Registration of a U.S. Citizen Child

The Consular Report of Birth Abroad is prepared by a consular officer to document the nationality of a person born abroad to at least one U.S. citizen parent. It is not a birth certificate, but it serves as primary evidence of U.S. citizenship.

To register a U.S. citizen born in Colombia and to obtain a report of birth, the following documents are needed:

• Original or certified copy of the Colombian birth certificate (Colombian notaries issue two types of birth registrations; we require the "long form" of the certificate)

• Original or certified copy of parents' marriage certificate

• Proof of the termination of any previous marriages (death or divorce certificates)

• Current and all expired passports (U.S. and foreign) of U.S. citizen parent(s)

• If only one parent is a U.S. citizen, he/she must provide proof of physical presence in the United States before the child was born. For children born before November 14, 1986, ten years of physical presence in the U.S. prior to the birth of the child are required. Of those ten years, five must have been after the parent's fourteenth birthday. For children born after that date, five years are required, two of which must have been after the age of 14. Proof of U.S. physical presence can include previous and current passports, income tax returns, school records, W-2 statements, rent receipts, pay stubs, etc. A statement attesting to the parents' residence or work status is not sufficient.