Reporting the Birth of a Child to U.S. Citizen Parent(s) in Ukraine

The American Embassy in Kyiv strongly encourages all U.S. citizens who have children born in Ukraine to register them as U.S. citizens as soon as possible after the birth of the child. Upon registration, the child will be issued a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America (CRBA), which is an official record confirming that the child acquired U.S. citizenship at birth. A CRBA can be issued only at an American Consular Office overseas, and only before the child reaches 18 years of age. Application for a CRBA requires personal appearance of both parents and the child at the American Consular Office.

Parents seeking to obtain a CRBA for a child must be able to demonstrate to the interviewing consular officer that:

• At least one of the parents is a U.S. citizen;
• The child is the biological child of the U.S. citizen parent(s); and
• If only one of the parents is a U.S. citizen, the U.S. citizen parent was physically present in the United States prior to the birth of the child; if both parents are U.S. citizens, at least one of them must have resided in the United States prior to the child's birth. The period of physical presence in the United States required to transmit citizenship to a child born abroad varies depending on the date of birth of the child and the marital status of the parents. In most cases it constitutes up to five cumulative years, at least two of which are after the age of fourteen.

Application Requirements

• Application form DS-2029: Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad and the Affidavit of Parentage and Physical Presence;
• Original Ukrainian Birth Certificate with its certified English translation;
• Marriage Certificate: Original certificate issued by local, state, or national government authorities. If married in the United States, please provide a state certificate issued by the civil authorities. If your marriage certificate is in a language other than English, a certified translation must be provided;
• Evidence of Parents' Citizenship: Please show one of the following documents for one or both parents: US Passport (valid or expired); original U.S. birth certificate; or original Certificate of Naturalization;
• Evidence of Parents' Identity: Driver's license, State ID card, School ID, Passport;
• If only the child's father is a U.S. citizen, proof of parents' relationship: If parents were not married to each other at the time of conception, please provide proof of the existence of the relationship at that time (dated photographs, telephone bills, etc.);
• If only one parent is a U.S. citizen, proof of the parents' physical presence in the U.S.: The parent must prove at least five years of physical presence in the U.S, at least two of which are after the age of fourteen. The period of physical presence does not need to be continuous. Presence must be proven with documented evidence (primary - school records, military records, prison records; secondary - utility bills, pay receipts, tax returns, earning statements, phone bills, etc.)
• Photos of the applicant from birth to present;
• Photos taken of mother during pregnancy and in the hospital before and after the birth;
• Fees: The application fee is $ 65.00. Accepted payment method is U.S. dollars in cash only.

In certain cases, documents in addition to those listed herein may be required.

Additional Requirements for the Passport Application

You are not required to apply for a passport at the same time you report your child's birth, but many applicants choose to do so because both applications require personal appearance at the Embassy. If you wish to submit both applications on the same day, the following documentation will also be required:

• Any foreign passport that the child may currently hold or is included in;
• Passport application form DS-11: Applicants aged 16 and over must sign their own application. Form DS-11 must be printed on separate sheets of paper. Do NOT print this form on the front and back of the same sheet;
• Two identical 5x5 cm passport photographs: The Embassy will reject any photographs that do not meet the specified requirements. Vending machine photographs and photographs printed on a home computer are unacceptable;
• Fees: The application fee for a child under the age of 16 is U.S. $85.00; aged 16 and over is $100.00. Accepted payment method is U.S. dollars in cash only;
• If applying for a child under the age of 16, both parents' consent will be required.

Method of Application

You are required to apply for the passport in person at this office within  American Citizens Services Unit public working hours.

Processing Time

You will be able to pick up the Consular Report of Birth Abroad in up to seven working days together with the first U.S. passport of your child. An application for a full-validity passport will be sent to the United States for printing with a secure, photo-digitized image of the bearer. You should allow up to seven working days for your application to be processed.

In very rare cases where the child must travel urgently or has an immediate need for a passport, the Embassy or Consulate can issue an emergency passport that is valid for one year. The emergency passport can be exchanged later for a full validity passport at an Embassy or Consulate overseas or at a Passport Agency in the United States.

The information on how to apply for a certified copy of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad is available on the U.S. State Department website.