Birth

The Department of State recommends that a child born abroad be registered at the nearest U.S. Embassy in order to record a claim to the child’s U.S. citizenship. Upon approval of required documentation, the State Department issues a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA). The CRBA is equivalent to a birth certificate issued in the U.S. and therefore is an important document to have for your child. The CRBA can only be requested while the child is under the age of 18.

The Embassy recommends that you also apply for your child’s first U.S. passport at the time you apply for the CRBA, as both parents and the child are required to appear in person and provide many of the same documents for each of these services. Please note that as a U.S. citizen the child must use their U.S. passport each time s/he enters or departs the United States, even if s/he has dual citizenship.

Additionally, we recommend that parents submit their child’s Social Security Card application when applying for the CRBA and passport.

To determine whether you are eligible to transmit U.S. citizenship to your child born abroad, please visit the State Department’s page regarding transmission requirements.

The following forms and documents are required when applying for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad:

  • Form DS-2029 Application (PDF) for Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America
  • Official record of the child’s foreign birth (Rodný List)
  • Parents’ marriage certificate (Oddací List)
  • Parents’ passports or Czech National Identity Card for (non-U.S.) citizens of the Czech Republic (Občanský průkaz)
  • Proof of parent(s)’s U.S. citizenship. Examples include your passport, certified birth certificate or naturalization certificate.
  • Form DS-5507 (PDF) Affidavit of Parentage, Physical Presence, and Support, if if only the father is an American Citizen and the child was born out-of-wedlock. Additional evidence of parentage may be required.
  • If one or both parents were previously married, evidence of legal termination of the marriage, through death or divorce, is required.
  • The American Citizen parent’s documentary evidence of physical presence in the United States prior to the child’s birth. Examples of documentary evidence which may demonstrate physical presence requirements include (but are not limited to):
    • Academic transcripts (Full transcripts – not diplomas)
    • W-2 wage/tax forms
    • Employment records (showing monthly presence in the United States)
  • Records of honorable U.S. military service or employment with the U.S. Government; or as a dependent, unmarried child or member of the household of such a member.
  • A previous child’s Consular Report of Birth Abroad, where circumstances have not changed.

The following forms and documents are required when applying for a child’s first passport and Social Security Card:

  • Form SS-5 Application (PDF) for a Social Security Card
  • Form DS-11 Application for a U.S. Passport. Please submit one 5 cm x 5 cm color passport photo with a plain white background. When taking a photo of your baby or toddler, no other person should be in the photo, and your child should be looking at the camera with his or her eyes open.  Information on passport photo requirements may be found at the following link http://travel.state.gov/passport.
  • Prior to your appointment, complete all sections of the applications, using block letters and black ink.  Please DO NOT SIGN the applications until requested to do so at your interview.  All fields are mandatory. For any questions on how to fill out the form, please email us before your appointment at ACSPRG@state.gov.
  • Accurate and complete information on the precise periods of physical presence in the United States of the U.S. citizen parent is required.
  • For general information about applying for a passport for minors under age 16, click on http://travel.state.gov/passport.
  • The fees for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad is USD $100 and USD $135 for a child’s passport (Total USD $235).  There is no fee for the Social Security Card application. Fees may be paid in U.S. dollars, Czech koruna or by credit card. If you intend to pay in cash, please have exact change if possible.

The American Citizen Services section of U.S. Embassy Prague provides routine consular services to U.S. citizens by appointment only.  Appointments for routine services such as non-emergency passports, Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, and notarial services are available Monday through Friday between 8:30 am and 11:30 am. Appointments may be made online here. The appointment system is free of charge. We do not make appointments by phone.

Both parents must be present with the child at the time of the appointment/application. Please bring all completed forms and original supporting documents to your appointment, or the processing will be delayed.

The appointment for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad will take approximately 45 min. if all forms are completed and submitted with the required original documents at the time of application. Completing your application forms prior to the appointment will facilitate faster processing time. Once approved by the Department of State your CRBA will be printed and returned from the U.S., usually within ten business days.

Passports are printed in the U.S. and returned to the Embassy in approximately eight to twelve business days. Parents should return to the Embassy at that time to collect both their child’s CRBA and passport.  It is not necessary to schedule an appointment to collect these documents and only one parent is required to return to the Embassy. If you prefer, you may receive the passport by registered mail through Czech Post.  If you prefer this option, you must provide a self-addressed postage paid envelope at the time of application.

The Social Security application is processed by the Social Security Administration and will be sent to the address provided in the application. Processing time varies, but can often take a few months. If you do not apply for a passport for the child at the same time, and the child does not have an official photo proof of identity, no Social Security number can be issued.