Applying For a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) - Paper Application

Applying For a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) – Paper Application

If you are a U.S. citizen and the parent of a child born out of the United States, you will need to document your child’s U.S. citizenship with a Consular Report of Birth Abroad.

A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) and a first time passport for your child will be processed at the same time. Instructions for the CRBA application are below. Instructions for how to apply for your minor child’s passport are available separately here.

Individuals unable to communicate in English or Turkish should bring an official certified translator.

Personal Appearance by Your Child
Your child, even a newborn, must appear in person with both parents at our office at the time you make the application. There are no exceptions possible for this requirement.

Who can apply in Turkey?
Mission Turkey can accept Consular Report of Birth Abroad applications for all of the children of U.S. citizens regardless of where they were born. However, we must forward applications for children born outside of Turkey to the U.S. Embassy with jurisdiction over the country where the child was born. This can cause the delays in the processing time for these applications. If you applied in Mission Turkey and would like to check the status of the submitted application(s), you will need to contact the Embassy or Consulate where your child’s application(s) will be adjudicated.

How long does it take?
Once we have everything we need, processing time is normally about 8 weeks.

Step 1: Application Forms

You will need to complete the following application forms:

Application for Consular Report of Birth form DS-2029 (PDF 62 KB): The U.S. citizen parent should sign this affidavit in the presence of the U.S. Consular Officer.
Passport Wizard: Fill out and print your application form for a new passport using the online Passport Wizard. The Passport Wizard will automatically direct you to the appropriate application form. When the Passport Wizard directs you to the “Next Steps” page, simply click “Create Form” at the bottom and print out the form it generates. DO NOT SIGN THE APPLICATION FORM YET.
Please enter 000-00-0000 for SSN on the passport application form and fill out the following statement: SSN Statement: SSN Never Issued (PDF 89KB). You will need to apply for an SSN when you receive your child’s passport.

Important:

After you receive your child’s CRBA and passport, you need to get in touch with Athens Federal Benefits Unit to apply for an SSN for your child. Detailed information can be found at our Social Security page.
If only one parent is a U.S. citizen at the time of the child’s birth and the U.S. citizen parent is not able to attend the appointment, a notarized Form DS-5507 “Affidavit of Parentage, Physical Presence, and Support” is required.

Step 2: Supporting Documents

You will need all of the following:

The child’s original hospital report of birth.
A photo of your child (photo requirements).
Parent(s) Passports: The American Citizen parent must present his/her original U.S. passportand two copies. Non American citizen parents must present his/her original passport or original Turkish ID card and two copies.
Proof of Parents’ Marriage
- You need to bring your original marriage certificate and a copy. Translation is not necessary for Turkish marriage books. If the marriage certificate is in another language, English translation is necessary.
- Children born out of Wedlock: Detailed information and requirements for children born out of wedlock can be found here.
Proof of Termination of All Prior Marriages of Parents (Divorce Decrees/Death Certificates)
- If you have prior marriages, we need to see proof of how those marriages ended. Please bring the original and one copy of each document. A translation is needed if the certificate is not in English.
Evidence of U.S. Citizen Parent’s Physical Presence in the U.S.
- If only one parent is a U.S. citizen at the time of the child’s birth, the U.S. citizen parent can transmit U.S. citizenship to the child if he/she was a U.S. citizen when the child was born and if he/she can prove that he/she has been physically present in the U.S. for five years (two of which were after age 14) before the child was born. Acceptable evidence of physical presence can include proof of registration in U.S. public or private schools (such as transcripts), court records, military records, U.S. employment and income records, medical records, W2 forms with SSA statement or other similar documents.
- If both parents are U.S. citizens at the time of the child’s birth, one parent must prove that they have resided in the U.S. prior to the birth of the child. If the parent was born outside of the United States, the parent must provide evidence of residence, e.g. proof of registration in U.S. public or private schools (such as transcripts), court records, military records, U.S. employment and income records, medical records, W2 forms with SSA statement or other similar documents.

Important:
University degrees/diplomas will not be accepted – proof of registration or transcripts are required.

Step 3: Applicable Fee

The application fee for Consular Report of Birth is $100.
The application fee for first time passport is $135.
You may pay by cash (exact change) or credit card in dollars or the Turkish lira equivalent at the Embassy/Consulate, our rate might be different then the local rate.
Credit cards will only be accepted if the card holder is present.

Step 4: Make a Report of Birth Abroad Appointment

If your intended service does not match the appointment you schedule online, we will not be able to assist you and you will need to re-schedule.   
You must be on-time and cannot arrive more than 10 minutes early.
You must arrive with identification and all required documents, photos, and photocopies.
You must arrive with cash (USD or TRY) or a credit card (Turkish debit cards are not accepted) to pay for your service.

In order to confirm your understanding of these terms of service and schedule an appointment, please click the following link: I acknowledge and agree to these terms and will adhere to the health and safety guidelines above.

To schedule an appointment at the Consular Agency in Izmir, please email Izmir Consular Agency.

Third Party Attendance at Passport and CRBA Appointment Interviews

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.