General Information

The following instructions are provided to assist American citizens who wish to report the birth of their child in Brazil. This service is provided at the Embassy, Consulate or Consular Agency in charge of your state of residence according to its jurisdiction. Application for a Consular Report of Birth must be made, in person, through a pre-scheduled appointment. 

A Consular Report of Birth Abroad is a certificate that states that a child born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent or parents acquired U.S. citizenship at birth and serves as proof of citizenship. 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 U.S. passport. Citizenship laws are complex, and it is impossible to address all factual situations here.

CRBAs are printed at our passport agencies in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and New Orleans, Louisiana, using the information provided by overseas posts.  By centralizing production and eliminating the distribution of controlled blank stock throughout the world, we help ensure uniform quality and lessen the possibility of fraud.  The CRBA has a variety of state-of-the-art security features to help prevent fraud and identity theft. 

Additionally, the Department of State no longer issues the DS-1350 Certification of Report of Birth Abroad.  Instead, the Department simply provides new FS-240s in response to requests for additional, replacement, or amended CRBAs. However, all previously issued FS-240 and DS-1350 documents are still valid for proof of identity, citizenship and other legal purposes. 

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. For more information concerning the passport application for minors, check the Passport for Minors page.

Both parents must come in person with the child and should bring:

Required Documents:

•   Application Forms: (Complete but do not sign!)

  • DS-2029 Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad (PDF 53KB)

    DS-5507 Affidavit of Parentage Physical Presence and Support (PDF 165KB). Only required when the child is born out of wedlock to an American Citizen father and foreign mother. Please submit evidence of paternity, the parent’s relationship prior to the child’s birth, and support.
  • If you are also applying for a passport, complete the DS-11 online and print.
  • If you experience trouble with the Passport Application Wizard, click Form DS-11 (PDF 89KB
  • SS-5 Application for a Social Security Card (PDF 237KB). This form is optional.  Please note that the Social Security Card can only be requested after the CRBA and U.S. passport are issued to the child.

• If only one parent is an American citizen and the child was born outside of the United States, the American parent must present evidence of that parent’s physical presence in the United States prior to the birth of the child (generally at least 5 years physical presence in the U.S. two of which were over the age of 14). This is a general guideline only. Transmission requirements vary by child’s date of birth and civil status of parents. The U.S. citizen parent may use school records, income taxes, or other documentation as proof of residency in the USA.

• One recent, color Photograph 2x2 inches (5x5 cm) with plain white background and no dates on the picture for the passport photo. 
• Fee
• Additional required documents (all originals):
  
  1. The original of the child’s Brazilian Birth Certificate;
  2. The original of the parents’ Civil Marriage Certificate – if applicable;
  3. If one or both parents have been previously married, the original of the document terminating such marriage(s), i.e. Divorce Decree, Death Certificate, etc.;
  4. Satisfactory evidence that the child is the natural child of the mother whose name appears on the Birth Certificate. This may be in the form of medical reports covering pre-natal care, a doctor's signed statement attesting to pre-natal treatment, mother’s pre-natal exams, hospital records where the child was born, or other evidence as may be required by the Consular Officer. There are also situations which, on occasion, necessitate further proof to verify the relationship between the parents and the child. Adequate pre and postnatal documentation and registration at the Embassy or Consulate as soon as possible after the child’s birth is strongly encouraged to avoid problems;
  5. Evidence of the parent's American citizenship. This may be in the form of a valid American passport or passport ID, the original of a Birth Certificate showing birth in the U.S., or a U.S. Certificate of Naturalization. If one parent is not a U.S. citizen he/she must present his/her passport and a Brazilian ID Card if he/she is a resident of Brazil;
  6. Child’s Brazilian passport (if already issued);
  7. Parents’ valid passports;
  8. Family photos showing the child’s development if the child is not an infant.

Changes to Passport and Consular Report of Birth Abroad Delivery for Embassy Brasilia, Consulate General São Paulo and Consulate Recife

Effective April 30, 2012, U.S. passports and Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBAs) approved at the Embassy in Brasilia and the Consulate General in São Paulo will only be returned via registered mail through the Brazilian postal system (Correios) following the procedure described below.  The Consulate General in Rio de Janeiro will continue to use a courier service, which can be arranged at the time of your appointment, for delivery of U.S. passports and CRBAs.  For details on arranging passport and CRBA delivery from the Consulate in Recife, please click here.

To receive your passport or CRBA by mail from the Embassy in Brasilia or the Consulate General in São Paulo you must bring a registered mail envelope and sufficient stamps with you to your appointment. The registration label will be affixed to the envelope by the post office once the Embassy or Consulate returns it to them. If you are applying for both a CRBA and a passport at the same time, both documents can be returned in the same envelope. Brazilian post office locations can be found here: http://www.correios.com.br/servicos/agencias/default.cfm 

Brazilian postal fees for passport delivery by registered mail are based upon weight and service level.  The Brazilian post office typically considers one passport to be 70 grams and the current price for delivery of one passport by registered mail is 4,95 Reais.  More information on registered mail prices can be found here: http://www.correios.com.br/precosPrazos/precosPrazosNacionais/Carta.cfm

If you choose not to have your passport and CRBA delivered by mail, you or a representative who has been designated in writing may pick the passport up at the Embassy or Consulate during our American Citizen Services public office hours.

Additional Information

Originals of all documents presented will be returned to the reporting parent(s). The copies will be certified and will accompany the final report of birth, which is submitted to the Department of State for permanent record keeping.

The parents will receive a certified copy of the Consular Report of Birth Abroad.

Children born in Brazil to American parents, except those in diplomatic or official status, acquire Brazilian Citizenship at birth as well as a possible claim to American Citizenship. They are dual nationals, and are required to have Brazilian passports to leave Brazil. They will need American passports to enter the United States or other countries.

Processing Time

CRBAs and passports are printed in the United States and take approximately 10 working days to be sent back to Brazil. Please consider this timeline when applying for CRBAs and passports.

Replacement Copies of your Consular Report of Birth Abroad

Official copies of a previously issued Consular Report of Birth Abroad are not available from the Embassy or Consulate and must be requested directly from the Department of State in Washington. Please see the Department of State website for ordering instructions.

U.S. Citizenship Verification for Foreign-Born Adults

A Consular Report of Birth Abroad can be issued to U.S. citizens only before their 18th birthday. If you have reached your 18th birthday or over and were born outside of the United States to a U.S. citizen parent, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad can no longer be issued. Nevertheless, you may still be eligible for a U.S. passport.

If you believe you may be a U.S. citizen based on the citizenship of your parent(s), please schedule an appointment and follow the instructions for a Report of Birth Abroad above.

Schedule an Appointment

Important: With the exception of emergency services, all U.S. citizen services must be scheduled in advance. Select one of the following consular posts for instructions and how to schedule your online appointment:

• Brasília
• Rio de Janeiro
• São Paulo
• Recife

Select one of the following Consular Agencies to schedule your appointment. Note: Services at the Consular Agencies are scheduled by e-mail only:

• Consular Agency in Manaus
• Consular Agency in Salvador
• Consular Agency in Porto Alegre
• Consular Agency in Fortaleza

Please check the Contact Information and Working Hours page to find out the appropriate e-mail and street address, and working hours of each American citizen Services Unit in Brazil.