The Passport & Citizenship Unit provides U.S. birth registration and citizenship services to U.S. citizens in the Philippines, at the Embassy in Manila and at the Consular Agency in Cebu, by appointment only.
A U.S. citizen parent should report their child’s birth in the Philippines as soon as possible to the U.S. Embassy in Manila or Consular Agency in Cebu. A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), FS-240, is an official record of U.S. citizenship, issued to a person under age 18, who was born abroad to United States citizen parent(s) and acquired citizenship at birth. CRBA applications must be made before the child’s 18th birthday. Schools, the Social Security Administration, and other United States institutions accept the CRBA and give it the same credence they give to birth certificates issued by state authorities in the United States.
Applicants aged 18 or older, born outside the United States, may claim U.S. citizenship through his/her parent who at the time of the applicant’s birth was a United States citizen. Applicants 18 years old and over are not eligible for issuance of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) but may apply for citizenship as an adult. Once the citizenship claim is established, the applicant qualifies for a first-time U.S. passport.
Report Birth Abroad
As U.S. citizen parent(s), you should report your child’s birth abroad as soon as possible to the U.S. Consulate where the child was born. A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), FS-240, is an official record of U.S. citizenship issued to a person under age 18 who was born abroad to United States citizen parent(s) and acquired citizenship at birth. Schools, the Social Security Agency, and other institutions throughout the United States accept it and give it the same credence they give to birth certificates issued by state authorities in the United States.
Eligibility for U.S. CitizenshipEligibility for U.S. Citizenship
In order for a child/applicant to be documented as a U.S. citizen, all three of the essential requirements must be fulfilled.
Eligibility for U.S. Citizenship
Application Process & Appointments
To request a CRBA or citizenship appointment, please follow these instructions:
- Assess your or your child’s eligibility for U.S. citizenship.
- Access the CRBA or citizenship checklist and gather all required documents, including the application form.
- Schedule your appointment:
- To schedule a citizenship appointment in Cebu: Use our Appointment Scheduling System. Please prepare to bring your application materials, all required documentation, and appropriate fees with you to your scheduled appointment in Cebu. You will receive further information by email after scheduling an appointment.
- To schedule a CRBA Appointment in Manila: All appointments for Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) applications at U.S. Embassy Manila are made through a mail-in appointment scheduling system. Mail the following to the U.S. Embassy:
- Photocopies of all documents and completed forms (do not send originals)
- Photocopy of the bio page of each parent’s passport or other identification
- Your e-mail address and local (Philippines) phone number where you can be reached
- Mailing Address:
- Citizenship and Passport Services
Consular Section U.S. Embassy
1201 Roxas Blvd.
Manila 1000
- Citizenship and Passport Services
- Do not mail originals of your documents to us at this stage – you will instead bring them with you to your appointment.
- All requests for CRBA or citizenship appointments in Manila must be mailed or sent by courier. We recommend that you use a courier service so that you can track your packet. We cannot accept application packets dropped off at the Embassy or Consular Agency.
- After we receive your complete application packet by mail in Manila, our staff will e-mail you the date and time of your citizenship appointment.
- The child or citizenship applicant must be present at the interview. At least one parent or legal guardian must also accompany a minor child to their appointment.
- Please arrive 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment time. Your appointment time is not the same as your interview time. Interview times depend on the number of applicants who appear for their appointments as well as the length of processing time for each case.
- Please bring original identification, originals of all required documents, photos, and all applicable application fees with you on the day of your appointment.
- The U.S. Embassy is located at 1201 Roxas Boulevard in the Ermita neighborhood of Manila. The Consular Agency is located on the lower ground floor of the Waterfront Hotel on Salinas Drive, in the Lahug neighborhood of Cebu City.
- Since cell phones and other electronic devices are not permitted inside the Embassy or Consular Agency, please do not bring these to your appointment.
- We are not providing walk-in services at this time in either Manila or Cebu.
Payment Information
The application fee for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) is $100.00 USD.
The application fee for citizenship as an adult is $165.00 USD.
This non-refundable fee is to be paid during your appointment at the Embassy or Consular Agency. We accept major credit cards and cash payments (in U.S dollars or Philippine pesos, exact change preferred) at both of our locations.
If your appointment is at the Embassy in Manila, please also be prepared to pay a courier delivery fee (cash in Philippine pesos only) for the return shipment of an approved CRBA and/or first-time U.S. passport.