Shanghai, China - Consulate General of the United States

Parents of a U.S. citizen child born in China should report the birth to the American Citizen Services (ACS) Unit.  If the child was born an American citizen, the Consulate will issue a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA).  We encourage parents to use this same appointment to apply for the child’s first U.S. passport and the child’s Social Security card.   

Beginning December 2016, all CRBA services are by appointment only. To request a CRBA appointment, please follow these instructions:

1. Gather all required documents, including the required applications forms.

• Application for consular report of birth abroad: DS-2029
• Application for a US passport: DS-11
• Application for a Social Security Number:  form SS-5-FS online
• A photocopy of the biopage of each parent’s passport or other identification
• A photocopy of the applicant’s birth certificate
• A photocopy of marriage certificate of the parents
  
  

2. Send in all required documents by email attachment to ShanghaiACS@state.gov .  Please include the child’s name, your email address and your local phone number in the body of the email.

3. We will process your documents and email you the date/time of your appointment.  The appointment will be within ten business days of complete document submission on either a Tuesday or Thursday morning.

4. Appointments will be rescheduled only in cases of true emergency.   If your situation is not considered an emergency, you will need to proceed with the appointment given to you. The Consulate will only entertain requests for EMERGENCY reschedules THREE (3) BUSINESS days prior to the appointment.

5. If you need to cancel your appointment, please send an e-mail in advance, notifying us of the need for cancellation.  If you do not cancel your appointment in advance, and fail to show for your scheduled appointment, the next available appointment will not be for at least two weeks.

On the appointment/interview day:

- The child/applicant and both the parents must be present for the interview. 

- Be on time for your appointment.  Those who arrive early or late will likely have to wait longer.

- Please come prepared!  If your application is incomplete on the day of your appointment, you may be asked to schedule a new appointment. 

- Please bring the following: one passport photo (must be 2" X 2" (5 cm X 5 cm) with a white background; the original of the applicant’s birth certificate; the parents’ passports or other identification; and the parents’ marriage certificate (if applicable).

- If you are applying for a Social Security card, please also bring a hard copy of the completed SS-5-FS form to your interview.

- We encourage you to also bring medical records related to the pregnancy and birth (hospital bills, sonograms, pre-natal check-ups, etc.), divorce certificates from previous marriages, family photos during pregnancy, etc.

Physical Presence:

This is the actual time when the parent was physically within the borders of the United States.  This means that any travel outside the United States, including vacations, must be excluded. Maintaining a residence in the U.S. does not constitute physical presence.  Please submit old passports as evidence, including Chinese passports used to enter or leave the United States.  Other evidence, such as U.S. school transcripts showing periods of attendance, W-2 forms, pay stubs, utility bills, U.S. employment references, old letters, etc., may be required.

Note: Any periods of time spent overseas with the United States Military/Government or qualifying international organization (such as the United Nations) may be counted as physical presence in the United States for transmission of citizenship purposes.  Time spent as a dependent of such person may also be computed as physical presence. Military records or other proof may be requested.

Fees

For the fees relating to the Consular Report of Birth Abroad and a child's first passport, please see our list of common fees.

For more information on Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, please see our ACS FAQ.