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Report of Birth Abroad
 

The U.S. Citizen Services section accepts applications for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA) by appointment only. 

CRBA appointments are available at 1:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday except U.S. and Vietnamese holidays. 

General information

Children with a potential claim to U.S. citizenship are not eligible to receive U.S. immigrant visas or non-immigrant visas. Parents need to apply for a U.S. Consular Report of Birth and passport for their child to enter the U.S. The Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America (CRBA) documents the birth of a United States citizen in a foreign country. It is accepted by all U.S. Government agencies as proof of a child's U.S. citizenship. Although not technically a birth certificate (which can only be issued by the local jurisdiction), the CRBA can be used in the U.S. in the same way as a birth certificate issued by a city or county registrar's office. You may apply for a child's U.S. passport at the same time you apply for the CRBA.

Most, 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.

Please note that the U.S. Embassy, Hanoi can approve or deny CRBA applications only for children born in our consular district. If a child was born in another consular district or country, we can only collect the application and supporting documents and forward them to the relevant U.S. Embassy of that country for adjudication.

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Procedure to request a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), Passport, and Social Security Card

Please fill out forms in advance but do not sign any documents until asked to do so by the Consular Officer. Parents are encouraged to apply for their child’s U.S. Passport and a Social Security Number at the same time as applying for his/her CRBA (see below for appropriate links).

  1. Complete form DS-2029, Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad (PDF - 52KB). Do not sign the form until instructed to do so at your appointment.
  2. Complete form DS-5507, Affidavit of Parentage, Physical Presence and Support (PDF - 166KB). Do not sign until instructed to do so at your appointment (if the U.S. parent is in the U.S., he/she can sign the affidavit at a U.S. notary public).
  3. Complete form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card (PDF -234KB).
  4. If applying for a passport at the same time, complete the passport application form DS-11 on travel.state.gov. Both parents must sign the passport application for children under the age of 16, but do not sign until instructed to do so at your appointment. Please see additional passport requirements for children under age of 16.
  5. Two identical photographs are required. They must be recent, 2 x 2 inches (with the size of the head between 1 and 1 3/8 inches) and in color. The photos must be clear, front view, full face, and in focus. The background must be plain white or off-white (detailed requirements). Print the applicant's first and last names on the back of both photos.
  6. Submit the completed forms listed above and required supporting documents (see below for details) to the U.S. Citizen Services section at your appointment.
  7. Pay the required fees: $100 for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, $105 for a passport for a minor under the age of 16; total of $205. Fees may be paid in U.S. Dollars or by credit card. The fees will be collected at the Consular Section on the submission date.


When you come for your appointment, please come with:

  • Your child, even a newborn, must appear in person at our office at the time you make the application. There is no exception to this requirement.
  • Both parents (or one parent with a notarized consent from the non-appearing parent).

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Documentary requirements

Please provide the following original documents and copies (originals will be returned).

Documents in a language other than English must be translated into English. Bring both the original and translation(s) with you to your appointment.

  1. Original Vietnamese birth certificate for the child (issued by the provincial Justice Department) and two notarized English translations. Please see list of Notary Public Offices and Justice Services Offices in Hanoi. For U.S. citizens living in Hanoi, please read the instructions on how to obtain a Vietnamese certificate at the Hanoi Justice Department (PDF - 431KB). 
  2. Proof of citizenship of U.S. citizen parent(s); please bring one of the following original document(s):
    • U.S. passport and three copies,
    • U.S. birth certificate (original or copy certified by an official government custodian of birth records) and one copy,
    • Certificate of Naturalization (required for naturalized citizens even if presenting a U.S. passport) and one copy, or
    • Consular Report of Birth Abroad and one copy.
  3. Foreign passport or ID card of non-U.S. citizen parent and one copy, if applicable.
  4. Parents' marriage certificate, if any (original or certified copy) and one copy. Please provide a notarized English translation if the original is not in English.
  5. Proof of termination of any previous marriages, if any, in the form of
    • Divorce decree (original or certified copy) and one copy or
    • Death certificate (original or certified copy) and one copy.
  6. Proof of bona-fide relationship
    • Supporting evidence of the relationship between the mother and the father (e.g. wedding photos, letters).
    • Supporting evidence of the child's birth (e.g. hospital/pre-natal records, sonograms, photos of the mother while pregnant).
    • Evidence of both parents' physical presence in the state/country at the time of the child's conception (e.g. visa stamps, airline tickets, airlines printouts): original and one photocopy.
  7. Parents' previous passport(s); previous passport(s) are needed if current passport does not cover the time of conception.
  8. 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, entry/exit stamps in current and previous U.S. and foreign passports, etc.

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Processing time

The CRBA and passport are printed in the United States and will be available for pick-up approximately four weeks after approval.

The Social Security Administration will send the SSN card to the mailing address indicated on your form approximately three to six months after you receive your child’s CRBA and passport.

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Delivery

Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA) and passports can be picked up at the U.S. Citizen Services unit by the applicant, applicant's parents, or authorized representative.

CRBA and passport may also be delivered to you by EMS express courier. These arrangements should be made at the EMS counter in the Consulate, at the end of your appointment. The delivery fee is 36,000 VND or 60,000 VND depending upon your shipping/mailing address. This fee is payable only in VND.

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DNA examination

In some instances it is not possible to conclusively determine the U.S. citizenship of a child at birth. In these cases, the Consular Officer may recommend a DNA exam to establish parentage. This will involve the supervised taking of saliva samples from the child and the father and/or mother. Please do not conduct independent DNA exams, as only results from Embassy ordered tests can be used to determine a genetic relationship for citizenship purposes. 

Learn more about the DNA Examination procedure.

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Important notes

Parents must apply for a Vietnamese passport for the child if they registered the child as a Vietnamese citizen on the Vietnamese birth certificate, when they want to leave Vietnam. 

If the child was registered on the Vietnamese birth certificate as a U.S. citizen, parents will need to apply for a Vietnamese visa for the child after they receive the U.S. passport. 

Please contact the provincial Immigration or Immigration Department in Hanoi for specific instructions for applications for Vietnamese passports and visas. You should also carry the Vietnamese birth certificate when departing Vietnam because the Immigration authorities at airport may wish to see it.

Contact information for Immigration Department in Hanoi:

Vietnam Immigration Department
44-46 Tran Phu Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi
Inquiry phone: 84-4-3825-7941
Fax: 84-4-3824-3287 or 84-4-3824-3288
Email: vnimm@hn.vnn.vn
Immigration Department official website

Office hours: 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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