The whole DS-2029 checklist, on one page
DS-2029 runs differently depending on which of 4 routes you are on, so each one is listed separately below. The checklist above remembers where you are and what you have ticked; this is the same material in one piece, to read or print without ticking anything.
Routes covered: Both parents are U.S. citizens · One U.S. citizen parent, married · Unmarried U.S. citizen father · Unmarried U.S. citizen mother
CRBA-01Step 1 Did the child acquire citizenship at birth?
The transmission question that decides everything.
This is the whole case
Both parents are U.S. citizens Married, both citizens
The lightest transmission test in this list, but it still has one, and the embassy still wants documents proving at least one parent lived in the United States before the birth.
- Evidence at least one parent resided in the U.S. before the birth BLOCKINGWhere both parents are U.S. citizens and married, the requirement is residence rather than a fixed number of years, but it must be documented.
- Both parents' U.S. passports or citizenship evidencePassports, naturalization certificates, or their own CRBAs.
- Parents' marriage certificate
- Proof any earlier marriage endedDivorce decrees or death certificates.
One U.S. citizen parent, married Married to a non-citizen
This is the common case and the one that fails most often. The citizen parent must show a specific number of years physically present in the United States before the birth, collected from school, work, tax and travel records.
- Citizen parent's physical presence in the U.S. before the birth BLOCKINGFor most births in this situation the rule is five years of physical presence, at least two of them after age 14. Confirm the exact rule for the child's date of birth. It has changed over the decades.
- Documents that actually prove those yearsSchool transcripts and enrolment letters, employment records, W-2s and tax transcripts, Social Security earnings statement, medical and military records, old passports with entry stamps.
- Citizen parent's U.S. passport or naturalization certificate
- Parents' marriage certificate
- Proof any earlier marriage ended
- A written timeline of every period lived in the U.S.Dates, places, and which document proves each period. Consular officers work from this.
Unmarried U.S. citizen father Parents not married, father is the citizen
Two extra requirements sit on top of physical presence: proving paternity, and a written agreement to support the child until 18. Both are commonly missed until the interview.
- Father's physical presence in the U.S. before the birth BLOCKINGGenerally five years, at least two after age 14. Confirm the rule for the child's date of birth.
- Evidence of a blood relationship to the childBirth certificate naming the father, and DNA testing where the post asks for it. Follow the embassy's own DNA procedure. Home kits are not accepted.
- Written agreement to provide financial support until the child turns 18 BLOCKINGA statutory requirement for this route, signed before the child turns 18.
- Evidence paternity was legally established or acknowledgedBefore the child turns 18, under the law of the child's residence or domicile.
- Father's U.S. passport or naturalization certificate
- Documents proving the presence yearsSchool, employment, tax, medical and travel records.
Unmarried U.S. citizen mother Parents not married, mother is the citizen
The rule here changed in 2017, and which version applies depends on the child\u2019s date of birth. Do not rely on what a relative was told years ago. Confirm the current requirement for this birth date.
- Confirm which physical-presence rule applies to this birth date BLOCKINGA Supreme Court decision in 2017 changed the requirement for unmarried U.S. citizen mothers going forward. The rule depends on when the child was born. Check with the embassy or an attorney before assembling evidence.
- Documents proving the mother's physical presence in the U.S.School, employment, tax, medical and travel records covering the qualifying years.
- Mother's U.S. passport or naturalization certificate
- Child's birth certificate naming the mother
- A written timeline of every period lived in the U.S.Dates, places, and the document that proves each.
CRBA-02Step 2 Documents for the appointment
What the consulate expects to see.
Originals, not copies Consular posts want to see original documents at the interview, with photocopies to leave behind. Foreign-language documents need certified English translations.
- Form DS-2029 completed but not signed until the interview BLOCKINGIt is signed in front of the consular officer.
- Child's foreign birth certificateThe full civil-registry certificate naming both parents, with certified translation if not in English.
- Child's passport or travel document, if issued
- Evidence of the pregnancy and birthPrenatal records, hospital records, ultrasound reports: posts ask for these to link mother, child and birth.
- Both parents' passports and photo ID
- Certified translations for every non-English document
- One passport photograph of the childCheck the post's specification. Many want the passport photo prepared at the same time.
CRBA-03Step 3 Book and attend the appointment
Who must come, and what happens there.
Apply before the child turns 18 A CRBA can only be issued before the child\u2019s 18th birthday. After that the child needs a different route to document citizenship. Do not let the date slip.
- Apply before the child turns 18 BLOCKINGThis is a hard cut-off for a CRBA.
- Book the appointment at the embassy or consulate serving your areaSome posts take the application online first, then invite you to interview.
- Both parents attend where the post requires itWhere one parent cannot attend, ask the post in advance what they accept. A notarised statement is often required.
- The child attends the appointment BLOCKINGPosts want to see the child in person.
- Take the whole document set, originals and copies
- Be ready to explain the presence timeline out loudThe officer will ask about years, places and gaps.
CRBA-04Step 4 Fees and the first passport
Do both at the same visit.
Apply for the passport at the same appointment Nearly every family needs both. Doing them together saves a second appointment and a second trip. The CRBA proves citizenship, the passport is what the child actually travels on.
- CRBA fee BLOCKINGWidely published at $100. Confirm on the Schedule of Fees for Consular Services and check which payment methods the post accepts.
- Apply for the child's first U.S. passport at the same visitForm DS-11. Our passport checklist covers what it needs.
- Passport fee for a child under 16Widely published at $135 in total. Confirm the current amount before travelling to the post.
- Check accepted payment methodsPosts differ: some take local currency, some card only.
CRBA-05Step 5 After approval
The FS-240 and what to do with it.
The FS-240 is a lifetime document The Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240) is the child\u2019s U.S. birth record. Treat it like a birth certificate. Store it safely and use certified copies where possible.
- FS-240 received and every detail checkedNames, dates, places, parents. Report an error to the post straight away.
- Passport received and checkedConfirm the name matches the FS-240 exactly.
- Store the FS-240 somewhere safeReplacements are possible but slow. A replacement is requested from the Department of State, not the embassy.
- Apply for a Social Security number for the childCan often be requested with the CRBA application or after arrival in the U.S.
- Use the FS-240 for school, benefits and future passportsIt is accepted anywhere a U.S. birth certificate is accepted.