citizen bring primary evidence documents that may establish your physical presence in the U.S. before the child’s birth (for a total of 5 years; 2 of which after the age of 14)	Acceptable documents include:  DD214 Separation Statement (Military Members only) Transcripts from High School and/or College Wage Statements
Secondary evidence documents that may establish your physical presence in the U.S. before the child’s birth. This evidence is necessary if only one parent is a U.S. citizen and insufficient primary evidence is submitted.	Acceptable documents include: Former/Current Passport with stamps Airline ticket stubs Credit Card Bills Utility bills Tax forms Notarized Affidavits from former/current employers