Applying For a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)

If you are a U.S. citizen and the parent of a child born out of the United States, you will need to document your child’s U.S. citizenship with a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. This document is used in the United States like a certified copy of a birth certificate, and it is acceptable evidence of citizenship for obtaining a passport and entering school. Although the application forms and final documents are the same everywhere, our embassies and consulates have different procedures to get them. If you haven’t done so already, check your local post website to learn the local rules. Our Embassies and Consulates will need you to make an appointment for this service. For more information, please visit the Department of State Travel site.

Birth of U.S. Citizen in Kenya

Information on acquisition of U.S. citizenship by a child born abroad

The American Citizen Services section in Nairobi, Kenya accepts applications for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad by appointment only.

General Information

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. It cannot be prepared if the child is 18 years of age or older at the time the application is made.

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 we can approve or deny CRBA applications only for children born in Kenya and Somalia. If a child was born in another country, we can only collect the application and supporting documents and forward them to the U.S. Embassy in that country for adjudication.

Procedure

To improve our service to you, we are changing the way we now accept CRBA applications.   We ask that you complete all the forms below, attached the supporting documents and schedule an appointment by visiting the Department of State Travel Appointment site.

A – FORMS REQUIRED FOR ALL APPLICATIONS:       
FORMS COMPLETED BUT NOT SIGNED

• Form DS-2029: Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad (PDF 53 KB)
• Form DS – 5507: Affidavit of Parentage, Physical Presence (PDF 166 KB) and Support if parents do not have a marriage certificate.       
• Form SS - 5: Application for a Social Security Card (PDF 234 KB) if the parent transmitting U.S. citizenship is submitting the application in person
• Form DS -11: Passport Application  

B – FORMS TO BE COMPLETED IF ONE OF THE PARENTS IS NOT IN KENYA

FORMS COMPLETED AND SIGNED BEFORE A NOTARY: 

• Form DS- 3053-: Statement of Consent or Special Circumstances: Issuance of a Passport to a Minor Under Age 16
• Form DS-2029: Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad (PDF 53 KB)
• Form DS – 5507: Affidavit of Parentage, Physical Presence and Support (PDF 166 KB)  if parents do not have a marriage certificate (child is born out of wedlock)
• Certified copy of the Absent Parent’s Passport and photocopy of the Naturalization certificate for naturalized parents     

                                    
 C - ALSO REQUIRED:   

• The child’s birth certificate - Hospital Birth notifications are not acceptable.    
• Original marriage certificate for parents, if married
• Original divorce certificate or death certificate, if either parent was previously married.   
• One 2” x 2” photographs, that meet the requirements listed on the back of the application. 
•  Parent’s original U.S. passports and notarized Naturalization Certificates (if applicable)
• Evidence of physical presence in the U.S. (for example, naturalization certificate, school records, payroll stubs, lease agreement, old passport with entry and exit visa stamps etc)

Parents must sign the child’s PASSPORT APPLICATION form in the presence of a Consular Officer –DO NOT SIGN BEFOREHAND

 Please also note the following:

• Please include the passports for both parents and any other identifying documents for the non-American parent (if applicable)
• Please do not leave your passports with our office

On the appointment day, you will need to bring:

• The child
• Both parents (if in Kenya)
• All original completed forms and supporting documents
• The fee for the CRBA ($100) and child’s passport ($105) — this totals $205

We need your help in ensuring quality customer service for all applicants.  This new procedure is designed to ensure that each customer is fully prepared for their CRBA appointment.

 Please use this document checklist to help you prepare. 

If you have any questions about this new procedure or the documents required, please send an E-mail to Kenya_ACS@state.gov.  

Note: Documents in a language other than English must be translated to English.  Bring both the original translation with you to your appointment.

 DNA Examinations

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 request 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.

DNA questions: NairobiDNA@state.gov, 020-363-6023