A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (commonly referred to as a CRBA) is a document issued by U.S. Embassies and Consulates overseas reflecting the birth abroad of a child who acquired U.S. citizenship at birth. It is acceptable as proof of U.S. citizenship for all legal purposes.

If your child has a potential claim to U.S. citizenship, it will be necessary for the U.S. citizen parent(s) to submit an application for a “Consular Report of Birth Abroad” before a consular officer.  U.S. citizens may transmit citizenship to their children born abroad, but the transmission requirements vary depending on when the child was born and the marital status of the U.S. citizen parent(s).

The application (Form DS-2029) must be submitted before the child’s 18th birthday. Only the child’s parent(s), legal guardian, or the child may apply on the child’s behalf. We encourage parents to document their child’s citizenship as soon as possible after the birth.

Please note, a CRBA is not a travel document and does not take the place of a passport for travel purposes. If your child is eligible for a CRBA, you may wish to apply for a passport at the same time for an additional fee.

The process for scheduling an appointment for a CRBA is outlined below.  Once the necessary steps are completed, we ask that you send us an email attaching the required documents in order to schedule an appointment.  Please pay careful attention to the instructions below!

If you have any questions about documents or the process, please send an email to crbacasablanca@state.gov or you can call us at +212 (0)522 64-20-99 between 2:00pm and 4:00pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

Child born in wedlock to two U.S. citizens

A child born outside of the United States or its outlying possessions to two U.S. citizen parents, in wedlock, is entitled to citizenship, provided one of the parents had, prior to the birth of the child, been resident in the United States or one of its outlying possessions. (No specific period of time is required.)  NOTE:  A child born to two U.S. citizens, out of wedlock should refer to number 3 or 4 below (whichever favorably applies)

Child born in wedlock to one U.S. citizen parent and one non U.S. citizen parent (on or after November 14, 1986)

A child born outside of the United States to one U.S. citizen parent and one non-U.S. citizen parent may be entitled to citizenship provided the U.S. citizen parent had been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for five years, at least two years of which were after s/he reached the age of fourteen.

Child born out of wedlock to a U.S. Citizen mother

For Children Born Before June 12, 2017: 

A child born outside of the United States and out of wedlock to a U.S. citizen mother may be entitled to U.S. citizenship provided the U.S. Citizen mother had been physically present in the United States for a continuous period of at least one year (365 days) at some time prior to the birth of the child. (NOTE: Periods spent overseas with the U.S. government/military or as a government/military dependent, are NOT considered as physical presence in the U.S. for transmission under this category).

For Children Born On or After June 12, 2017: 

A child born outside of the United States and out of wedlock to a U.S. citizen mother may be entitled to U.S. citizenship provided the U.S. citizen mother had been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for five years, at least two years of which were after she reached the age of fourteen prior to the birth of the child.

Child born out of wedlock to a U.S. Citizen father

A child born outside of the United States and out of wedlock to a U.S. citizen father may be entitled to U.S. citizenship provided the U.S. citizen father had been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for five years, at least two years of which were after he reached the age of fourteen prior to the birth of the child.  In addition the U.S. citizen father must acknowledge paternity and agree under oath and in writing at the interview to provide financial support for the child until s/he reaches the age of 18 years.

Prior to requesting an appointment you must:

• Download, print, and complete the CRBA Checklist (English) / (Arabic).  Please review the individual items carefully and check them off as you complete them.
• Complete a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Form DS-2029. Do not sign.  Please click here for an example of a correctly completed DS-2029
• Gather supporting evidence (see below list of Additional Required Documents), which may be found on the CRBA Checklist.  As you complete the items on the checklist, please check the corresponding box.
• If you would like to apply for your child’s first U.S. passport at the time of the CRBA appointment, you must also complete a passport application, Form DS-11. Do not sign.  Once the above steps have been completed, please send an email to CRBACasablanca@state.gov with the subject line: “Request for CRBA appointment – [NAME OF YOUR CHILD].”  Please include a scanned copy of the DS-2029 and completed CRBA Checklist with your appointment request.  Appointments will not be granted without these scanned and completed documents.Note: Each child requiring a CRBA will need a separate appointment, though you may send all the information and documentation in one email. The child must be physically present at the appointment.Additional Required Documents:

