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Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)!

A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) is a formal document certifying the acquisition of United States citizenship at birth for a person born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent or parents who meet the requirements for transmitting citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).  United States non-citizen nationals are also eligible for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, using the non-citizen option. CRBA applications must be made before the child’s 18th birthday. We recommend that parents apply for the CRBA as soon as possible after obtaining the child’s birth certificate.

Eligibility Requirements

To apply, your child must have been born in Romania and you must travel to Bucharest for the in-person interview.

To be eligible to apply for a CRBA online, you MUST answer YES to ALL the following criteria.

  1. Was the child born in Romania?
  2. Is the child under the age of 18?
  3. Was at least one parent a U.S. citizen or U.S. non-citizen national when the child was born?
  4. Can you use an internationally accepted credit/debit card or a direct payment method from a U.S. dollar denominated bank account (also known as “ACH”) to pay online for your Consular Report of Birth Abroad application?
  5. Are you a biological parent of a child born abroad who is applying for that child?

If any of the above statements do not apply to you, you MUST apply by completing a paper application.

How to Apply

You can now apply for a CRBA electronically at Bucharest!  This new online feature allows U.S. citizen parents to complete a CRBA application online, upload all required documents, and submit payment prior to the in-person interview.

  • To apply for a CRBA online, you need to create a MyTravelGov. MyTravelGov is a secured, encrypted portal. Watch this video to learn more about creating your account.
    • Please note that occasionally the eCRBA portal returns an error message when Romania is selected as place of birth: “At this time, eCRBA service is not available for the selected place of birth. Please click  for instructions on applying for a CRBA using Form DS-2029.” Customers reported that after receiving such an error message, they did subsequently manage to submit their eCRBA online.
  • Once you have created a MyTravelGov account you can access eCRBA and submit your application online. The easy-to-use online process provides applicants with step-by-step instructions on how to complete the application.
    • When completing the application, make sure you enter the residence or the physical presence information required to transmit U.S. citizenship to your child (generally at least five years of physical presence in the U.S. prior to the child’s birth, if only one parent is a U.S. citizen, or proof of residence in the U.S. prior to the child’s birth, if both parents are U.S. citizens). You can check the transmission requirements below under “Citizenship transmission requirements”.
    • For details regarding the residence/physical presence information and the necessary documents for the CRBA application, review our checklist in advance.
  • Once you complete the online application and submit payment, you will then be directed to schedule your appointment at Bucharest. Please schedule your appointment at least 5 days after payment submission. This provides time for your payment to be processed prior to your CRBA interview. If you could not find an appointment online, please email ACSBucharest@state.gov to request an appointment and we will schedule your interview appointment.  Please Note: Do NOT make another (or duplicate) payment for a CRBA ($100) at the Embassy.
  • Attend you scheduled in-person interview with your original documents and their photocopies (single-sided). Original documents will be returned to you after reviewing your application. You must provide English translations for all foreign language documents. The child must be present at the time of application. Generally, both parents also attend the interview.

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Other Important Information

Passport applications and Social Security Card applications must be completed and submitted separately.

Passport application

If you wish to apply for a passport for your child at the same time, you must bring the following:

  • Completed Passport Application – Form DS-11 (PDF 104 KB) – if applying for a U.S. passport at the same time: While you are not required to apply for your child’s passport at the same time that you apply for his/her Consular Report of Birth Abroad, you are encouraged to do so.  Please do not sign the application until the consular officer interviews you. 
    • If you decide to apply at another time, both parents and the child may have to appear at the Embassy again. For children under age 16, the presence of the child and both parents is required at the time of application. Unequivocal consent to passport issuance is demonstrated by the parents signing the application form in front of a Consular Officer. If there are special circumstances and both parents cannot submit the application together, for example if one parent is not present in country, the absent parent’s English language, notarized Statement of Consent, Form DS-3053, not older than 90 days, must be submitted. If a parent has sole custody, an original or court certified copy of the custody order granting sole custody must be submitted with the application. If one parent is deceased, the death certificate should be submitted.
    • The name of the applicant should match their birth document(s). Any material changes to the applicant’s name must be supported by an amended birth certificate or other name change evidence.
  • Application Fee: The $135 passport application fee can be paid at the Consular Section Cashier when the application is submitted.  We accept cash payments in US dollars or Romanian lei. We cannot accept checks, but we do accept credit cards. You may pay using your VISA, Mastercard, Discover, Diners Club or American Express card. Please be advised that due to intermittent network connection issues we are sometimes unable to process credit card payments. There are no ATMs on site.  To avoid potential delays in service, we encourage you to bring sufficient cash with you in the event that we are unable to process your payment via credit card.
  • One passport photograph: No photo is required for the Consular Report of Birth Abroad however, if you decide to apply for your child’s passport, you must submit a passport photograph of the child, measuring 5×5 cm (2×2 inches) and with a white background: see our Photo requirements.

Please note that an application for a Social Security Number can only be submitted after receiving the original Consular Report of Birth Abroad and Passport. To obtain a Social Security Number for your child, see further details here:

HOW TO APPLY FOR A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER

  1. Wait for your US Passport and Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA). The American Citizen Services will provide you certified copies of the child’s passport and CRBA, and of the U.S. passport of the applying parent.
  2. Fill out an SS-5, Social Security Card application. Include the form in an envelope with the certified copies received from us and mail them to the Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Consulate Naples, Italy:
    U.S. Consulate General/FBU
    Piazza della Repubblica
    80122 Naples (Italy)

For instructions and contact information see the US Consulate Naples website at: https://it.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/fbu/

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