Embassy of the United States Monrovia, Liberia

If you are a U.S. citizen and the parent of a child born out of the United States, you will need to document your child’s U.S. citizenship with a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. This document is used in the United States like a certified copy of a birth certificate, and it is acceptable evidence of citizenship for obtaining a passport and entering school. Although the application forms and final documents are the same everywhere, embassies and consulates have different procedures to get them.

Application Forms

Please complete Form DS-2029: Consular Report of Birth Abroad (PDF, 53KB). The form can be completed in advance of your appointment or copies are available at the Consular Section.

Supporting Documents

You will need all of the following:

1. The child’s foreign birth certificate.
2. Proof of citizenship of the U.S. citizen parent(s). Your current passport is the preferred form of proof. Your U.S. birth certificate or naturalization certificate is also acceptable.
3. Proof of the relationship between the U.S. citizen parent(s) and the child. Your child’s birth certificate with both parents’ names on it is the best form of proof. 
4. If you are married, we need to see proof. If you have prior marriages, we need to see proof of how those marriages ended.
5. A statement from either U.S. citizen parent and evidence that she/he lived in the U.S. long enough to transmit citizenship to her/his child. The statement you give is called an Affidavit of Parentage, Physical Presence, and Support.

Form DS-5507: Affidavit of Parentage, Physical Presence, and Support (PDF, 166KB) can be completed in advance of your appointment or copies are available at the Consular Section.

How long is long enough? That will depend on whether the parents are married, and whether one or both is a U.S. citizen. Learn more about transmitting citizenship through the Bureau of Consular Affair's Acquisition of U.S. Citizenship by a Child Born Abroad page. 

How you prove you were physically present will depend a lot on your situation. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Some examples of acceptable evidence include school transcripts, old passports, income tax returns, utility bills in the name of the parent, employment records, military records, and or medical records. The more you can provide, the easier it will be for the consular officer to approve the CRBA.

Fees

We charge fees for this service. Please refer to the Schedule of Fees for current information.