 

• One (1) original Moroccan birth certificate in French from the city hall (Commune Urbaine) of the child’s place of birth. This document must be requested within one month of the child’s date of birth;
• Hospital records documenting the birth, prenatal records documenting doctor’s visits during the pregnancy, sonograms;
• Moroccan Family book, if applicable.
• Photocopies of the U.S. Consular Report of Birth Abroad issued by a U.S. Consulate/Embassy to your previous child(ren), if applicable.If the U.S. parent will not be present at the appointment, the following are required from him/her:

1. Copies of all the pages of the U.S. passport and clear copies of all pages of any and all passports in his/her possession.
2. If applying for a U.S. passport together with the CRBA, you must have a Statement of Consent, Form DS-3053, notarized by a notary public in the U.S., or by a U.S. Consular Officer at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate overseas.

We advise that both parents should be present at the appointment.  However, we recognize that it may not be possible in all cases.

If one custodial parent is not able to attend, s/he must submit a notarized Form DS-3053 Statement of Consent. At the time the DS-3053 form is presented, a copy of the same identity document used to notarize the form must also be provided.

Alternatively, the applying parent may furnish one of the following documents:

•  Complete court order granting the applying parent sole legal custody of the child, such as a divorce decree or other custody order
•  Complete court order specifically permitting the applying parent to apply for the child’s passport (photocopy is acceptable)
•  Certified copy of the child’s birth certificate listing the applying parent as the only parent
•  Certified copy of an adoption decree listing the applying parent as the only parent
•  Certified copy of the judicial declaration of incompetence of the parent that cannot appear in person
• Certified copy of the death certificate of the deceased parent

If the parents were not married at the time of the child’s birth and the U.S. citizen father is not able to attend the appointment, page3 of the DS-2029 form must be completed, signed and notarized, and should be presented along with a copy of the same identity document used to notarize the form.

We advise that both parents should be present at the appointment.  However, we recognize that it may not be possible in all cases.

If one custodial parent is not able to attend, s/he must submit a notarized Form DS-3053 Statement of Consent. At the time the DS-3053 form is presented, a copy of the same identity document used to notarize the form must also be provided.

Alternatively, the applying parent may furnish one of the following documents:

•  Complete court order granting the applying parent sole legal custody of the child, such as a divorce decree or other custody order
•  Complete court order specifically permitting the applying parent to apply for the child’s passport (photocopy is acceptable)
•  Certified copy of the child’s birth certificate listing the applying parent as the only parent
•  Certified copy of an adoption decree listing the applying parent as the only parent
•  Certified copy of the judicial declaration of incompetence of the parent that cannot appear in person
• Certified copy of the death certificate of the deceased parent

If the parents were not married at the time of the child’s birth and the U.S. citizen father is not able to attend the appointment, page3 of the DS-2029 form must be completed, signed and notarized, and should be presented along with a copy of the same identity document used to notarize the form.

 

Approved Consular Reports of Birth Abroad and U.S. passports are usually ready for pick up two weeks following the final adjudication. Both parents do not have to appear to pick up the CRBA. If parents are unable to come to the U.S. Consulate, they may wish to provide a third party with a notarized consent form, giving them permission to pick up the CRBA on their behalf.

To replace or amend a CRBA, please visit the following link

In order to apply for a Social Security card for your child, please fill out form SS-5. The address you provide in question: 16 should be valid for at least 6 months. The social security card will be mailed directly to this address.

