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). The U.S. Embassy in Helsinki accepts applications for CRBA for children born in Finland to (a) U.S. citizen parent(s). CRBA applications must be made before the child’s 18th birthday. Parents should apply for the CRBA as soon as possible after the child’s birth. Eligible parents have two choices for completion of the CRBA application: an online application or a paper-based application.
Please consult the transmission requirements for detailed information. If, after reviewing these requirements, you believe that you qualify, please follow the instructions below.
eCRBA APPLICATION
This new online process (eCRBA) allows U.S. citizen parents to complete a Consular Report of Birth Abroad application online, upload all required documents, and submit payment prior to the in-person interview.
To begin the online application, create a MyTravelGov account. MyTravelGov is a secure, encrypted portal. Once you complete the online application and submit payment, you may schedule your appointment at the U.S. Embassy Helsinki (see below).
To be eligible to apply for a CRBA online, you MUST meet all the following criteria.
- The child was born in Finland.
- The child is under the age of 18.
- At least one parent was a U.S. citizen or U.S. national when the child was born.
- You can 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.
- You are a biological parent of a child born abroad and are applying for that child.
If any of the above statements do not apply to you, you MUST instead complete the paper application (DS-2029) in place of the eCRBA application.
If you also wish to apply for a minor’s first-time passport, complete the DS-11 as well. At this time, all payments for first-time minor passports must be completed in-person at the embassy at the time of your appointment.
PREPARING FOR THE APPOINTMENT
You need the following original documents for your appointment:
- Child’s local hospital record of birth. This accurately records the place of birth of the child.
- Child’s birth certificate (virkatodistus) from local Magistrate (Maistraatti): The document must show the newborn child’s complete name, date and place of birth, and parents’ complete names and dates of birth.
- Marriage certificate: An original or court-certified copy of the marriage certificate issued by the appropriate authorities in the country where the marriage took place. Church/certificates and copies are not acceptable. If the parents are not married, this is not required.
- Divorce/death certificate: If either parent has been married previously, they should present the original or court certified divorce decree/death certificate for all previous marriages.
- Evidence of parent(s) U.S. citizenship: The U.S. citizen parent(s) must present their U.S. passport. If the U.S. citizen parent was naturalized, the original Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship is required.
- Proof of physical presence in the United States: The U.S. citizen parent(s) will be asked to present proof of their physical presence in the United States. Examples of proof of physical presence include school records, university transcripts, original W-2s, and employment records. Please see the physical requirements for transmission of citizenship and ensure you are bringing sufficient evidence to demonstrate the length of presence in the U.S. required for your circumstances.
- Passport/identification document for non-U.S. citizen parent (if applicable): A non-U.S. parent must bring his/her passport or other government issued photo identification document. Please note that the Finnish Driving License is not acceptable.
- Passport photograph for the child: One passport sized (2×2 in) photograph (see photo requirements).
- Self-addressed return envelope: Must be large enough for a full-page document (8.75×11.25 in or 22×28.5cm) to be mailed without folding. Please check with your postal service for correct postage for an envelope weight of 250g. Registered mail is recommended. The envelope is mailed from the Embassy directly to you. Finnish stamps are acceptable for this purpose.
In certain cases, it may be necessary to submit additional documents, including affidavits of paternity and support. You will be informed at the interview if any additional document is required.
SCHEDULING THE APPOINTMENT
Once you have all the required documents on hand and have completed the eCRBA application, schedule an appointment using the online service. Please plan to schedule your appointment a minimum of three days (72 hours) after the submission of the online application to allow payment processing to be completed. Be sure to select “Report the birth abroad of a child of a U.S. citizen and/or apply for the child’s first passport.” If you mistakenly schedule a passport service, the embassy may not be able to accommodate you, and another appointment will be required.
Your child must be present at the interview. Both parents must be present for children under 16. If one parent cannot be present, please see the instructions under #7, “Show Parental Consent.” Bring all original documents with you to your appointment.
If there are no appointments available when your first check the booking system, please keep checking. New appointments are regularly added, including appointments available after daily cancellations. These appointments can only be booked through the online calendar, not by email or telephone.
OBTAINING COPIES OF THE REPORT OF BIRTH
The Consular Report of Birth (Form FS-240) is a basic citizenship document. The original report has been sent to the Department of State for its permanent retention, together with the documents which you submitted and which constitute the supporting evidence of your child’s acquisition of United States citizenship. The certification (Form FS-240) which you have received from this office may later be used in registration for school, obtaining employment, and for similar purposes.
If you wish to have additional copies of the consular report of birth, you may obtain them by writing to the U.S. Department of State, Passport Services Correspondence Branch, CA/PPT/PS/PC Suite 510, 1111 19th Street NW, Washington, DC 20522-1705. A request for a FS-240 must include the original. If the original FS-240 is not available (lost) a notarized affidavit attesting to its disposition is necessary. Your request should include complete identifying information: full name of the child, date and place of birth, names of parents, serial number of the FS-240, if possible, and the consular office which recorded the birth.
The request for a certified copy of the Consular Report of Birth must be accompanied by the required fee. Send a check or money order in the amount of US 50.00 payable to “Department of State”.
DUAL CITIZENSHIP
Should your child also have claim to the citizenship of another country, you should be aware of the following U.S. law:
“Under Section 215 (b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1185 (b) it is unlawful, except in specific circumstances, for any citizen of the United States to depart from or enter, or attempt to depart from or enter, the United States without a valid passport”.
U.S. citizens who arrive at the port of entry without the required valid U.S. passport may be required to apply for a passport waiver, for which a separate fee may be collected.
Application for U.S. Passport and Social Security Number
Below are links to two applications you will need to print out and complete to obtain a U.S. passport and social security number for him/her. Make sure to review the instructions for each form carefully before completing the forms. After completing all forms, you should email or mail them to us.