Acquiring U.S. Citizenship

Can I transmit U.S. citizenship to my child?

By law, certain requirements must be met in order for a U.S. citizen parent to transmit citizenship to their child. Please find guidance on the Bureau of Consular Affairs website, which also has more general information on U.S. citizenship and nationality.

Child Born Abroad to a U.S. Citizen Parent

When a child is born abroad to U.S. citizen parent(s), it’s important to report the birth as soon as possible to the nearest U.S. Embassy to establish an official record of the child’s claim to U.S. citizenship at birth.

You will want to apply for three things for your new baby:

1. Consular Report of Birth Abroad – establishes the child’s U.S. citizenship and serves as a U.S. birth certificate
2. U.S. Passport
3. Social Security Card – in order to claim your child as a dependent on your U.S. taxes, your child must have a Social Security Number

Please fill out and print all of the required documents before you come to the Embassy, but do not sign any of the applications until instructed to do so. 

For Your Child’s Consular Report of Birth Abroad

1. Form DS-2029 (PDF 61 KB):  Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Do not sign the form until you are in front of the Consular Officer at the time of your interview! Please type the information onto the online form and then print it out, vice printing it out and hand writing in the data.
2. An original copy of the child’s Icelandic birth certificate, from Þjóðskrá, the Icelandic National Registry. It has to be in English.
3. U.S. passport(s) of the U.S. citizen parent(s). A non-U.S. citizen parent must provide photo identification such as a foreign passport or driver’s license.
4. Original marriage certificate of the parents (if applicable).
5. Original divorce decrees from any prior marriages for both parents (if applicable).
6. Prior marriage and divorce documents for parent’s; original and one copy.
7. U.S. citizen parent’s valid U.S. passport. Non-U.S. citizen parent may present a physical driver’s license or passport; original and 3 copies of each ID.
8. Cash or credit card to pay the fee. Social security application is free. We do not accept payment by smartphones or smartwatches.
9. Proof of physical presence for the American parent. School transcripts, proof of employment, or any other document that shows that you were physically in the U.S. long enough to transmit your citizenship to your child. Generally 5 years or 60 months. Special circumstances can apply.
10. Form DS-5507 – Affidavit of Parentage, Physical Presence, and Support:  Required if only one parent is a U.S. citizen. It is not required if both parents are U.S. citizens.  The affidavit requires the U.S. citizen parent to acknowledge that the child is his/hers, and to state, as specifically as possible, the parent’s periods of physical presence in the United States.  Extra sheets may be attached as necessary. Do not sign the form until you are in front of the Consular Officer at the time of your interview! Please type the information onto the online form and then print it out, vice printing it out and hand writing in the data.
    

11. Birth Abroad in Wedlock to Two U.S. Citizen Parents

    A person born abroad in wedlock to a U.S. citizen mother and a U.S. citizen father acquires U.S. citizenship at birth under section 301(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), if one of the parents has had a residence in the United States or one of its outlying possessions prior to the person’s birth.

    NOTE – MEANING OF “IN WEDLOCK”: a person is considered to be born in wedlock for the purposes of citizenship acquisition when the genetic and/or gestational parents are legally married to each other at the time of the person’s conception or birth or within 300 days of the termination of the marriage by death or divorce, and both parents are the legal parents of the child under local law at the time and place of birth.

    Birth Abroad in Wedlock to a U.S. Citizen and an Alien

    A person born abroad in wedlock to a U.S. citizen and an alien acquires U.S. citizenship at birth if the U.S. citizen parent has been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions prior to the person’s birth for the period required by the statute in effect when the person was born (INA 301(g), formerly INA 301(a)(7).) For birth on or after November 14, 1986, the U.S. citizen parent must have been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for five years prior to the person’s birth, at least two of which were after the age of fourteen. For birth between December 24, 1952 and November 13, 1986, the U.S. citizen parent must have been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for 10 years prior to the person’s birth, at least five of which were after the age of 14 for the person to acquire U.S. citizenship at birth. The U.S. citizen parent must be the genetic or the gestational parent and the legal parent of the child under local law at the time and place of the child’s birth to transmit U.S. citizenship.

    Birth Abroad Out-of-Wedlock to a U.S. Citizen Father – “New” Section 309(a)

    A person born abroad out-of-wedlock to a U.S. citizen father may acquire U.S. citizenship under Section 301(c) or 301(g) of the INA, as made applicable by the “new” Section 309(a) of the INA if:

    1. A blood relationship between the person and the father is established by clear and convincing evidence;
    2. The father had the nationality of the United States at the time of the person’s birth;
    3. The father (unless deceased) has agreed in writing to provide financial support for the person until the person reaches the age of 18 years, and
    4. While the person is under the age of 18 years —

    • the person is legitimated under the law of his/her residence or domicile,
    • the father acknowledges paternity of the person in writing under oath, or
    • the paternity of the person is established by adjudication of a competent court.

