Birth Registration
SCHEDULE YOUR ONLINE APPOINTMENT NOW.
Within a week after scheduling your appointment, you will receive an email with all instructions and application forms for the registration of your child.
Children born abroad to American citizen parents are entitled to be documented as American citizens if the citizen parent meets certain transmission requirements laid out in the Immigration and Nationality Act. The following information will assist you in determining whether or not you are able to transmit citizenship to your child and will assist you in completing the necessary steps to register your child’s birth and obtain a U.S. passport.
If your child has a potential 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” before a consular officer. Both parents must accompany the child to the Consular Section of the US Embassy. You may also apply for your child’s first passport and social security card when you report your child’s birth.
Processing of citizenship claims is done by online appointment only. Applicants should plan to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to their scheduled appointment.
Please remember to bring all required documentation and completely filled-out forms, (described below), with you to your appointment. Missing documentation may result in delays in processing your case.
To apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad for your child, you need:
Completed Form DS-2029 |
Application for Consular Report of Birth |
The Child’s Birth Certificate | This is the Belgian Birth Certificate, issued by local authorities. This document must show the biological parents’ names. Short form birth certificates, which do not indicate parentage, are not acceptable. If the Birth Certificate is not in English, an informal translation must be included. (you can translate the documents yourself on a separate sheet of paper). |
Photo ID of the child, if applicable | This is not necessary for newborns |
Evidence of Parents’ Citizenship and Identity | Acceptable documents include:
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Marriage Certificate, if applicable | Original certificate issued by local, state, or national government authorities. If your marriage certificate is in a language other than English, an informal translation must be provided. |
Divorce Decrees/ Death Certificates, if applicable | It will be necessary to show termination of all prior marriages for both parents. Please bring translations, if appropriate. |
If the child is born out of wedlock and the father is a U.S. citizen and is listed on the birth certificate, evidence of acknowledgement of paternity by the U.S. citizen father and agreement to pay child support. | As evidence, bring a notarized Affidavit of Parentage and Physical Presence (see attached document) or a U.S. court order regarding child support payment. |
If only one parent is a U.S. citizen bring primary evidence documents that may establish your physical presence in the U.S. before the child’s birth (for a total of 5 years; 2 of which after the age of 14) | Acceptable documents include:
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Secondary evidence documents that may establish your physical presence in the U.S. before the child’s birth. This evidence is necessary if only one parent is a U.S. citizen and insufficient primary evidence is submitted. | Acceptable documents include: Former/Current Passport with stamps Airline ticket stubs Credit Card Bills Utility bills Tax forms Notarized Affidavits from former/current employers |
$100.00 U.S. Application Fee | Accepted Payment Methods are: Cash: either dollars or euros Credit card- Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or Diners Club International Money Order to the exact dollar amount made payable to the “US Embassy Brussels.” |
To Apply for Your Child’s First Passport, you will need:
- Completed DS-11 Form
- Any foreign passport that the child may currently hold;
- One color passport photograph, measuring 2” x 2”or 5 cm x 5 cm (not a Belgian standard size). Subject must be facing front, on a white background. The face must be clearly visible;
- If one parent is unable to accompany the child and second parent to the Consulate for the appointment, a notarized, original Statement of Consent by the absent parent is required + a copy of the absent parent's ID : DS-3053 (PDF - 156KB).
- $105 U.S. application fee for children under 16 or
- $135 U.S. application fee for children over 16.
Cash ($ and €) and credit cards are accepted. Visa and Master card holders are requested to obtain the authorization from their bank to enable payments in the U.S.
SSA Application Form (PDF 59.82 KB)
For any additional information we refer your to the State Department's website.
To have your CRBA and passport returned to you by registered mail, please bring a self-addressed large A4 envelope (300mm x 230mm). Only regular stamps will be accepted. Please stick the stamps on the envelope. One stamp for registered mail + one stamp per applicant with a circled number 2.
Social Security Card:
Processing for the social security card application can be done following your interview for birth registration. Applicants must present a completed SS-5 Application (see attached document) for Social Security Card, an original valid identity document (i.e. Passport) and the Consular Report of Birth Abroad. The Passport section will provide a copy of the child’s passport and Consular Report upon issuance to the Federal Benefits Unit to complete the application. It will generally take an additional 4-5 weeks for the actual Social Security Number card to arrive from the United States, after all required evidence has been received. Further general information on this subject and the application form can be found at the SSA website.
Contact Information
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Embassy of the United States of America
Passport and Citizenship Unit
Bd du Regentlaan 25
1000 BrusselsCall-in hours :
Mo - Thu : 08:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Fri : 1.30 p.m. - 3.30 p.m.
Phone:
(+32)(0)2-811.4300Fax:
(+32)(0)2-811.4546E-mail address:
USpassportsBrussels@state.gov
Schedule your appointment now.
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