Registration of Birth Abroad
The birth of a child abroad to eligible U.S. citizen parent(s) should be reported as soon as possible to the nearest US. Consular Office for the purpose of establishing an official record of the child’s claim to U.S. citizenship at birth. The U.S. Embassy in Malta processes Consular Reports of Birth to children born in Malta to eligible U.S. citizens.
Please refer to this checklist to assist you in gathering the required documentation. You will need to compile an application and schedule an appointment for each applicant (the child). Many of the documents require you to submit both an original and copy. If you do not bring a copy as indicated, you will be charged for each page that needs to be copied. The documents should be placed in the same order as is shown in the checklist with the original on top of the copy.
In addition to this list, a personal appearance by the applicant (the child) is required.
- Photos of applicant: You will need one passport photograph, 2in x 2in (5cm x 5cm), set against a white background for the child. If the child is an infant, his/her eyes may be closed.
- Unsigned completed: “Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad” (DS-2029). Do not sign!
- If applying for a passport, unsigned, completed “Application for a U.S. Passport” (DS-11). Do not sign!
For children under the age of 16 both parents/legal guardians are required to come in person. - For passport applications for children under the age of 16, if one parent/guardian is absent, a signed original “Statement of Consent” (DS-3053) from the absent parent notarized by a U.S. commissioned notary must be submitted. The document is valid for 90 days after the date of signature.
- Child’s birth certificate: The child’s birth certificate is required. Please bring the original birth certificate and one copy. The name of the applicant should match their birth document(s). Material changes to the applicant’s name must be supported by an amended document or other name change evidence.
- Photo identification and growing up photos of child are required for school-aged children. Growing up photos should begin as near to birth as possible spanning to the present over six month increments.
- Evidence of parents’ U.S. citizenship: The U.S. citizen parent(s) must present his/her current and expired U.S. passports and a copy of each passport and each page. A notarized copy of the current U.S. passport and its pages is acceptable in lieu of the original. If the U.S. citizen parent was naturalized, he/she must bring the original Certificate of Naturalization and one copy.
- Passport/Identification document for non-U.S. citizen parent: A non-U.S. citizen parent must bring his/her passport or two other forms of photo identification, such as postal ID, Senior Citizen’s ID, Voter’s ID, or digitized government-issued IDs like SSS, PRC, BIR, or Driver’s License. Please bring the original ID and one copy of each.
- Parents’ marriage certificate: If applicable, please bring the original Marriage Certificate and one copy.
- If one parent is not a U.S. citizen or if the U.S. citizen parent who is transmitting citizenship to their child is not present when applying for a CRBA, that parent should complete Form DS-5507 as supporting evidence, and it can be used to list the periods of time they spent in the United States.
- If the child was born out-of-wedlock, and the father is a U.S. citizen or non-citizen U.S national, use Form DS-5507 to legally acknowledge the child and voluntarily agree to financially support them. Form DS-5507 may be signed in front of a notary or at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.
- Divorce and Annulment Decrees/Death Certificates: If applicable, the mother and/or father will need to show termination of all prior marriages. Please bring certified translations if the decrees or certificates are not in English.
- Evidence of physical presence: The U.S. citizen parent must bring proof of living in the United States for five years prior to the child’s birth, two of which must be after the age of 14. Regularly available documents that may establish your physical presence in the U.S. include transcripts from high school and/or college, Income Tax Returns and W2s, old passports, and a DD-214 Separation Statement (Military Members only). Other documents may be submitted to evidence presence. Please bring the documents and one copy.
- Evidence of the couple’s relationship prior to the conception of the applicant: The burden of proving a claim to U.S. citizenship, including blood relationship, is on the person making such claim. Photos prior to the time of conception, letters, and other correspondence may help establish the couple’s relationship prior to the conception of the applicant. Genetic testing is a useful tool for verifying a stated biological relationship when no other form of credible evidence is available in conjunction with a CRBA or passport application.
- Non-Refundable Application Fee: The fee for a Consular Report of Birth is $100. The fee for a child’s passport under 16 is $135; for those 16 and over, the fee is $165. The cashier at the U.S. Embassy accepts cash (either Dollars or Euro) and most credit cards.