Report of Birth Abroad

Cantons Bern, Basel Stadt, Baselland, Valais, Solothurn, Jura, Fribourg and Neuchâtel

U.S. Embassy Bern
American Citizen Services
Jubilaumsstrasse 95
3005 Bern

bernacs@state.gov

Cantons Geneva and Vaud

U.S. Consular Agency
7 Rue Versonnex
1207 Geneva

geneva-ca@state.gov

All other Cantons

U.S. Consular Agency (Appointments only)
Dufourstrasse 101
8008 Zurich

zurich-ca@state.gov

A U.S. Government employee will then send you the package to apply for the Consular Report of Birth Abroad. This package will include a letter explaining the procedure including necessary documents - a sample worksheet for the DS-2029, the DS-2029 to be filled out, the DS-11 application for a passport and the SS-5 application for a Social Security number. After you have completed documents, you must send them to the Embassy or Consular Agencies (depending where you intend to appear at a later date). The documents will be reviewed and the applicant will be contacted to discuss the completion of the process. 

The Consular Report of Birth must then be completed in person (at least one parent and child). If one parent cannot appear, that parent must write and have a notarized letter of consent and include a copy of his/her valid signed passport. All documents presented when the applicant comes in person must be originals or certified copies. 

Supporting Documents for the Consular Report of Birth Abroad

• Child's Swiss birth certificate
• Passport(s) of parent(s)
• Parent's marriage certificate

• If either or both parents were previously married, evidence of termination of prior marriage(s), such as divorce decree(s) or death certificate(s) of former spouse(s);

• If one parent is a non-US citizen, the US citizen parent must show proof of physical presence in the USA. For children born after November 14, 1986, the total amount of physical presence required is 5 years, 2 of those 5 years must be after the 14th birthday. Typical documents are high school and college transcripts, etc.  It is the responsibility of the US citizen parent to prove the physical presence for the required period of time.

• For a child born out-of-wedlock, the US citizen mother has to show documents of physical presence for one consecutive year (not leaving the USA for 1 entire year).

• If the father is the US citizen, 5 years of physical presence are required, 2 of which must be after age 14.

Note: In order to register the birth of a child, the Swiss authorities normally require the parents’ birth and marriage certificates (certified true copies of the original record, issued within the last six months). Civil documents originating in the United States can be obtained from the Center for Health Statistics http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/howto/w2w/w2welcom.htm. Click on the State where birth, death, marriage, or divorce occurred. Subsequently, the issuing authority’s signature and seal must be authenticated with an Apostille (under The Hague Legalization Convention). The State Department provides a list of the designated State authentication authorities: http://travel.state.gov/about/info/customer/customer_312.html.

For American citizen parents born overseas, information on Consular Reports of Birth, Death and Marriage on file with the Department of State is available here: http://www.travel.state.gov/law/info/overseas/overseas_704.html. The State Department’s Office of Authentication may then place an Apostille on the document to make acceptable to the Swiss authorities: http://www.state.gov/m/a/auth/.

Passport Issuance

Once the Report of Birth is completed and approved, the child may be issued a U.S. passport. Two identical passport photos measuring 2x2 inches (5x5 cm), with a light background, are required. The photos must be in color.

Application for the Child's Passport

Effective March 26, 2004, Sections 51.21 and 51.27 of 22 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) are amended to require the personal appearance of all minors under the age of 16, with limited provision for waiver, to enhance the accurate identification of passport applicants and aid in the prevention of international child abduction and trafficking.

We recommend that you apply for a U.S. passport for the child at the time of registration.  To do so you need the following:

• Completed application form DS-11. You may fill it out ahead of time, but pleasewait to sign before a consular officer. Please note that both parents must sign the DS-11 passport application in the presence of a consular official. If only one parent will be present, you must submit a statement in English from the non-appearing parent giving unequivocal and unconditional consent to passport issuance for the child. Starting November 1, 2004, such statements must be notarized.
• There is no standard language for this statement, but the non-appearing parent,
  regardless of nationality, must consent to passport issuance and sign it before a
  U.S. or foreign notary public or at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad; the
  consent must be unequivocal, with no conditions.
• It may be handwritten or typed and must be in English.
• It cannot be faxed.

This statement becomes part of the passport application.  The applying parent may be subject to criminal charges if the statement of the non-appearing parent is found to be fraudulent.

• Two photographs.  They must be: 
• 5 by 5 cm (2 by 2 inches) without frame
• Identical and taken within the last 6 months
• Printed on normal photographic paper
• Full face (no hat, sunglasses, bandana, etc.)
• Head size from chin to top of head 25 mm (1 inch) minimum, 35 mm (1 3/8 inch) maximum
• In color
• White, plain background

Applicants should be aware that the Embassy cannot accept any photographs not meeting these requirements (i.e. photo too small or too large, head size too big or too small, not identical, dark background, photo color copies, etc.).

Fees for Report of Birth and Passport for Children

• Consular Report of Birth:
  US $65.00 or CHF 71.50
• Passport:
  US $85.00 or CHF 93.50 (if the child is under 16)
  US $100.00 or CHF 110.00 (if the child is over 16)

The total for the Consular Report of Birth and passport:

• US $150.00 or CHF 165.00 (if the child is under 16)  
• US $165.00 or CHF 181.50 (if the child is over 16)

The Swiss franc amounts are calculated by the Embassy based on an average exchange rate, not the daily rate used by banks and post offices.  If you have received this information sheet several months prior to payment, please check with the American Citizen Services at the Embassy in Bern (031/357 72 34 or bernacs@state.gov) regarding the current exchange rate.

How can I pay?

You can pay cash in either Swiss Francs or U.S. dollars. Major credit cards are accepted (only in Bern) together with a valid passport for identification. The fees may also be paid in U.S. dollar cashier's checks or certified checks drawn on a U.S. bank in the United States. Checks drawn on foreign banks or foreign branches of U.S. banks, third party or personal checks cannot be accepted.

If you do not meet the requirements for transmission of citizenship to your child

Please contact the U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services (BCIS) at http://uscis.gov/.