Reports of birth

Reporting the birth of a child to U.S. citizen parent(s) in India

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" (Form DS-2029) 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 read the additional requirements carefully.

Method of application

You are required to apply for the report of birth and passport in person at this office. An appointment is necessary to file an application for a report of birth.  However, you may apply for the report of birth and the child's first passport at the same time.  To book an appointment, please contact this office.

Application requirements for the report of birth

Please bring the following to your appointment:

• Completed Form DS-2029 (Application for Consular Report of Birth).  For tips on completing the DS-2029, follow this link.

• Original Indian birth certificate issued by the local municipality.  This document must show both parents' names.

• Marriage certificate of parents (if applicable): Original certificate issued by local, state, or national government authority.  If you 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;

• Divorce decrees/death certificates of parents (if applicable): It is necessary to show termination of all prior marriages for both parents (and certified translations, if appropriate).

• Evidence of parents' citizenship and identity: Both parents, whether U.S. citizens or not, must submit their passports at time of application.

• Application fee of U.S. $65.00 or Rs. 3250. Accepted payment methods are cash or demand draft.

• Evidence of parental relationship.  Examples are pre-natal records or family photos taken before and after the birth.

• Evidence of the U.S. citizen parent(s)' physical presence in the United States.  Examples of primary evidence are school records, tax records, and earnings statements issued by the Social Security Administration.  Secondary forms of evidence are the current and former passports (both U.S. and foreign) of the U.S. citizen parent(s). Please complete and submit the attached affidavit detailing your presence in the US.  You may access the affidavit form here.  Please understand that you must detail every entry and exit from the U.S. as indicated in your passport(s).
  

• Page 3 of the Form DS-2029: If your child is under the age of five, you may submit this form to apply for a Social Security Number card for your child if you wish.

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 Consulate. If you wish to submit both applications on the same day, the following documentation will also be required, in addition to that listed above:

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

• Form DS-11 (Application for a U.S. Passport): Form DS-11 must be printed on separate sheets of paper; do NOT print this form on front and back of the same sheet. For tips on completing the DS-11, follow this link.

• Two identical 2X2 passport photographs: The Consulate will reject any photographs that do not meet the specified requirements.

• Fees: The application fee for a child under the age of 16 is U.S. $85.00 or Rs. 4250; aged 16 and over is U.S. $100.00 or Rs. 5000. Accepted payment methods are cash or demand draft.

• If you would like to receive your child's new passport by courier, you must purchase a prepaid courier envelope from any western India VFS office for Rs.166 and bring it with you. We regret that we are unable to accept the courier fees at the American Citizens Services Unit.

• If applying for a child under the age of 16, you will also be required to follow additional requirements regarding parental consent for passport issuance. 

Processing time

Your child's Consular Report of Birth Abroad will be issued on the day following 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 new passport to arrive.

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