CHILD AND FAMILY MATTERS: Births
About Consular Reports of Birth Abroad
The Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) is an official record confirming that a child born abroad acquired U.S. citizenship at birth and serves as proof of citizenship. The birth should be reported to the Embassy or Consulate where the birth occurred as soon as possible. You may also apply for a passport at the same time as the CRBA, though it is not required. See list of required documents, below.
Who Can Apply at the U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi and Consulate Dubai
The U.S. Embassy in Abu Dhabi and Consulate in Dubai can only issue a CRBA for a child born within their consular district: the United Arab Emirates, as well as Afghanistan. We may accept CRBA applications for children born outside of our consular districts and forward them to the appropriate Embassy or Consulate for processing.
How to Schedule an Appointment
To schedule an interview appointment at the U.S. Embassy Abu Dhabi, please send an email to: AbuDhabiCRBA@state.gov
To schedule an interview appointment at the U.S. Consulate Dubai, please send an email to: DubaiCRBA@state.gov
Who Must Attend the Interview
The child and at least one parent must be physically present at the U.S. Consulate to apply for a CRBA. If one parent is unable to attend, he or she should provide a DS-3053 to authorize issuance of a passport to the child, as well as a DS-5507 stating physical presence in the U.S. (see forms section below).
Processing Times
It takes 2-4 weeks for a CRBA to be processed and be available for pickup for children born within the consular district. For children born outside of the UAE, Iran, and Afghanistan, the process can take approximately 2-3 months.
U.S. Citizenship Transmission Requirements
- If both parents are U.S. citizens and the child is born in wedlock (meaning the parents are married), they must have resided in the U.S. at some time prior to the child’s birth.
- If one parent is a U.S. citizen, the U.S. citizen parent must have been physically present in the U.S. for a certain period of time, in most cases five years prior to the child’s birth, two of which must have been after the age of 14.
Required Documents
You must bring all of the below documents to your child’s interview appointment.
- CRBA checklist. Click here for the checklist. Complete it to ensure you are fully prepared. (For appointments at U.S. Consulate Dubai only).
- CRBA application. Form DS-2029 . Complete the form online and print it. Do not sign it.
- Passport application if you also want to apply for a passport. Form DS-11 . Complete the form online and print it with the barcode. Do not sign it.
- Photos of applicant. Two (2) identical passport photographs, 2in x 2in (5cm x 5cm) in dimension, set against a white background.
- Original birth certificate and two photocopies. If the birth certificate is not in English, you must also submit an English translation and two photocopies.
- Evidence of parents’ U.S. citizenship. The applicant must present proof of citizenship of the U.S. citizen parent such as a U.S. passport and Certificate of Naturalization. Please bring the original, and 2 photocopies of each.
- Valid unexpired government identification for both parents.
- Parents’ marriage certificate, if applicable. Please bring the original Marriage Certificate, English translation and one photocopy.
- Divorce and annulment decrees/death certificates, if applicable, English translations, and one photocopy of same. The applicant must show termination of all prior marriages of his/her mother and/or father. If the U.S. citizen parent is deceased, please provide an original death certificate. Please bring certified translations if the decrees or certificates are not in English.
- Documentary Evidence (original and one photocopy) of U.S. citizen parent’s physical presence in the U.S. Documents that may establish physical presence in the U.S. before the child’s birth include: School transcripts, old passports, DD-214 Separation Statement (Military Members only), entry and exit records from CBP, medical records, leases and rental agreements, etc. There are many other documents that may be submitted to demonstrate previous physical presence in the U.S., and the Consular Officer will evaluate any of these. Please bring one photocopy of each document to be presented.
Fees
The fee for a CRBA is $100 or the equivalent in Dirhams.
The fee for a minor child’s passport is $135 or the equivalent in Dirhams. You may pay in cash or by credit card. If you choose to pay in cash, we ask that you bring exact change. More information about passport fees may be found at Travel.State.Gov .
If you need to obtain a photo, there is a photo booth at the U.S. Consulate in Dubai. The booth requires 40 AED and only accepts exact change. (Please note that the Consulate cashier cannot make change for the photo booth.)
Additional Paths to Citizenship for Children of U.S. Citizen Parents
If the U.S. citizen parent does not meet INA transmission requirements, but the child has a U.S. citizen grandparent who does have the requisite physical presence, the child may be eligible for Expeditious Naturalization under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000. Through this procedure, a child under 18 years of age can become a U.S. citizen via naturalization without having to take up residence in the United States beforehand. However, Expeditious Naturalization cannot be executed at the U.S. Embassy; the child must travel to the United States and would require a Non-Immigrant Visa for this purpose. An N600 application (and supporting documentation) must be filed with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) before the child applies for his/her U.S. visa. Additionally, there may be other paths to U.S. citizenship for your child. You may find more information at USCIS.gov or visit the nonimmigrant visa and immigrant visa webpages for more information.