Birth of U.S. Citizens Abroad

Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240)

The birth of a child abroad to U.S. citizen parent(s) should be reported as soon as possible so that a Consular Report of Birth Abroad can be issued as an official record of the child’s claim to U.S. citizenship. Report the birth of your child abroad at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

  • A Consular Report of Birth can only be created at an American consular office overseas while the child is under age 18
  • An original Consular Report of Birth is given to the parent(s) at the time the report of birth is made and approved.
  • You may replace, amend or request multiple copies of a Consular Report of Birth at any time.
  • If you were born in one of the following locations a Consular Report of Birth is not available. You must obtain your birth record from the respective Vital Records Office:

Puerto Rico
U.S. Virgin Islands
American Samoa
Guam
Swains Island

The Panama Canal Zone before October 1, 1979
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands prior to 1986
The Philippines before July 4, 1946
 
Other Citizenship Documents Issued to U.S. Citizens Born Abroad:

Certification of Report of Birth (DS-1350)

As of December 31, 2010 the Department of State no longer issues Certifications of Report of Birth (DS-1350). All previously issued DS-1350s are still valid for proof of identity, citizenship and other legal purposes. You may now request multiple copies of a Consular Report of Birth (FS-240).

Certificate of Citizenship Issued by U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS)

The Consular Report of Birth and the Certificate of Citizenship are equally acceptable as proof of U.S. citizenship. An application for a Certificate of Citizenship may be submitted in the United States at the nearest office of the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services.


 
More Secure Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA):

In January 2011, the Department of State began issuing a redesigned FS-240 Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA). This new CRBA has been updated with a variety of state of the art security features, and is printed centrally in the United States. U.S. embassies and consulates no longer print CRBAs locally. The central production and the elimination of blank FS-240s around the world help ensure uniform quality and reduce the vulnerability to fraud.

The previous version of the FS-240 continues to be a valid proof of U.S. citizenship in accordance with 22 U.S.C 2705.