Eligibility for a CRBA

Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)

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 U.S. citizen parent(s) who meet the requirements for transmitting citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).  United States non-citizen nationals are also eligible for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, using the non-citizen option. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/while-abroad/birth-abroad.html. 

For CRBA and first-time passport applications, 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. An affidavit from the parents is not sufficient to establish a material name change. The only exceptions to this requirement are when obtaining an amended birth certificate would present substantial hardship, or if a local vital records office will not amend a birth certificate. Please contact ConsulBratislava@state.gov with questions.

Please note: this provision of the law requires a “blood relationship” between the parent and child — meaning the child must be the biological child of the U.S. citizen parent. Adopted children and stepchildren of U.S. citizens also have possibilities for U.S. parents of such children should contact the consular section for information specific to their situation.

A Consular Report of Birth (CRBA) can be applied for only at the U.S. consular section located in the country/region where the child was born, prior to the child’s 18th birthday.

You may file an application for a CRBA online, or by paper.

Eligibility Requirements to apply online:

To apply, your child must have been born in Slovakia and you must appear at the U.S. Embassy in Bratislava for the in-person interview.

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

 

  1. Was the child born in Slovakia?
  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. Do you have 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 any of the above statements do not apply to you, you MUST apply by completing a paper application (DS-2029).

How to Apply online

This new online feature allows U.S. citizen parents to complete a CRBA application online, upload all required documents, and submit payment prior to the in-person interview.

 

  1. To apply for a CRBA online, you need to create a MyTravelGov  MyTravelGov is a secured, encrypted portal. Watch this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVgRyLQd3jA&t=4s) to learn more about creating your account.

 

  1. Once you have created a MyTravelGov account you can access eCRBA and submit your application online. The easy-to-use online process provides applicants with step-by-step instructions on how to complete the application. The following documents must be submitted at the in-person interview:

 

  • The child’s local birth certificate – original plus one copy
  • Proof of U.S. citizenship of the child’s U.S. citizen parent(s) – originals plus one copy of each document
  • Photo I.D. of parents (such as a U.S. or foreign passport) – originals plus one copy of each document
  • Parents’ marriage certificate, if applicable – original plus one copy
  • Document about termination of any/all previous marriages of either parent, if applicable (divorce decree, death certificate, etc.) – original plus one copy
  • Proof of Physical Presence in the United States of the U.S. citizen parent(s). The U.S. citizen parent(s) will be asked to present proof of their physical presence in the United States. Good examples of proof of physical presence include school records, university transcripts, tax returns, and employment records. Please refer to ourwebsite to review the physical presence requirements for transmission of citizenship and ensure you are bringing sufficient evidence to demonstrate the length of presence in the U.S. required for your circumstances.
  • A U.S. citizen parent, if the parent is not physically present in Slovakia at the time of filing the application for the Consular Report of Birth Abroad, must provide a notarized statement on this form: Affidavit of Parentage, Physical Presence, and Support (PDF 165 KB) and evidence that the parent lived in the U.S. long enough to transmit citizenship to the

 

  1. Once you complete the online application and submit payment, you will  be directed to schedule your appointment. Please schedule your appointment at least 72 hours after payment submission. This provides time for your payment to be processed prior to your CRBA interview.  Please Note: Do NOT make another (or duplicate) payment for a CRBA ($100) at the Embassy.

 

  1. Attend your scheduled in-person interview with your original documents and their photocopies (single-sided). Original documents will be returned to you after reviewing your application. The child must be present at the time of application. Generally, both parents also attend the interview. 

 

 How to apply in paper

If you prefer to apply for a CRBA in paper, please complete the CRBA Application for a CRBA Form DS-2029 (PDF 56 KB) and

follow the instructions below.

In order to establish the child’s citizenship under the appropriate provisions of U.S. law, the following documents must be submitted:

  • The child’s local birth certificate – original plus one copy
  • Proof of U.S. citizenship of the child’s U.S. citizen parent(s) – originals plus one copy of each document
  • Photo I.D. of parents (such as a U.S. or foreign passport) – originals plus one copy of each document
  • Parents’ marriage certificate, if applicable – original plus one copy
  • Document about termination of any/all previous marriages of either parent, if applicable (divorce decree, death certificate, etc.) – original plus one copy
  • Proof of Physical Presence in the United States of the U.S. citizen parent(s). The U.S. citizen parent(s) will be asked to present proof of their physical presence in the United States. Good examples of proof of physical presence include school records, university transcripts, tax returns, and employment records. Please refer to ourwebsite to review the physical presence requirements for transmission of citizenship and ensure you are bringing sufficient evidence to demonstrate the length of presence in the U.S. required for your circumstances.
  • A U.S. citizen parent, if the parent is not present in Slovakia at the time of filing the application for the Consular Report of Birth Abroad, must provide a notarized statement on this form: Affidavit of Parentage, Physical Presence, and Support (PDF 165 KB) and evidence that the parent lived in the U.S. long enough to transmit citizenship to the
  • Application for a CRBA Form DS-2029 (PDF 56 KB)
  • Fee of 100 USD or equivalent in EUR

To apply for a CRBA, the U.S. citizen parent (or one of two U.S. citizen parents) and the child must be present at the Embassy. Please schedule an appointment.

If the application for U.S. passport is filed at the same time, both parents and their child must be present. Please see Passports for Children and complete Declaration (PDF, 144 KB) that the child has never been issued a Social Security number

 

An Application for a U.S. Social Security NumberSS-5 (PDF163 KB) can no longer be filed along with the application for CRBA. For this service, please contact the Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Embassy Warsaw.

 

If you cannot download the forms, contact the Consular section at consulbratislava@state.gov and forms will be mailed to you.