NOTICE: All consular services are available by appointment only. Please read the following instructions carefully before scheduling your appointment at Step 3, below.
A Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America is a formal document certifying the acquisition of U.S. citizenship at birth of a person born overseas to a U.S. citizen parent(s).
If you are a U.S. citizen and you have had a child while living in Sri Lanka or the Maldives, it is possible that you have transmitted U.S. citizenship to your child.
Please go through the steps below to first determine if your child is eligible for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, and if applicable, to apply.
Keep in mind that the application must be submitted before the child’s 18th birthday.
STEP 1- Determine whether your biological child born after November 14, 1986 qualifies for U.S. citizenship
Your biological child has a claim to U.S. citizenship if he/she meets ONE of the following conditions. These conditions must have been met prior to the birth of the child:
- BOTH of the child’s biological parents are U.S. citizens and one of the parents has resided in the United States at some point.
- Only ONE of the child’s biological parents is a U.S. citizen, the child’s parents are MARRIED, and the U.S. citizen parent has been physically present in the U.S. for a period of at least five years, two of which must have been after the age of 14.
- The child was born to an UNMARRIED, MALE U.S. citizen who has been physically present in the U.S. for a period of at least five years, two of which must have been after the age of 14. In this case, the U.S. father must agree in writing to support his child until the child reaches the age of 18 years (as part of the application form).
- The child was born on or before June 11, 2017 to an UNMARRIED, FEMALE U.S. citizen who has spent at least 365 days of uninterrupted physical presence in the U.S. at any time.
- The child was born on or after June 11, 2017 to an UNMARRIED, FEMALE U.S. citizen who has been physically present in the U.S. for a period of at least five years, two of which must have been after the age of 14.
STEP 2- Application Package
If you have determined that your child is eligible for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) you must gather the documents listed below.
You must submit all documents in original form and one photocopy of each (except the application DS2029 – only one copy is needed). All original documents will be returned to you at the end of your appointment. Please note that if you are also applying for the child’s passport, you will have to bring additional photocopies of the documents listed in the requirements for passport applications for minors (see number 9 below)
- Form DS2029 for CRBA (PDF 52.3 KB) Please read the instructions carefully before completing, and fully complete all applicable sections before your appointment (do NOT sign). You can either fill it out online, or write legibly in block letters. Application must be filled out in black ink. Please print one-sided.
- Child’s Birth Certificate- original and English translation.
- Hospital Diagnosis Card, Delivery Report, Pregnancy records, Pediatrician records and any other hospital records from the pregnancy and birth of the child.
- U.S. passport(s) for U.S. citizen parent(s).
- Valid passport or Driver’s License for non-U.S. citizen parent, if applicable (Sri Lankan driving license must be issued after 2009 and include an expiration date)
- Parent’s marriage certificate, if applicable – original and English translation.
- Proof of termination of any prior marriages for parents, if applicable (divorce decree, annulment, death certificate) – original and translation, if not in English.
- Documentary evidence of the U.S. citizen parent’s required physical presence in the United States prior to the birth of the child, as stated in section 24 and 25 of the DS-2029. Examples of evidence include school and university transcripts, employment records, contracts, DD-214 statement of military service, dental or medical records, previous passports, etc. (tax returns or W-2s are not sufficient, as they do not document actual time spent in the United States). Please be mindful that it is the applicant’s responsibility to prove that they meet the physical presence requirement to transmit citizenship to a child, and must be able to demonstrate with enough evidence that a Consular Officer will review and approve. The burden of proof rests on the applicants.
- Form DS-11- Application for U.S. Passport We strongly recommend that you apply for a U.S. passport for your child at the same time of the CRBA application for travel purposes. Please visit our detailed instructions for further information on passport issuance for minors. Note that additional photocopies of some of the documents listed above must be submitted along with the DS 11 passport application.
- One photograph for passport application, meeting the requirements.
- Correct fees, in cash (dollars or rupees) for the required services. We are not able to accept payment by check or credit card.
STEP 3- Schedule your Appointment
Each applicant for a CRBA requires an individual appointment. You don’t need to schedule a separate appointment for the passport application if you are applying for CRBA and passport at the same time.
STEP 4- Come to the Embassy the day of your appointment
Be mindful that both parents and the child MUST be physically present before a consular officer the day of the appointment.
You will need to be at the embassy for an estimated 60-90 minutes.
Take into consideration that the CRBA and passport application processing takes approximately three to four weeks, so plan your travel accordingly.
When we deliver your child’s Consular Report of Birth Abroad and passport, we will also enclose written instructions on how to apply for your child’s social security number.
If your Child does not qualify for U.S. citizenship due to a lack of the parent’s physical presence or if the child was born before the parent(s) acquired U.S. citizenship, he/she may still be eligible to acquire U.S. citizenship under the following methods;
or
If you have any further questions about this process not covered in the above information, please email us at ColomboACS@state.gov
