Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)

The law on transmission of U.S. citizenship

To qualify, at least one of the parents must have been a U.S. citizen on the date of the child’s birth and must meet U.S. physical presence requirements. Learn more about transmitting citizenship through the Bureau of Consular Affairs’ Acquisition of U.S.Citizenship by a Child Born Abroad page.

Application for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad

A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (commonly referred to as CRBA) is a document issued by the U.S. Embassy reflecting the birth abroad of a child who acquired U.S. citizenship at birth.

If your child has a potential claim to U.S. citizenship, the U.S. citizen parent(s) will need to submit an application for a “Consular Report of Birth of an American Citizen Abroad” before a consular officer.  If your child is eligible for a Report of Birth, a passport may be obtained at the same time for an additional fee. U.S. citizens may often transmit citizenship to their children born abroad, but the transmission requirements vary depending on when the child was born and the marital status of the U.S. citizen parent.

The application (Form DS-2029) must be submitted by a U.S. citizen parent prior to the child’s 18th birthday. We encourage parents to document their child’s citizenship as soon as possible after the birth.  A passport application for the child may be submitted at the same time.

 How to schedule a CRBA appointment:

Prior to requesting an appointment at consularouaga@state.gov, you must:

• Download, print, and complete the CRBA Checklist (PDF 453KB). Please review the individual items carefully and check them off as you complete them.
• Complete a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Form DS-2029. Do not sign.
• Application for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), Form DS-2029 (PDF file). Please click Sample 1 (PDF 1MB) and Sample 2 (PDF 1MB) for an example of a correctly completed DS-2029
• Please click Sample Parental Consent (PDF 246KB ) for an example of a correctly completed parental consent DS-3053
• Gather supporting evidence (marriage certificate, birth certificate, physical presence documents, etc.), which may be found at the CRBA Checklist. As you complete the items on the checklist, please check the corresponding box.
• Complete a passport application, Form DS-11. Do not sign. Application for a U.S. Passport, Form DS-11.

Once the above steps have been completed, please send an email to consularouaga@state.gov with the subject line: “Request for CRBA appointment – [NAME OF YOUR CHILD].” Please include a scanned copy of the completed CRBA Checklist, DS-2029 form and the documents identified on page 1 of the CRBA Checklist with your appointment request. Appointments will not be granted without these scanned and completed documents.

Note: The child must be physically present at the appointment. Each child requesting a CRBA needs a separate CRBA Checklist, though you may send all the information and documentation in one email.

If the U.S. parent is not in Burkina Faso and will not be present at the appointment, the following are required from him/her:

• Certified copy of the biographic page of the U.S. passport.
• Copies of entry and exit stamps on U.S. passports and all passports in his/her possession.
• Statement of Consent, form DS-3053, notarized by a notary public in the U.S., or by a U.S. Consular Officer at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate (if applying for the passport at the same time).

Passport Application

The Embassy encourages applicants to apply for a CRBA and passport at the same time, because the Consular Report of Birth Abroad is not a travel document.  A passport application for the same child will be accepted at the CRBA appointment (no need to make an additional appointment). Please review the requirements for Passport for Children (Under Age 16).

Picking up the Consular Report of Birth Abroad and the U.S. Passport

Approved Consular Reports of Birth Abroad and U.S. passports are usually ready for pick up two weeks following the final adjudication.