Eligibility for a CRBA

Eligibility Requirements

To apply, your child must have been born in Cabo Verde and you must travel to Praia for the in-person interview.

To be eligible to apply for a CRBA online, you MUST answer all the following criteria with YES.

Was the child born in Cabo Verde?
Is the child under the age of 18?
Was at least one parent a U.S. citizen or U.S. non-citizen national when the child was born?
Can you use an internationally accepted credit/debit card or a direct payment method from a U.S. dollar denominated bank account (also known as “ACH”) to pay online for your Consular Report of Birth Abroad application?
Are you a biological parent of a child born abroad who is applying for that child?

If any of the above statements do not apply to you, you MUST apply by completing a paper application (DS-2029) and email PraiaConsular@state.gov.

How to Apply

You can now apply for a CRBA electronically at Praia! This new online feature allows U.S. citizen parents to complete a CRBA application online, upload all required documents, and submit payment prior to the in-person interview.

To apply for a CRBA online, you need to create a MyTravelGov account. MyTravelGov is a secured, encrypted portal. Watch this video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVgRyLQd3jA&t=4s) to learn more about creating your account.
Once you have created a MyTravelGov account you can access eCRBA and submit your application online. The easy-to-use online process provides applicants with step-by-step instructions on how to complete the application. You may review the necessary documents for the CRBA application in advance by reviewing the checklist below.
Once you complete the online application and submit payment, you will then need to schedule your appointment at Praia. Please schedule your appointment by emailing PraiaConsular@state.gov at least 72 hours after payment submission. Your interview will be scheduled according to availability. Please Note: Do NOT make another (or duplicate) payment for a CRBA ($100) at the Embassy.
Given the detailed paperwork requirements, we ask that parents also email photocopies of your supporting documents to PraiaConsular@state.gov at least one week before your scheduled appointment. Your application will not be adjudicated at that time, but we will notify you if your Form DS-2029 is incomplete or if you need to bring additional documentation to your interview.
Attend your scheduled in-person interview with your original documents and their photocopies (single-sided). Original documents will be returned to you after reviewing your application. You must provide English translations for all foreign language documents. The child must be present at the time of application. Generally, both parents also attend the interview.

Other Important Information

Note: Passport applications and Social Security Card applications must be completed and submitted separately.

Please note that an application for a Social Security Number can only be submitted after receiving the original Consular Report of Birth Abroad and Passport.

Need Help?

We are here to help!

You can access eCRBA 2.0 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Here (Download Document)
You can view an application how-to-guide (Download Document)
For questions or concerns please contact PraiaConsular@state.gov

At your scheduled appointment, both parents must come in person with the child and bring the following required documents:

Application Forms (Complete but do not sign, as these documents must be signed in front of a Consular Officer):

Consular Report of Birth Abroad application (Form DS-2029) (see How to Complete the CRBA Application in the side bar)
First-time passport application (Form DS-11) (optional)
Application for Social Security number (Form SS-5) (optional), to request a Social Security number for the child.
If only one parent will appear for the interview, the absent parent must complete Form DS-3053. The DS-3053 should be signed in front of a notary and the other parent must bring the original, notarized document to the interview.
If the U.S. citizen parent is unable to appear for the interview, that parent should also complete Form DS-5507 listing the periods of time they spent in the United States. The DS-5507 should be signed in front of a notary and the other parent must bring the original, notarized document to the interview.

