Consulate General of the United States Mumbai, India

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A Consular Report of Birth Abroad is a certificate that states that a child is a U.S. citizen from birth. Many, but not all, children born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent are eligible to be documented as U.S. citizens through issuance of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad and a U.S. passport.

If you were previously issued a Consular Report of Birth Abroad and wish to request a replacement copy, please click here. 

Appointment and Interview
Appointments are required to file a Consular Report of a Birth Abroad. Appointments are available for American citizens Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. We are closed on the last Wednesday of every month and on U.S. and Indian holidays.

Make an Appointment Here

Both parents and the child must appear at the Consulate in person on the date of the appointment with all of the required documents.  Appointments cannot be made prior to the birth of the child.

Required Documents
Parents typically choose to apply for the child's U.S. passport at the same time they apply for the Consular Report of Birth Abroad. The list below covers both the Consular Report of Birth Abroad, and the U.S. Passport. 

Please bring the following original items to the interview:

• Proof of the parents' identity and citizenship, such as U.S. or other passports.
• Child's original birth certificate issued by the local authorities (including English translation, if applicable). The birth certificate must include the name of the child.
• Two (2) photo studio quality photographs of the child, 2" x 2" in size and taken against a light background. The child must be facing forward with his/her ears showing and eyes open.

• Prenatal and hospital records (e.g., ultrasounds, prescriptions, evidence of pre-natal doctor visits, hospital discharge documents, vaccination card, etc.)  
• The parents' marriage certificate, or other proof of their relationship prior to the child’s conception. (This is not required if the mother of the child is a U.S. citizen.).
• Proof of the U.S. citizen parent's physical presence in the U.S. (This is not required if BOTH parents are U.S. citizens.) For children born to one U.S. citizen and one foreign national, the U.S. citizen parent will need to show five years of physical presence in the U.S., two of which must be after the age of 14. Examples of items that show physical presence are school transcripts, income tax returns with Form W-2, Social Security earnings history, pay receipts, passport entry/exit stamps in current and previous passports, etc.
• If also applying for a passport (see below) and only one parent is present in India, the other parent must complete a Parental Consent Form DS-3053. This form must be notarized.

Complete and print the following forms online before coming to your appointment but PLEASE DO NOT SIGN THE FORMS UNTIL DIRECTED TO DO SO BY A CONSULAR OFFICER.

DS-2029, Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad (PDF - 52kb)

Form DS-2029 Continuation Sheet (PDF - 115kb) (Use this form only if necessary as a continuation sheet for Question number 12 on DS-2029--Precise Periods of Physical Presence in the United States. This form must be completed ONLY for the U.S. citizen parent. If BOTH parents are U.S. citizens, you may disregard this form.)

Form SS-5-FS Application for a Social Security Card (PDF - 163kb)

Form DS-11 Application for a U.S. Passport

Insufficient Evidence of Relationship
If the documentation provided does not clearly establish the stated relationship, DNA testing may be recommended.

In cases involving Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), clear evidence of the child's genetic relationship to the transmitting U.S. citizen parent is required, in addition to the other transmission requirements noted above. We recommend that all medical procedures and agreements be carefully documented in order to establish the facts regarding the genetic parentage of the child. Consular Officers must consider all pertinent documents related to the CRBA application. It is highly likely that DNA will be recommended in these cases. Please review the DNA testing procedures on our website for more information. DNA kits take approximately two weeks to arrive at post, and it takes at least another two weeks after the testing to receive the results. If you feel that DNA may be required in your case, you may order DNA kits in advance of your appointment. More information from the State Deparment on DNA testing is available here.

Fees
Complete fee information is available here. If applying in person, you may pay with cash dollars, cash rupees (at the current exchange rate), demand draft,or a major U.S. credit card. Personal checks are not accepted.

Indian Visa
Whether you plan to stay in India or travel outside India, your child will need an Indian visa. After receiving the passport for your child, you can apply for an Indian visa or exit permit at the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) in your area. The Consulate will provide you with a letter of introduction to present to the FRRO. The visa or exit permit will be placed in your child’s new passport. This process generally takes up to three business days.

More information can be found on the following Government of India websites:

http://www.immigrationindia.nic.in/

http://www.mha.nic.in/

http://www.mumbaipolice.org/FRRO/main.htm

Passport Processing Time
Except in emergencies, passports are printed in the United States and take approximately 7-10 days. Please consider this timeline when renewing or applying for passports. You will receive an automated email when your passport is ready.

Passport delivery arrangements

• To receive your new passport by courier, please purchase a prepaid courier envelope from the VFS office and bring it with you at the time of your appointment at the Consulate. (Click here for a list of western Indian VFS offices.) Alternatively, you may bring a completed address form (PDF-33kb) with Rs. 166.00 cash or a demand draft made to "VFS Global Services Pvt. Ltd.,” payable in Mumbai only.  The American Citizen Services staff will direct you to a VFS facility at the Bandra Kurla Complex to pay for the service following your passport interview.  If you are renewing your passport by mail, please enclose a prepaid courier envelope or the demand draft and address form with your application.
• You will be notified by email when your new passport arrives at the Consulate. You can expect to receive your new passport via courier delivery two to three days later.  You may send questions about delivery arrangements to mumbaiacs@state.gov. To track the status of your passport delivery please refer website: https://www.vfs-usa.co.in/USIndia/trackyourpassport.html  

Questions? 

Email: mumbaiacs@state.gov