Notice COVID-19 in Paraguay

The U.S. Embassy in Asuncion is currently offering routine Consular Report of Birth Abroad services. These services are offered by appointment only. To make an appointment for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad please follow the instructions below and send all the required documentation to ParaguayACS@State.gov

What is a Consular Report of Birth Abroad or CRBA?

A Consular Report of Birth (CRBA) is evidence of United States citizenship issued to a child born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent or parents who meet the requirements for transmitting citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).  In simple words, applying for a CRBA is the way a U.S. citizen can transmit his citizenship to a child born abroad.

Do all children born abroad qualify for a CRBA?

U.S. citizens must satisfy certain conditions to transmit U.S. Citizenship to a child:

1. At the time of birth, one or both of the parents must be a U.S. Citizen.
2. The transmitting parent (U.S. Citizen) must have a minimum time of physical presence inside the United States or its outlying possession.  Most cases require five years of physical presence, two of them after the age of 14, however the law that applies on each case may be different.  For detailed information regarding physical presence requirements, please read: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/travel-legal-considerations/us-citizenship/Acquisition-US-Citizenship-Child-Born-Abroad.html.
3. The transmitting U.S. citizen must be the biological parent of the child.  For information on the effect of assistive reproductive technology on the transmission of U.S. citizenship, please visit https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/travel-legal-considerations/us-citizenship/Assisted-Reproductive-Technology-ART-Surrogacy-Abroad.html.
4. There must be a legal relationship between the transmitting U.S. citizen parent and the child.

Apply for a CRBA

Appointments for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA) and Adult Derivative Citizenship applications at U.S. Embassy Asuncion are scheduled by email to ParaguayACS@state.gov.  This process reduces the wait time and helps families prepare for the citizenship appointment at the Embassy.  Please follow the instruction below to prepare for and schedule a CRBA appointment.

1. Print and read the CRBA checklist.
2. Gather your required documents, including the required application forms.
3. Send ONE email with the subject “CRBA APPOINTMENT” in the same email you must include the scanned documents in PDF format of the following items to ParaguayACS@state.gov:
   1. Signed CRBA checklist
   2. DS-2029 application form (not signed)
   3. Supporting documents identified by the checklist
   4. Email address
   5. Paraguayan phone number where you can be reached

CRBA applications must be sent to the Embassy by email.  Drop off requests at the Embassy will not be accepted.

1. The ACS Unit will schedule an appointment for you within 10 business days of receiving your application. Once your packet is received in ACS, our staff will email you the date and time of your citizenship appointment and a list of items you are missing.

Citizenship appointments are in high demand and appointments can be rescheduled for emergencies only on a case by case basis.  Applicants who fail to show up for their scheduled appointments must start the appointment request process from the beginning.

1. The child must be present at the interview. Both parents are strongly encouraged to accompany the child.
2. Arrive 30 minutes before your appointment time.
3. Bring your original documents, photos, ID, and fee with you on the day of your appointment! Please refer to the CRBA checklist for details on required items.  If your application is incomplete on the day of your appointment, you may be asked to schedule a new appointment.  This will require that you start the appointment request process from the beginning.

To start the process of scheduling a citizenship appointment, download the application forms and gather the documents listed on the CRBA checklist.