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.
If you are unsure whether your child needs a U.S. visa or a U.S. passport, take our Baby Quiz to find out!
To Apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad for Your Child
Step 1. Create a MyTravelGov account. MyTravelGov is a secure, encrypted portal. To learn how to create your account, visit MyTravelGov or watch this video. For more information, check our eCRBA Customer Application Instructions or our how-to-guide.
Step 2. Once you have created a MyTravelGov account, you can access your electronic CRBA (eCRBA) application and submit it online. You may review the necessary documents for the eCRBA application in advance by reviewing this checklist.
Step 3. Payment: eCRBA requires payment using the U.S. government’s official payment site pay.gov, a secure online payment system used by many U.S. government agencies. Pay.gov accepts payment in U.S. dollars from a credit card (MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Discover) or U.S. bank account. If you are unable to pay online, you may make a payment on the day of your appointment. If you use Pay.gov, do NOT make another (or duplicate) payment for a CRBA ($100) at the Embassy.
Step 4. Once you complete the online application and submit payment, you will be directed to schedule your appointment at U.S. Embassy, Brussels. Please schedule your appointment at least 5 working days after payment submission. This provides time for your payment to be processed prior to your interview.
Step 5. Attend your scheduled in-person interview with your original documents, matching those scanned into the eCRBA portal. Original documents will be returned to you after review. The child must be present at the time of application. Generally, both parents attend the interview.
Step 6. During your CRBA appointment, you may also apply for your child’s first passport . The payment for a passport should be done at U.S. Embassy, Brussels. Both parents/guardians must authorize the issuance of the child’s passport. If one parent/guardian cannot attend the interview with the child, they must show parental consent by completing Form DS-3053 “Statement of Consent.”
Step 7. If you prefer to have your child’s CRBA and new passport returned to you via registered mail, you must include a self-addressed envelope with one (1) registered (recommandé/aangetekend) stamp and three (3) “Prior” stamps for each application during the interview. Important: The Embassy declines any responsibility for the delivery of passports by registered mail.
Step 8. You will receive an e-mail confirmation once your documents have arrived at the U.S. Embassy in Brussels. If you provided a self-addressed envelope with stamps during the interview, they will be delivered to you via registered mail. If you did not provide an envelope with the proper stamps, you must pick up your documents at the Embassy.
Step 9. If you wish to apply for your child’s SSN outside of the United States, we will prepare an SSN package together with your child’s CRBA and new passport which you need to send to the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) located in Dublin, Ireland directly.
Need Help?
Access eCRBA 2.0 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
DNA
In order to transmit U.S. citizenship to a child born abroad, among other requirements, there must be a biological relationship between the child and a U.S. citizen parent or parents. Genetic testing is a useful tool for verifying a stated biological relationship in the absence of sufficient other evidence to establish such relationship. Commonly tested relationships that may be used to establish paternity and/or maternity in citizenship claims arising from birth abroad to a U.S. citizen father or mother include father-child, mother-child, child and full brother or sister, child and half brother or sister, and avuncular relationships (child and paternal aunt/uncle/grandparent)., full. DNA testing is the only biological testing method currently accepted by the Department to establish a biological relationship. However, due to the expense, complexity, and logistical delays inherent in parentage testing, genetic testing generally should be used only in the absence of sufficient other evidence (documentation, photos, etc.) establishing the relationship.
For more information, please consult Travel.state.gov at: Policy on DNA testing