Services
Birth of a U.S. Citizen in Thailand
The American Citizen Services section accepts applications for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad by appointment only. Please make an appointment online here.
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. Click here for information on acquiring citizenship by birth abroad.
Please note that Embassy Bangkok can approve or deny CRBA applications only for children born in Thailand. 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.
When departing Thailand for the first time after the child’s birth, Thai Immigration authorities may wish to see the child’s local (Thai) birth certificate. You should carry the Thai birth certificate when departing Thailand.
Documentary Requirements
Please provide the following original documents (these will be returned):
1. Original Thai birth certificate for the child (issued by the district office) and an English translation.
2. Proof of citizenship of U.S. citizen parent(s)—please bring one of the following original documents:
- U.S. passport,
- U.S. birth certificate (original or copy certified by an official government custodian of birth records),
- Certificate of Naturalization (required for naturalized citizens), or
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad
3. Passport (if available) or ID card of non-U.S. citizen parent, if applicable.
4. Parent’s marriage certificate, if any (original or certified copy).
5. Proof of termination of any previous marriages, if any in the form of
- Divorce decree (original or certified copy) or
- Death certificate (original or certified copy).
6. Parents’ previous passport(s)—needed if current passport does not cover the time of conception and pregnancy.
7. If applying for a passport at the same time, two identical photographs are required. They must be recent, 2 x 2 inches (with the size of the head between 1 and 1 3/8 inches), color or black and white. The photos must be clear, front view, full face, and in focus. The background must be plain white or off-white. Please print the applicant's first and last names on the backs of both photos.
Documents in a language other than English must be translated into English.
Procedure
Note: Forms can be filled out in advance by downloading them from the appropriate links below, or can be provided and filled out at the time of the appointment in ACS.
1. Complete form DS-2029
2. Complete Affidavit of parent(s)’ residence and physical presence in the U.S.
3. If applying for a passport at the same time, complete the passport application form DS-11 . Both parents must sign the passport application for children under the age of 16. Please see additional passport requirements for children under the age of 16 here.
Both parents and the child must appear at the Embassy in person on the date of the appointment. Parents typically choose to apply for the child's U.S. passport at the same time they apply for the Consular Report of Birth Abroad. The list below covers both the Consular Report of Birth Abroad and the U.S. Passport.
- Payment of the $65 fee. The fee is payable in U.S. Dollars, Thai Baht, or by credit card. Personal checks cannot be accepted.
In cases where the American citizenship of a child is to be established, consular officers may require other documentation before a Consular Report of Birth Abroad or passport can be issued. The consular officer will inform you of what documents may still be required.
For children born to one U.S. citizen and one foreign national, the U.S. citizen parent will need to show five years of physical presence in the U.S., two of which must be after the age of 14. Examples of items that show physical presence are school transcripts, income tax returns with Form W-2, Social Security earnings history, pay receipts, passport entry/exit stamps in current and previous passports, etc. Please do not sign any documents until asked to so by the Consular Officer.
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 paternity. This will involve the supervised taking of saliva samples from the child and the father. 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.
Normal processing time for the Consular Report of Birth Abroad and a U.S. Passport application is three weeks.