Reporting The Birth of a Child to U.S. Citizen Parent(s) in the UK

If your child has a claim to U.S. citizenship, it will be necessary for the U.S. citizen parent to execute an application for a "Consular Report of Birth Abroad" before a consular officer. This Report is official evidence of citizenship issued to a person under the age of 18 who was born abroad to U.S. citizen parent(s) and acquired citizenship at birth. At the time you report the birth of your child, you may also submit an application for his or her U.S. passport.

The child must accompany the parent to the Embassy. If the child was born out of wedlock and the father is the U.S. citizen parent, the child's mother must also appear at the appointment. If your child is under age 16 and you are also applying for his/her passport, please ensure you read the additional requirements carefully.

Note: If only one parent is a U.S. citizen, and that parent is not presently in this country, please contact this office for further instructions.

Application Requirements for the Report of Birth

Please bring the following to your appointment:

• British Birth Certificate: Please bring the child's long-form birth certificate, which is issued by the local authorities. This document shows both parents' names;



• Marriage Certificate: Original certificate issued by local, state, or national government authorities. If married in the United States, please provide a state certificate issued by the civil authorities. If your marriage certificate is in a language other than English, a certified translation must be provided;



• Evidence of Parents' Citizenship and Identity: Parents' current U.S. passports must be submitted at time of application. Note: Military members in active duty status may present the following evidence if not in possession of a U.S. passport:
• U.S. birth certificate issued by the state in which you were born bearing a raised state seal; or
• Certificate of naturalization; or
• Consular Report of Birth (form FS-240 or FS545), if parent was born outside the United States; and
• U.S. military ID card;



• Divorce Decrees/Death Certificates: It will be necessary to show termination of all prior marriages for both parents (and certified translations, if appropriate). If divorced in the UK, please submit Decree Absolute and Decree Nisi;



• Form DS-2029: Application for Consular Report of Birth. For tips on completing the DS-2029, follow this link. If your child is under the age of five, you may submit page 2 of this form to apply for a Social Security Number Card for your child. The Federal Benefits Unit of this Embassy will process the application. It is important to note that your names as on file with the Social Security Administration must match the names used on the application for a number for your child.



• Fees: The application fee is U.S. $65.00. Accepted payment methods are:
• Cash - either dollars or sterling; or
• Credit card - Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or Diners Club; or
• International Money Order to the exact U.S. dollar amount made payable to the "United States Disbursing Officer;" or
• Banker's Draft drawn in U.S. dollars only on a bank in the United States made payable to the "United States Disbursing Officer;"

Note: The Embassy is not authorized to accept personal checks. Money Orders or Banker's Drafts must have been issued within the last five months.




• Your appointment confirmation sheet. Please see "Method of Application" below for more information on making an appointment;



• In addition to the documents listed above, you may be required to provide proof of your physical presence in the U.S. before the child's birth. Please submit old passports, if available, as evidence. If unavailable, other evidence, such as school transcripts or tax returns, may be accepted.

Additional Requirements for the Passport Application

You are not required to apply for a passport at the same time you report your child's birth, but many applicants choose to do so because both applications require personal appearance at the Embassy. If you wish to submit both applications on the same day, the following documentation will also be required:

• Any foreign passport that the child may currently hold or is included in;



• Passport application form DS-11: Applicants aged 16 and over must sign their own application. Please ignore pages one and two of the printed instruction pages, as they do not apply when applying for your passport in the United Kingdom. Follow the instructions on this page. Form DS-11 must be printed on separate sheets of paper; do NOT print this form on front and back of the same sheet. . If you experience trouble with the Passport Application Wizard, click here for Form DS-11 [PDF]. For tips on completing the DS-11 [PDF], follow this link;



• Two identical passport photographs: The Embassy will reject any photographs that do not meet the specified requirements. Vending machine photographs and photographs printed on a home computer are unacceptable;



• Fees: The application fee for a child under the age of 16 is U.S. $85.00; aged 16 and over is $100.00. Accepted payment methods are listed above;



• A self-addressed, prepaid Royal Mail Special Delivery envelope (available at any UK Post Office) in which to have your documents returned to you once processing is completed. Inquiries regarding Special Delivery Mail should be directed to your local Post Office. Alternatively, you also have the convenient option of using the Embassy's contracted courier, Secure Mail Services (SMS), whose service can be purchased from the SMS representative in the lobby of American Citizen Services on the day you visit the Embassy. For more information on SMS, please call 0870 950 1760;



• If applying for a child under the age of 16, you will also be required to follow additional instructions.

Method of Application

You are required to apply for the report of birth and passport in person at this office. An appointment is necessary (but please note that only one appointment is required to report the birth and apply for the child's first passport). To book an appointment, please follow this link.

Processing Time

Your Consular Report of Birth Abroad will be issued on the day of your appointment. An application for a full-validity (ten years for adults; five years for children under age 16) passport will be sent to the United States for printing with a secure, photo-digitized image of the bearer. You should allow 15 working days for your application to be processed.

If you are traveling within 15 working days and can provide evidence of this travel, you may be eligible for an emergency limited-validity passport. Follow this link for further information.

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