Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)

A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (or CRBA) is required to register the citizenship of a foreign born child to at least one American citizen parent. The child must be under the age of 18 to apply for a CRBA. The citizen parent of the child must be able to provide proof of physical presence in the United States prior to the child's birth.

When applying for a CRBA please present:

• Completed CRBA form (CRBA Application)
• Completed Affidavit of U.S. Citizen’s Physical Presence in the U.S. (Affidavit of Physical Presence)
• Parental proof of physical presence in the U.S. for five years prior to the child’s birth. (see examples below)
• Citizen parent’s proof of U.S. citizenship (U.S. passport and Naturalization Certificate or U.S. birth certificate)
• Child’s original civil birth certificate.  If both parents are listed on the birth certificate then both parents must appear, with child, in person at the U.S. Embassy in Kingston, the U.S. Consular agency in Montego Bay, Jamaica or the U.S. Consular agency in Grand Cayman (Embassy/Agency Contact Information)
• Parents' marriage, divorce, or death certificates
• The cost for the application is $65.00 USD*

Examples of Acceptable Proof of Physical Presence

• Grade school or college transcripts
• W2 forms and Federal income taxes returns
• Hospital records
• Employment records

Time spent abroad for vacations, visits to family, or schooling in another country may not be counted towards the five years.

Additional documentation or proof may be required as individual cases merit.

• If the father is the U.S. citizen then he will be required to produce 5 years of proof of physical presence in the United States PRIOR to the child's birth.
• If the mother is the U.S. citizen, unmarried at the time of the child's birth, then she will be required to produce proof that she was CONTINUOUSLY present in the United States for 1 year prior to the child's birth.
• If the mother is married at the time of the child's birth then she will be required to produce 5 years of proof of physical presence in the United States PRIOR to the child's birth.
• If both parents are U.S. citizens at the time of the child's birth they are only required to produce documentation of their citizenship PRIOR to the child's birth. No proof of physical presence is necessary.

An application for the child’s first passport should also be submitted along with the CRBA application. (Passport Application)

*For those applying at the Cayman Island Consular Agency, please note that the only form of payment accepted is a draft drawn on a U.S. bank and payable to the U.S. Embassy.