Original Documents:

Child’s original birth certificate
Parents’ original passports or Government-issued IDs (at least one parent must present a U.S. passport or Certificate of Naturalization)
Original or certified copy of the parents’ marriage certificate and/or proof of the termination of any previous marriages (death or divorce certificates); if applicable
One recent, color  2×2 inches (5×5 cm) photograph with plain white background and no dates on the picture

Supporting Documentation:

Sufficient evidence of the U.S. citizen parent’s physical presence in the United States to transmit citizenship (see Transmitting Citizenship for requirements and documentation examples), as well as physical presence in Cabo Verde.
Photos showing the child’s development if the child is not an infant
Copies of previously-issued CRBAs for other children by one or more of the applying parents

Fees (All fees are nonrefundable):

CRBA fee of US $100 (to be paid during the eCRBA online process)
Passport fee of US $135 (passport is optional and this payment will need to be made at the time of the interview- cash only – US dollars or Cabo Verdean escudos)

Additional Information

CRBAs and passports are printed in the United States and take approximately three to four (3-4) weeks to arrive at the U.S. Embassy in Praia. Please consider this timeline when applying for CRBAs and passports. Consular staff will call the local phone number listed on the application to schedule a date to pick-up the printed CRBA (and passport, if applicable).
All original documents will be returned to the parents. Copies will be certified and included with the final report of birth when it is submitted to the U.S. Department of State for permanent record keeping.
One official Consular Report of Birth Abroad certificate will be provided by U.S. Embassy Praia. Additional CRBA copies are not available from the Embassy and must be requested directly from the Department of State in Washington, D.C. You may replace, amend, or request additional copies of a CRBA at any time.

Third Party Attendance at Passport and CRBA Appointment Interviews

Generally, immediate family members may accompany passport or CRBA applicants to their appointment interviews at a U.S. embassy or consulate, and all minor children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Passport or CRBA applicants also have the option of being accompanied by an attorney at their appointment interview. Attendance by any third party, including an attorney, accompanying an applicant is subject to the following parameters designed to ensure an orderly appointment interview process and to maintain the integrity of the adjudication of the application(s):

Given space limitations in the consular section, not more than one attendee at a time will be allowed to accompany an applicant (or the applicant’s parent or guardian if the applicant is a minor).
Attendance by an attorney does not excuse the applicant and/or the minor applicant’s parent or guardian from attending the appointment interview in person.
The manner in which a passport or CRBA appointment interview is conducted, and the scope and nature of the inquiry, shall at all times be at the discretion of the consular officer, following applicable Departmental guidance.
It is expected that attorneys will provide their clients with relevant legal advice prior to, rather than at, the appointment interview, and will advise their clients prior to the appointment interview that the client will participate in the appointment interview with minimal assistance.
Attorneys may not engage in any form of legal argumentation during the appointment interview and before the consular officer.
Attendees other than a parent or guardian accompanying a minor child may not answer a consular officer’s question on behalf or in lieu of an applicant, nor may they summarize, correct, or attempt to clarify an applicant’s response, or interrupt or interfere with an applicant’s responses to a consular officer’s questions.
To the extent that an applicant does not understand a question, s/he should seek clarification from the consular officer directly.
The consular officer has sole discretion to determine the appropriate language(s) for communication with the applicant, based on the facility of both officer and applicant and the manner and form that best facilitate communication between the consular officer and the applicant. Attendees may not demand that communications take place in a particular language solely for the benefit of the attendee. Nor may attendees object to or insist on the participation of an interpreter in the appointment interview, to the qualifications of any interpreter, or to the manner or substance of any translation.
No attendee may coach or instruct applicants as to how to answer a consular officer’s question.
Attendees may not object to a consular officer’s question on any ground (including that the attendee regards the question to be inappropriate, irrelevant, or adversarial), or instruct the applicant not to answer a consular officer’s question.
Attendees may not interfere in any manner with the consular officer’s ability to conduct all inquiries and fact-finding necessary to exercise his or her responsibilities to adjudicate the application.
During a passport or CRBA appointment interview, attendees may not discuss or inquire about other applications.
Attendees may take written notes, but may not otherwise record the appointment interviews.
Attendees may not engage in any other conduct that materially disrupts the appointment interview. For example, they may not yell at or otherwise attempt to intimidate or abuse a consular officer or staff, and they may not engage in any conduct that threatens U.S. national security or the security of the embassy or its personnel. Attendees must follow all security policies of the Department of State