How to Apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)

Please review our Security Procedures prior to your visit.

The American Citizen Services Unit receives applications for Reports of Birth by appointment only. Please be advised that you must set up an appointment using the “Report the birth abroad of a child of a U.S. citizen and/or apply for the child's first passport, Report of Birth and Social Security Number” option and not the “Apply for a U.S. passport for the first time” option.

Important note: In order to process a child’s claim to U.S. citizenship, the U.S. parent must establish that s/he is the biological parent. If you are a U.S. citizen, have a foreign-born adopted child and want to obtain U.S. citizenship for him/her, please read the information on U.S. citizenship for a foreign-born adopted child.

The U.S. Embassy in Caracas strongly encourages all U.S. citizens who have children born in Venezuela to register them as U.S. citizens as soon as possible after the birth of the child. Upon registration, the child will be issued a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America (CRBA), which is an official record confirming that the child acquired U.S. citizenship at birth. A CRBA can be issued only at an American Consular Office overseas, and only before the child reaches 18 years of age.

To register your Venezuela-born child as a U.S. citizen you must first determine if the child has a claim to U.S. citizenship:

A CHILD BORN AFTER NOVEMBER 14th, 1986 can claim U.S. citizenship if he/she meets ONE of the following conditions at birth:  

• BOTH OF THE CHILD’S BIOLOGICAL PARENTS ARE U.S. CITIZENS and at least one parent has had a residence in the U.S. or its territories before the child’s birth or, 
• ONLY ONE OF THE CHILD’S BIOLOGICAL PARENTS IS A U.S. CITIZEN, the child's parents were married at the time of the birth, and the U.S. citizen parent was physically present in the United States for  at least five (5) years prior to the child’s birth, with at least a  two-year (2) presence after the age of fourteen (14) or, 
• THE CHILD IS THE BIOLOGICAL SON OR DAUGHTER OF AN UNMARRIED U.S. CITIZEN MALE who was physically present in the United States at least five (5) years prior to the child’s birth, with a two-year (2) presence after the age of fourteen (14). Father must acknowledge paternity and must agree in writing to support child until the child is 18 years old or, 
• THE CHILD IS THE BIOLOGICAL SON OR DAUGHTER OF AN UNMARRIED U.S. CITIZEN FEMALE who can demonstrate a continuous, uninterrupted physical presence at least 365 days of in the United States at any time prior to the child's birth.

If your child qualifies for U.S. citizenship, assemble and complete the following documents. Please DO NOT SIGN any of the affidavits or applications below until asked to do so by the consular officer.  All documentation must be provided in original and two (2) copies. Note: Please arrive to the Embassy with all of the below documentation completed for each child applicant.  If you do not have the documentation completed prior to arriving to the Embassy, the ACS unit may need to re-schedule your appointment.

• Form DS-2029 (PDF 52.3KB), Consular Report of Birth Abroad filled out using capital letters in black ink. Please read the instructions carefully before filling out this form
• Form DS-11, Application for a U.S. Passport filled out using capital letters in black ink
• Affidavit of physical presence/parentage (PDF 668KB). This form must be filled out using capital letters in black ink.
• Form SS-5-FS (PDF 237KB) to apply for a social security number. You can expect to receive the card from the Social Security Administration in approximately 6-8 months.
• Child's Venezuelan birth certificate. PLEASE NOTE: Venezuelan birth certificates MUST be "Apostilled". You may find the instructions for getting an apostille here. More information can be found on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. (Hague Convention Apostille) (PDF 42.1KB).
• Child's passport issued by Venezuela or other foreign country if available.
• Hospital’s Certification of Live Birth.
• Valid U.S. passport (s) of American citizen parent (s). Mutilated, altered, or damaged passports are NOT acceptable as proof of U.S. citizenship.
• Currently valid photo ID (if recognizable) of the non-U.S. citizen parent issued by a government entity, such as a valid Venezuelan cedula, a Venezuelan or other foreign passport. Mutilated, altered, or damaged identifications are NOT acceptable as proof of identity.
• Marriage certificate, if parents are married. Venezuelan marriage certificates (Acta de Matrimonio) must be issued by the local registrar. U.S. marriage certificate must have a raised seal.
• Divorce decree, annulment decree or death certificate.  It is necessary to show documentation regarding the termination of all prior marriages.
• You must submit two color passport photos, size 2 inches x 2 inches (5 cm x 5 cm), taken within the last six months. The photos must have a white background. The photos cannot have any visible grain or dots from the printing process. The photos must have a glossy finish.
• Documents that will certify U.S. parent's physical presence in the United States. School, college or university transcripts, old U.S. passports, certified true job letters or military records can constitute physical presence proof. Income tax records or Social Security reports tend to substantiate some presence, but they DO NOT necessarily satisfy the requirement.

NOTE: In certain cases, the consular officer may require that you present additional documentation after reviewing your application, such as medical records from the hospital or clinic where the child was born; invoice from the hospital, pre-natal and post-natal care records, photos of the mother pregnant with the child, etc. If it is determined that there is insufficient evidence of a biological relationship between the U.S. citizen and the child, DNA testing may be required.  Testing must be done by an Embassy panel physician approved by the Centers for Disease Control and must be performed in the presence of an ACS Unit staff member.  Additional information will be provided to applicants who require testing, but please be advised that any testing that does not conform to Embassy requirements cannot be accepted.

The presence of the child along with the presence of both of the parents CANNOT BE WAIVED under any circumstance.

The fee to apply for a CRBA is $100.00 or the equivalent in local currency. The passport fee is $135.00 for applicants 16 and over and $105.00 for applicants age 15 and younger. For additional information please see payment options.

The Embassy will process the Report of Birth and passport in approximately 2 weeks. You can come to the Embassy to pick up your documents during our regular passport services hours from 8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays and the monthly staff training day.

 If after reading this information you believe your child has a claim to U.S. citizenship please click here to set up an appointment.

Please be advised that you must set up an appointment using the “Report the birth abroad of a child of a U.S. citizen and/or apply for the child's first passport, Report of Birth and Social Security Number” option and not the “Apply for a U.S. passport for the first time” option.