Procedure for Reporting a Birth Abroad

Courtesy Costa Rica Living

Beginning June 1, 2007, an appointment will be required for those American citizens applying for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) for their children with claims to U.S. citizenship. The new process will follow the steps listed below:

• Anyone may pick up the packet of required forms at the Consular Section any weekday morning or download the forms:http://www.state.gov/m/a/dir/forms/
• Once the forms are completed, either parent can return the forms (with the required supporting documentation) to the Consular Section any weekday morning (excluding holidays). This may be done in person or via DHL. Please note that the child's presence is NOT necessary at this stage of the process.
• Once the Consular Section receives the completed forms and supporting documentation, applicants will receive an appointment date and time.
• On the day and time of the appointment, both parents and the child will return to the Embassy for the interview with the Consular Officer. The presence of both parents and the child is required only for the appointment.

This change in procedure will allow Embassy staff to review the application and begin data entry, reducing the time that families with young children have to wait at the Embassy for the CRBA processing and interview. The Embassy believes that allocating specific times for CRBA interviews will allow us to provide faster and more efficient service to the public.

We recommend that anyone seeking routine assistance (e.g. passport renewals) not visit the section on Mondays (Tuesdays if Monday is a Holiday). Due to the number of emergency cases that arise over the weekend, such as the replacement of lost/stolen passports, the processing of non-emergency requests may be significantly delayed.

Address
Location:At the intersection of Avenida Central and Calle 120 in the
Pavas Section of San José, Costa Rica.

Street Address: Calle 120 Avenida 0, Pavas, San José, Costa Rica
Local Mailing Address: 920-1200 San José, Costa Rica

U.S. Mailing Address: US Embassy San Jose, APO AA 34020