TO SUBMIT A CRBA APPLICATION:

1.Complete Form DS-2029 (PDF 61KB)– Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA). Please use black ink to fill out the form, which must be signed in front of a U.S. Embassy Consular Officer or a U.S.-based notary public.

2.Assemble the following documents (documents must be originals or certified copies):

1. Two (2) passport photos of child – 5 cm x 5 cm (2 in x 2 in) on a white background.
2. Child’s original hospital birth certificate (déclarationde naissance) Child’s original government-issued birth certificate (acte de naissance)
3. If parents are married: the marriage certificate If parents were previously married: the divorce certificate(s)
4. If a parent is deceased: the parent’s death certificate
5. If parents were previously married: the divorce certificate (s) with a certified English translation.
6. If a parent is deceased: the parent’s death certificate with a certified English translation.
7. If a child is born out of wedlock and the U.S. citizen father transmitting citizenship is not present, he must complete form DS-5507 (PDF 35KB) – Affidavit of Parentage, Physical Presence and Support.
8. Evidence of the U.S. citizenship of each U.S. citizen parent (e.g. U.S. passport or naturalization certificate).
9. If the second parent is not a U.S. citizen, photo ID (e.g. a passport or national identity card) should be provided.
10. Proof of the U.S. citizen parent’s physical presence in the United States (e.g. previous passports, school transcripts, employment records, boarding passes, rent receipts, W-2 forms, Social Security statements, etc). Physical presence means the actual time the parent was physically present in the United States. Any travel outside the United States, including vacation, does not count toward physical presence and should NOT be included in the dates added in this section.
11. Evidence of relationship between the parents and child. The Consular Officer may suggest DNA testing to demonstrate the relationship between the parents and child.

If applying for a passport for the child: Visit https://bj.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/passports/

Schedule an appointment through the Consular Section’s online appointment system:

[Make an appointment]

 

Please schedule one appointment per applicant. If you have two children and each requires a CRBA service, each child must have an appointment.

Print your appointment confirmation letter and bring it with you to your appointment.

If you cannot attend the appointment you scheduled, please go back into the system and cancel the appointment before scheduling a new one.  You will need the password from your appointment confirmation letter.

FEES:

The fee for the CRBA is $100.00 or the equivalent in FCFA. Please check the Embassy website for the current U.S. dollar to FCFA exchange rate.  We do not accept U.S. dollar bills that were issued before 1997 or U.S. dollar bills that bear additional markings.

AVERAGE CRBA PROCESSING TIMES:

There is no standard processing time, as processing generally depends upon the provision of the required documentation by the parents. But if you have previously registered the birth of a U.S. citizen child born abroad, please inform the Consular Section, as that may help to accelerate the processing time.

Social Security applications are also available at the Embassy.  If you wish to apply for a Social Security card for your child, please fill out form SS-5 (PDF 132KB) and submit it at the time of the CRBA application.  Once your child’s CRBA and passport are issued, the Consular Section will submit the Social Security card application to the Social Security Administration.  The card will be delivered to your U.S. address.