General Information

The Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America (CRBA) documents the birth of a United States citizen in a foreign country. It is accepted by all U.S. Government agencies as proof of a child’s U.S. citizenship. Although not technically a birth certificate (which can only be issued by the local jurisdiction), the CRBA can be used in the U.S. in the same way as a birth certificate issued by a city or county registrar’s office. You may apply for a child’s U.S. passport at the same time you apply for the CRBA.

Most, but not all, children born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent, are eligible to be documented as U.S. citizens through issuance of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad and U.S. passport. (Information on acquiring citizenship by birth abroad.)

Please note that Embassy Tunis can approve or deny CRBA applications only for children born in Tunisia and Libya. If a child was born in another country, we can only collect the application and supporting documents and forward them to the U.S. Embassy in that country for adjudication.

Procedure Scheduling an Appointment for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad

To submit your application for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) for review and receive an appointment, please email the following materials to TunisACSAppointments@state.gov:

1. Specify all of the following details:- Full name of the applicant- Date of birth and place of birth- Email address (if different from the address you are using in your email)- Phone number
2. Completed pages 1 and 2 of the Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad (DS-2029) (PDF – 53KB). For example, if two of your children require Consular Reports of Birth Abroad, please scan and attach a completed Form DS-2029 for each child. Boxes 24 and 25 on Page 2 should list all long periods of time you spent in the United States at any time in your life including childhood (short visits can be included to the best of your recollection).

NOTE: The form is nine total pages in length, including directions and additional information, but please only email completed pages 1 and 2 of the form to us now. You will be required to bring all nine pages with you to the interview.

The submitted versions of pages 1 and 2 must be clear and legible to be considered. We will not accept incomplete forms. You must bring all pages of the completed DS-2029 to your appointment.

1. You will receive an email confirming your appointment date and time. 
2. If you have urgent travel (in the next 30 days), please indicate your travel dates and attach a copy of the paid flight itinerary for the child. You will also need to present your itinerary at the time of your interview. Please note that you should not make travel plans to the U.S. for your child until U.S. citizenship has been confirmed through approval of the CRBA.
3. If you plan to apply for passports for the same person or additional people during your appointment, please list the full name (first, middle, last name) and date of birth of each person applying for a passport in your email.
4. Please include a phone number at which you can be reached.

Required Documents for your interview

Once your application is reviewed and you receive your appointment time via email, you must bring the following with you to your appointment. You are required to bring the following seven documents to enter the Consulate:

1. A completed Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad (DS-2029) (PDF – 53KB) for each applicant applying for a CRBA.
2. A completed DS-11 or DS-82 for each person applying for a passport. Each passport application must include a passport photo complying with our photo specifications. Children applying for a CRBA should use form DS-11 for their passport application. If one or more of the parents cannot come in person, he or she must meet the requirements for providing consent for passport issuance. (Only applicable if applying for passport at the same time as a CRBA.)
3. The child’s original, certified birth certificate that indicates both parents’ names, if applicable. This certificate must be issued by a governmental issuing authority; a hospital birth record is not acceptable.
4. Photo IDs for both parents. This may be a passport, driver’s license, or government-issued ID. IDs for both parents are required even if one parent is not attending the appointment.
5. Proof of the parent(s)’ U.S. citizenship. This may consist of a U.S. passport, a certificate of naturalization, a certificate of citizenship, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or a U.S. birth certificate accompanied by a valid photo ID.
6. The original, or a certified copy, of the parent’s marriage certificate (if applicable).
7. A non-refundable application fee of $100 for the Report of Birth Abroad. This fee will not be refunded even if the Consular Officer determines that your child is not eligible for citizenship. Additional fees apply for each passport for which you are applying. Please click here for more information about paying fees at our office.

If you were previously divorced or have changed your name, you will also be asked to provide the following:

• The original, or certified copies, of divorce decrees from all of the parents’ previous marriages.
• Evidence of name change. If the name of the parent(s) or the child varies from document to document, you must provide evidence showing the link between the names. This evidence may include a marriage certificate, if your name was changed through marriage, a court order, a name change certificate issued by a government authority, or other evidence showing the use of both names.

The Consular Officer may request additional documents to demonstrate your physical presence or residence in the United States. These can include:

• School transcripts
• Medical and/or vaccination records
• Copies of your school yearbooks
• Rent or mortgage records in your name or that of your family when you were a minor
• W2 forms (but not other tax documents)
• Mail sent to you at an address in the United States
• Other documents that demonstrate presence in the United States

Applicants should provide photocopies of all the required documents listed above.

Please do not sign any documents until asked to do so by the Consular Officer.

Note: Documents in a language other than English must be translated into English.  Bring the original(s) and translation(s) to your appointment.

DNA Examinations

In some instances it is not possible to conclusively determine the U.S. citizenship of a child at birth. In these cases, the Consular Officer may request a DNA exam to establish parentage. This will involve taking saliva samples from the child and the father and/or mother at the Embassy. Please do not conduct independent DNA exams, as only results from Embassy-ordered tests can be used to determine a genetic relationship for citizenship purposes.