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 a U.S. citizen parent or parents 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.
CRBA applications must be made before the child’s 18th birthday. We recommend that parents apply for the CRBA as soon as possible after the child’s birth.
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 Requirements
To apply, your child must have been born in the Philippines and you must travel to U.S. Embassy in Manila or U.S. Consular Agency in Cebu for the in-person interview.
To be eligible to apply for a CRBA online, you MUST answer all the following criteria with YES.
- Was the child born in the Philippines?
- Is the child under the age of 18?
- Was at least one parent a U.S. citizen or U.S. non-citizen national when the child was born?
- Can you use 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?
- 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
You can now apply for a CRBA electronically at the U.S. Embassy in Manila or U.S. Consular Agency in Cebu. 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.
- To apply for a CRBA online, you need to create a MyTravelGov account. MyTravelGov is a secured, encrypted portal. Watch this video to learn more about creating your account.
- 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. You may review the necessary documents for the CRBA application in advance by reviewing this checklist.
- Once you complete the online application and submit payment, you may schedule your appointment at U.S. Embassy in Manila or U.S. Consular Agency in Cebu. 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.
- To request an appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Manila, please send an email request to ManilaCRBAappt@state.gov.
- To request an appointment at the U.S. Consular Agency in Cebu, use our Appointment Scheduling System.
- 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. You must provide English translations for all foreign language documents. The child must be present at the time of application. Generally, both parents also attend the interview.
Need Help?
We are here to help!
- You can access eCRBA 2.0 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) here.
- You can view an application how-to-guide here.
- For questions or concerns please contact U.S. Embassy Manila at acsinfomanila@state.gov or Consular Agency in Cebu at acsinfocebu@state.gov
Other Important Information
Note: If you prefer to submit a paper-based application, please follow post procedures.
Passport applications and Social Security Card applications must be completed and submitted separately.
Please note that an application for a Social Security Number can only be submitted after receiving the original Consular Report of Birth Abroad and Passport. To obtain a Social Security Number for your child, see further details.
Renounce U.S. Citizenship
If you intend to renounce your U.S. citizenship, please let us know of your intent by emailing ACSInfoManila@state.gov. We will then email you with your next steps, to first set up a phone interview, and later, an in-person appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Manila.
The fee for renunciation of U.S. Citizenship is $2,350.00 USD and it is non-refundable. Please prepare to pay your fee during your in-person appointment, either in cash (U.S. dollars or Philippine pesos) or by major credit card.