A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) is a formal document certifying the acquisition of United States citizenship at birth for a person born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent or parents who meet the requirements for transmitting citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).  In order to transmit U.S. citizenship to a child, the U.S. citizen parent(s) must have been a U.S. citizen at the time of the child’s birth and must have accrued sufficient physical presence in the United States to transmit citizenship.

CRBA applications must be made before the child’s 18th birthday.  We recommend that parents apply for the CRBA as soon as possible after the child’s birth.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

To apply, your child must have been born in the Sri Lanka and you and your child must travel to the U.S. Embassy Colombo for the in-person interview. Generally, both parents must attend the interview as well.

To be eligible to apply for a CRBA online, you MUST answer all the following criteria with YES.

1. Was the child born in the Sri Lanka or the Maldives?
2. Is the child under the age of 18?
3. Was at least one parent a U.S. citizen or U.S. non-citizen national when the child was born?
4. Can you use an internationally accepted credit/debit card or a direct payment method from a U.S. dollar denominated bank account (also known as “ACH”) to pay online for your Consular Report of Birth Abroad application?
5. Are you a biological parent of a child born abroad who is applying for that child?

If you answered YES to all the above questions, please proceed with eCRBA. If you answered NO to any of the above questions, you MUST apply be completing a paper application (DS-2029).

HOW TO APPLY (online application process and payment)

You can now apply for a CRBA electronically (eCRBA) via an online process that allows U.S. citizen parents to complete the application online, upload all required documents, and submit payment prior to the in-person interview at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo.

 

1. To apply for a CRBA online, you need to create a MyTravelGov account. MyTravelGov is a secured, encrypted portal.  (Watch this video to learn more about creating your account.)
2. Once you create a MyTravelGov account, access eCRBA and submit your application online. The online process provides applicants with step-by-step instructions on how to complete the application.
3. Learn about all required information and documentation for the CRBA by using our CRBA checklist.
4. Sign the CRBA Appointment Confirmation Page and upload into the system
5. Complete the online application and submit payment.
6.  You will be directed to schedule your appointment.  Please email ColomboACS@state.gov with your confirmation of submission to schedule your appointment.  The ACS unit will review your application within 3 business days of your submission.  An interview date will be granted only if your online application was submitted accurately and completely.
7. Attend your in-person interview with your original documents and their single-sided photocopies. You MUST bring all original documents to your appointment. Original documents will be returned to you.  The child (and both parents) must be present at the interview appointment.

OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Applying for a U.S. passport:  If desired, you may also apply for a U.S. passport for your child during your in-person CRBA interview.  For information on the required passport documents and fees, please visit our passport page. Please make sure you complete the required DS-11 application form (filled out electronically) and bring it with you to your CRBA interview.

Applying for social security number: Please note that an application for a Social Security Number can only be submitted after receiving the original Consular Report of Birth Abroad and Passport. To obtain a Social Security Number for your child, see further details.

NEED HELP?

If you have any questions, please review the following resources:

1. You can review the CRBA Checklist for detailed guidance on all required documents here.
2. You can access eCRBA 2.0 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) here.
3. You can access an online tutorial here.
4. You can view an application how-to-guide here.
5. You can view information on physical presence here.

For questions or concerns, please contact U.S. Embassy Colombo at ColomboACS@state.gov.