    If you have questions about the contents of this section or related citizenship laws you should contact a private attorney.

    Birth Abroad Out-of-Wedlock to a U.S. Citizen Father – “Old” Section 309(a)

    A person born abroad out-of-wedlock to a U.S. citizen father may acquire U.S. citizenship under the formerly designated Sections 301(a)(3) and 301(a)(7) (changed to INA 301(c) and 301(g) effective October 10, 1978) of the INA as made applicable by the “old” Section 309(a) of the INA if the paternity of the child has been established by legitimation before the person turned 21. The “old” Section 309(a) of the INA is applicable to individuals who were 18 or older on November 14, 1986 and to individuals whose paternity had been established by legitimation prior to that date. Individuals who were at least 15 on November 14, 1986, but under the age of 18, could opt to have their claim determined in accordance with the provisions of either the “old” or the “new” Section 309(a).

    Birth Abroad Out-of-Wedlock to a U.S. Citizen Mother:

    A person born abroad out-of-wedlock to a U.S. citizen mother and alien father on or before June 11, 2017, may acquire U.S. citizenship under Section 309(c) of the INA if the mother was a U.S. citizen at the time of the person’s birth and if the mother was physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one year prior to the person’s birth.

    In light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Sessions v. Morales-Santana, 582 U.S. ___, 137 S.Ct. 1678 (2017), a person born abroad out-of-wedlock to a U.S. citizen mother and alien father on or after June 12, 2017, may acquire U.S. citizenship at birth if the mother was a U.S. citizen at the time of the person’s birth and was physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a period of five years, two after the age of fourteen under Section 301(g) of the INA.

    In all cases, the U.S. citizen mother must be the genetic or the gestational mother and the legal parent of the child under local law at the time and place of the child’s birth to transmit U.S. citizenship.

    If you have questions about the contents of this section or related citizenship laws you should contact a private attorney.

12. The CRBA application fee of $100.00 or the equivalent in Icelandic kronur. The Embassy accepts U.S. dollars cash, Icelandic kronur cash, or credit cards; we are unable to accept debit cards or personal checks.
13. Finally, please note that both parents and the child must be physically present at the time of the interview.  If one parent is unable to come to the interview, please contact the American Citizen Services unit by e-mail at reykjavikconsular@state.gov for further guidance.

For Your Child’s U.S. Passport

In addition to the documents listed above, you must also bring the following documents for the passport application for your child:

1. Form DS-11:  Passport application for a minor child. Please type the information onto the online form and then print it out, vice printing it out and hand writing in the data. Do not sign the form until you are in the presence of the Consular Officer.
2. One passport size photo of your child.  This link provides information about photo requirements as well as tips on how to successfully take newborn baby photos. Please note that most mall photo booth photos will not meet U.S. passport photo requirements. Photo Requirements.
3. Passport application fee of $135 or the equivalent in Icelandic kronur.  The Embassy accepts U.S. dollars cash, Icelandic kronur cash, or credit cards; we are unable to accept debit cards or personal checks.
4. Both parents and the child must be physically present at the time of the interview.  U.S. law requires both parents to sign the passport application form for any child age 15 or younger in the presence of a U.S. Consular Officer.  If one parent is unable to come to the interview, please contact the American Citizen Services unit by e-mail at reykjavikconsular@state.gov for further information.

For Your Child’s Social Security Card

1. Complete and print an Application for a Social Security Card, Form SS-5-FS (PDF 132 KB). Your child’s Social Security Card will be mailed directly to the address you list on this application form. Do not sign the form until you are in front of the Consular Officer at the time of your interview! Please type the information onto the online form and then print it out, vice printing it out and hand writing in the data.

Make An Appointment

 

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING ELECTRONIC DEVICES:

The US Embassy does not permit laptops, tablets or large electrical/electronic devices to be brought into the consular waiting room.  Please do not bring your electronic devices to your visa interview or any other appointment you have with the Consular Section.  The Embassy provides no storage for your electronic devices and customers coming to their appointment with a prohibited item(s) will not be permitted to enter the Embassy. It is not allowed to bring backpacks into the US Embassy.

 The following small personal electronic devices may be brought into the consular waiting room, so long as they comply with all other Embassy procedural security requirements:

 Cellphones

Smart phones

iPods and MP3 players

Wearable electronic fitness devices

Handheld gaming devices

Smartwatches

Once you have all of the required documents ready, please book an appointment. Please do not come to your appointment without filling out the documents first. Our waiting room is extremely small and we do not have the space for you to fill out your documents here!

The U.S. Embassy in Reykjavik accepts appointments every Thursday for CRBA services. 

To book an appointment please click here Book an Appointment.

Once approved, the Consular Report of Birth Abroad and U.S. Passport take approximately four weeks to be returned to the Embassy. The documents will have to be picked up at the US Embassy.

Your child’s social security card will be processed through the Federal Benefits Unit at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Norway. The card will be mailed to the address you listed on the application within 6-8 weeks.