U.S. DEPARTMENT of STATE — BUREAU of CONSULAR AFFAIRS

Replace or Certify Documents

English

How to Replace or Amend a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)

A child born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent or parents may acquire U.S. citizenship at birth if certain requirements are met. A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA, or Form FS-240) is a document that certifies a child acquired U.S. citizenship at birth. You should report the birth of a child born abroad at a U.S. embassy or consulate overseas. The U.S. embassy or consulate will issue you a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA). Our office only issues replacement or amended CRBAs.

Who can replace or amend a Consular Report of Birth Abroad:

The individual listed on the birth record (if age 18 or older)
A parent (for minors under age 18)
An authorized government agency, or
A person with written authorization from the individual listed on the birth record

The U.S. Department of State only issues the Consular Report of Birth Abroad form (FS-240). All previously issued FS-240 and DS-1350 documents are still valid for proof of identity, citizenship, and other legal purposes.

ALL / ALL /

How to Replace or Amend a Consular Report of Birth Abroad

To replace or amend a Consular Report of Birth Abroad form (FS-240), you must submit a:

1. Notarized, completed Form DS-5542

We recommend you fill out the form on your computer.
If you complete the form by hand, use black ink.
Sign the form in front of a notary public.

Amending the form?

Provide original or certified documents that show the change you are requesting. No photocopies.
Return all previous birth records the U.S. Department of State issued to you. If you cannot submit these documents, submit a notarized statement explaining the reason. (examples: document was lost, stolen, or destroyed).

2. Photocopy of the front and back of your valid photo ID. Examples include:

State-issued driver’s license
Non-driver photo ID
Military ID
Passport
Veterans Affairs ID
Prison ID

If you don't have any of these IDs, please see Passport Vital Records IDs.

3. Check or money order. The cost is $50 for each record you request.

Make payable to the "U.S. Department of State"
Include a complete mailing address on the check.
Checks and money orders must be payable in U.S. dollars through a U.S. bank.
The Department is not responsible for cash lost in the mail.

4. Mail Form DS-5542, a photocopy of the ID, and payment to:

    U.S. Department of State
    Passport Vital Records Section
    44132 Mercure Cir.
    PO Box 1213
    Sterling, VA 20166-1213

Avoid delays by signing your Form DS-5542 in front of a notary public.

Processing Times

Our processing times only include the time your request is being reviewed by our office.
Mailing times, which may add up to 4 weeks on to the time it takes to receive your document, are not included in processing times.
Once we receive your request in our office, we will process most requests in 4 to 8 weeks. Because of the unique nature of our records, we cannot provide expedited service. Some documents may take longer than 8 weeks to locate.
Make sure you provide complete information on your Form DS-5542 and all your supporting documents (example: CRBAs, or copies of old passport records) to avoid delays. Your processing times may be delayed if we need you to provide additional information to us.
We can only provide official copies of records on file with the U.S. Department of State. If your CRBA was created before November 1, 1990, we may need to do a manual search at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) which will take 14-16 weeks to complete.

Consider the total time it will take to receive your record when submitting your request.

Shipping Your Record

We will send your vital record to you. You can select First Class Mail or 1-2 Day Delivery:

USPS First Class Mail: One to two weeks. No additional cost.
1-2 Day Delivery: Add $19.53 to the check or money order.

Do not include a pre-paid express mail envelope with your request. This will cause a delay in delivery.

ALL / ALL /

Can I authorize someone else to request my record?

Yes. He or she must be a family member or friend who has known you for at least five years. We need the following information:

Your signed, written authorization. For example: "I, state your name, hereby authorize John Doe to request my replacement Consular Report of Birth Abroad on my behalf."
A photocopy of two of your secondary IDs.
A notarized statement from the person who is requesting your records.
A copy of the valid primary photo ID of the person making the request.

ALL / ALL /

How to Request an Apostille on your Consular Document

Apostilles are specialized certificates attached to your consular documents. You must ensure that the country for intended use is a member of the Hague Convention of October 5, 1961 Abolishing the Requirement of Legalization for Foreign Public Documents.

If you need an apostille to satisfy foreign document requirements, you must submit a:

Notarized, completed Form DS-5542
Photocopy of a valid state-issued, photo ID (e.g. driver's license)
Check or money order. The cost is $50 if you need a new copy of your CRBA.

Make payable to the "U.S. Department of State"
Include a complete mailing address on the check.
Checks and money orders must be payable in U.S. dollars through a U.S. bank.
The Department is not responsible for cash lost in the mail.

Mail your notarized Form DS-5542, photocopy of your ID, and payment to:

U.S. Department of State
    Passport Vital Records
    44132 Mercure Circle
    PO Box 1213
    Sterling, VA 20166-1213

If you already have a consular document issued within the last five years, you don't need to pay for the apostille.

In addition to the Consular Report of Birth Aboard, you can request other consular documents for $50 per copy:

Contact Vital Records

Use this form to request a status check only if you have already submitted your Form DS-5542. If you are changing your mailing address, call us at 202-485-8300 and do not use this web form. Provide as much detail as possible. We will only respond to you within the next three weeks (21 days) if you have a question that is not answered on our website. Do not submit another request while waiting for a response.

Complete this Form

*Required Fields

Which of the following records have you requested from our office? *

First Name *

Your must enter your first name here

Middle Name

Last Name *

Your must enter your last name here

Are you requesting information about your consular record or someone else's record? *

My consular record Someone else's consular record

List other names used on the consular record

First Name *