Please forward the following documents  to the Federal Benefits Unit in Paris:

• SS-5 form
• Certified copy of the child’s U.S. passport
• Certified copy of the Consular Report of Birth Abroad
• Certified copy of the American citizen parent’s passport

The Federal Benefits Unit in Paris:

U.S. Embassy
Consular Section/Federal Benefits Unit
4 avenue Gabriel
75382 Paris Cedex 8
France

In order to obtain certified copies of the Consular Report of Birth Abroad and passports, please schedule a notary appointment online at:https://evisaforms.state.gov/Instructions/ACSSchedulingSystem.asp

Notary services related to social security card applications are free of charge.

Should you have any inquiry about your child’s social security card application, please contact the Federal Benefits Unit via Phone: 01.43.12.27.05 or Fax:   01.42.86.82.91

Generally, immediate family members may accompany passport or CRBA applicants to their appointment interviews at a U.S. embassy or consulate, and all minor children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.  Passport or CRBA applicants also have the option of being accompanied by an attorney at their appointment interview.  Attendance by any third party, including an attorney, accompanying an applicant is subject to the following parameters designed to ensure an orderly appointment interview process and to maintain the integrity of the adjudication of the application(s):

• Given space limitations in the consular section, not more than one attendee at a time will be allowed to accompany an applicant (or the applicant’s parent or guardian if the applicant is a minor).
• Attendance by an attorney does not excuse the applicant and/or the minor applicant’s parent or guardian from attending the appointment interview in person.
• The manner in which a passport or CRBA appointment interview is conducted, and the scope and nature of the inquiry, shall at all times be at the discretion of the consular officer, following applicable Departmental guidance.
• It is expected that attorneys will provide their clients with relevant legal advice prior to, rather than at, the appointment interview, and will advise their clients prior to the appointment interview that the client will participate in the appointment interview with minimal assistance.
• Attorneys may not engage in any form of legal argumentation during the appointment interview and before the consular officer.
• Attendees other than a parent or guardian accompanying a minor child may not answer a consular officer’s question on behalf or in lieu of an applicant, nor may they summarize, correct, or attempt to clarify an applicant’s response, or interrupt or interfere with an applicant’s responses to a consular officer’s questions.
• To the extent that an applicant does not understand a question, s/he should seek clarification from the consular officer directly.
• The consular officer has sole discretion to determine the appropriate language(s) for communication with the applicant, based on the facility of both officer and applicant and the manner and form that best facilitate communication between the consular officer and the applicant.  Attendees may not demand that communications take place in a particular language solely for the benefit of the attendee.  Nor may attendees object to or insist on the participation of an interpreter in the appointment interview, to the qualifications of any interpreter, or to the manner or substance of any translation.
• No attendee may coach or instruct applicants as to how to answer a consular officer’s question.
• Attendees may not object to a consular officer’s question on any ground (including that the attendee regards the question to be inappropriate, irrelevant, or adversarial), or instruct the applicant not to answer a consular officer’s question.  Attendees may not interfere in any manner with the consular officer’s ability to conduct all inquiries and fact-finding necessary to exercise his or her responsibilities to adjudicate the application.
• During a passport or CRBA appointment interview, attendees may not discuss or inquire about other applications.
• Attendees may take written notes, but may not otherwise record the appointment interviews.
• Attendees may not engage in any other conduct that materially disrupts the appointment interview.  For example, they may not yell at or otherwise attempt to intimidate or abuse a consular officer or staff, and they may not engage in any conduct that threatens U.S. national security or the security of the embassy or its personnel.  Attendees must follow all security policies of the Department of State and the U.S. embassy or consulate where the appointment interview takes place.

Attendees may not engage in any conduct that violates this policy and/or otherwise materially disrupts the appointment interview.  Failure to observe these parameters will result in a warning to the attendee and, if ignored, the attendee may be asked to leave the appointment interview and/or the premises, as appropriate.  It would then be the applicant’s choice whether to continue the appointment interview without the attendee present, subject to the consular officer’s discretion to terminate the appointment interview.  The safety and privacy of all applicants awaiting consular services, as well as of consular and embassy personnel, is of paramount consideration.