Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul strongly encourages all U.S. citizens who have children born in the Republic of South Korea to apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) as soon as possible after the birth of the child. A CRBA is an official record confirming that the child acquired U.S. citizenship at birth. It can be issued only at a U.S. Embassy or a Consular Office overseas, and only before the child reaches 18 years of age. Please note that the U.S. Embassy Seoul can approve or deny CRBA applications only for children born in Korea. 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.

Only the child’s parent or legal guardian may apply on the child’s behalf. Both parents along with the child must be present to sign the application before a U.S. consular officer. Please see our appointment page.

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.

Forms: (Complete but DO NOT SIGN)

• Form DS-2029: Application for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad
• Passport application must be filled out using the Passport Wizard. Once completed, please print the application form, but DO NOT sign. Applications filled out by hand will not be accepted.
  • U.S. regulations require the consent of both parents/legal guardians for the issuance of a U.S. passport to a minor child. If only one parent submits the application for a minor child, the absent parent is required to complete a notarized Parental Statement of Consent Form DS-3053 (PDF-27.8K) to express their consent for the issuance of the new passport. All sections of the parental consent form must be completely filled out including the notary office information and the type of ID used for the notary process. The parent submitting the application materials to the U.S. Embassy must bring the notarized consent form along with a copy of the absent parent’s ID used during the notary.
• One photo - 2" x 2” (5cm x 5cm) photograph. The background must be plain white and should not show parents or parents' hands. The baby's eyes must be open. Polaroid photos cannot be used.
• If you have not yet applied for your child’s social security number, please enter 000-00-0000 as the social security number in the passport application.
• Form SS-5 (PDF-200.9K): Application for a Social Security Card
  Social Security Card applications are forwarded to the regional Social Security Administration (SSA) office in Manila Philippines for processing. For all social security related questions including the status of the social security card, please contact the Manila SSA office.

Documents: (Originals or certified copy. All original documents will be reviewed by a consular officer and returned to the applicant.)

• Evidence of your child’s birth
  
  
  • This can be an original U.S. military hospital or Korean hospital birth certificate. A Korean certificate must be signed by the doctor and sealed with the official hospital stamp on the letter and must be accompanied by an English translation. 
    
    Please make sure that the child’s name and both parents’ names on the hospital birth certificate are consistent with the names on the submitted applications and IDs. Our office will not accept the hospital birth certificates that do not include the child’s name at birth or if the parent’s names are spelled incorrectly.
• Mother’s prenatal and hospital records (e.g., ultrasounds, prescriptions, evidence of pre-natal doctor visits, hospital discharge documents, vaccination card, etc.). 
• Evidence of U.S. citizenship of the parent(s): (One of the following)
  
  
  • Passport
  • U.S. Birth Certificate (Please Note: Hospitals in the United States sometimes issue a commemorative "certificate of birth" which often has the baby's footprints. This hospital-issued certificate is not a proof of citizenship. Certified birth certificates are issued by the State or County government, not a hospital.)
  • Consular Report of Birth Abroad
  • Certificate of Naturalization
  • Certificate of Citizenship 
• Parents’ current and previous passports (previous passport(s) needed if current passport does not cover the time of conception and pregnancy)
• Evidence of couple’s relationship prior to the conception of the child.
• Marriage Certificate
• Divorce decrees/Death Certificates (if applicable)
  
  
  • Family Census Register is acceptable for Korean citizens (A English translation must be included. The translation does not need to be notarized.)
  • If divorced, court order establishing custody and guardian ship
• Fee: $205 ($100 CRBA and $105 Passport)
• Evidence of the American parent’s physical presence in the U.S.
  
  
  • If the parents are married and only one parent is a U.S. citizen and the other is not, the U.S. citizen parent must provide evidence of his or her actual presence in the U.S. for five years (two of them after the age of 14) before the birth.
  • If the parents are not married and the mother is a U.S. citizen, she must present evidence of one year's continual physical presence in the United States.
  • If the parents are not married and the father is a U.S. citizen, more evidence such as Affidavit of Parentage, Physical Presence and Support (form DS-5507) may be requested along with the five years physical presence requirement.

Please note: Based on the evidence provided, it is up to the reviewing officer to determine if the eligibility for transmission of citizenship requirement has been met. If more information is required, these additional items, along with any missing documents, will be explained to you with an itemized list indicating the document(s) necessary to complete your child's application.

DNA Examinations

• In some instances it is not possible to conclusively determine the U.S. citizenship of a child at birth based on the documents submitted. 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 parties involved by an accredited laboratory. Please do not conduct independent DNA exams, as only results from Embassy requested tests can be used to determine a genetic relationship for citizenship purposes.

Upon receipt of a complete application, you will receive the Consular Report of Birth Abroad and U.S. passport for your child in three to four weeks. A return delivery courier slip (available at the Embassy) filled out by you will be used to return your child’s CRBA and passport. Please note that you will pay for this service in cash directly to the courier upon delivery.

Your child’s social security card will be mailed to the address provided on the SS-5 application form directly by the office of the Social Security Administration. For all social security related questions including the status of the social security card, please contact the Manila SSA office.