Non-Emergency Services

Birth of an American Citizen Abroad

Parents of a newborn American child should apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad at the Consulate General Kolkata at the earliest convenience. The Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240) is not a birth certificate but primary proof of American citizenship.
A Consular Report of Birth Abroad may be issued for any child who is eligible for it upon application made by the child's parent(s) or legal guardian(s) at any time before the child's 18th birthday.

A child born outside of the U.S. to an American citizen parent acquires U.S. citizenship as long as the parents resided in the U.S. prior to the child's birth for the period of time specified by law. This determination will be made by the Consular Officer at the time the application is made.

The prescribed fee for a Report of Birth is US$ 65 (Rs. 2,990) in cash.

An American parent must fill out the application form at the Consulate General, and should bring the following documents (originals only) :

(l) An original or a certified copy of the child's birth certificate,
(2) U.S. passport(s) of parent(s), (and the alien parent's passport if one parent is not a U.S. citizen),
(3) Parents' marriage certificate or a certified copy thereof,
(4) Evidence of termination of parents' previous marriage(s) (divorce decree or death certificate), an original or a certified copy,
(5) Evidence of the child's identity, such as school records etc., if the child is over 5 years old at the time of application for a Report of Birth,
(6) Proof of the U.S. citizen parent's physical presence in the United States as required by the law, such as travel documents with entry/departure stamps, U.S. school transcripts showing periods of attendance, U.S. employment references, etc.


Only one original of the Report of Birth is issued to the parent(s) or legal guardian(s). Additional copies are not available except in the case of lost, stolen, or mutilated reports of birth.

U.S. Passport - If you desire a passport for your child, you should submit 2 passport photos of the child alone.Click to view the photo instructions. The fee for a minor's passport is (under the age of 16) is US$ 85 (Rs. 3,910).

DS-2029  (Click to download application for Consular Report of Birth)
SS-5-FS for SSN  (Click to download application for Social Security Card)