Foreign or high-seas births and deaths and certificates of citizenship
Where to Write
for Vital Records 
Birth records of persons born in foreign countries
who are U.S. citizens at birth
The birth of a child abroad
to U.S. citizen parent(s) should be reported to the nearest U.S. Consulate
or Embassy as soon after the birth as possible. To do this, the child's
parent or legal guardian should file an Application for Consular Report
of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America (Form FS-579/SS-5).
This form may also be used to apply for a Social Security Number for the
child. A $40.00 fee is charged for reporting the birth.
The application must be supported by evidence to establish the child's U.S. citizenship. Usually, the following documents are needed:
1. the child's birth
certificate;
2. evidence of the U.S. citizenship of the parent(s) such as a
certified copy of a birth certificate, U.S. passport, or Certificate of
Naturalization or Citizenship;
3. evidence of the parents' marriage, if applicable; and
4. affidavit(s) of the physical presence of the parent(s) in the
United States.
Each document should be certified as a true copy of the original by the registrar of the office that issued the document. Other documents may be needed in some cases. Contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for details on what evidence is needed.
When the application is approved, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America (Form FS-240) is given to the applicant. This document, known as the Consular Report of Birth, has the same value as proof of citizenship as the Certificate of Citizenship issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
A Consular Report of Birth can be prepared only at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate overseas, and only if the person who is the subject of the report is under 18 years of age when the application is made. A person residing abroad who is now 18 years of age or over, and whose claim to U.S. citizenship has never been documented, should contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate for assistance in registering as a U.S. citizen.
As of November 1, 1990, the U.S. Department of State no longer issues multiple copies of the Consular Report of Birth. However, a replacement Consular Report of Birth may be issued if the original document is lost or mutilated. The U.S. Department of State also issues certified copies of the Certification of Report of Birth (DS-1365), which contains the same information as on the Consular Report of Birth. The DS-1365 serves most needs and can be issued in multiple copies. Documents are issued only to the subject of the Consular Report of Birth, the subject's parents or legal guardian, or a person who submits written authorization from the subject.
To request copies of the DS-1365 or a replacement FS-240, write to Passport Services, Correspondence Branch, U.S. Department of State, 1111 19th Street NW, Suite 510, Washington, DC 20522-1705. Please include the following items:
1. the full name
of the child at birth (and any adoptive name);
2. the date and place of birth;
3. the names of the parents;
4. the serial number of the FS-240 (if the FS-240 was issued after
November 1, 1990);
5. any available passport information;
6. the signature of the requestor and the requestor's relationship
to the subject;
7. a check or money order for $40.00 for the FS-240, $20.00 for
the first DS-1350 and $10.00 for each additional issued at the same time
per document requested, made payable to the U.S. Department of State;
and
8. if applying for a replacement FS-240, a notarized affidavit
by the subject, parent, or legal representative that states the name,
date and place of birth of the subject, and the whereabouts of the original
FS-240.
To obtain a Consular Report of Birth in a new name, send a written request and fees as noted above, the original (or replacement) Consular Report of Birth, or if not available, a notarized affidavit about its whereabouts. Also, send a certified copy of the court order or final adoption decree which identifies the child and shows the change of name with the request. If the name has been changed informally, submit public records and affidavits that show the change of name.
Birth records of alien children adopted by U.S.
citizens
Birth certifications
for alien children adopted by U.S. citizens and lawfully admitted to the
United States may be obtained from the Immigration and Naturalization
Service (INS) if the birth information is on file. (Address can be found
in a telephone directory.) To obtain the birth data, it is necessary to
provide the Immigration Office with proof of adoption or legitimation.
Certificate of citizenship
Persons who were born
abroad and later naturalized as U.S. citizens or who were born in a foreign
country to a U.S. citizen (parent or parents) may apply for a certificate
of citizenship pursuant to the provisions of Section 341 of the Immigration
and Nationality Act. Application can be made for this document in the
United States at the nearest office of the Immigration and Naturalization
Service (INS). The INS will issue a certification of citizenship for the
person if proof of citizenship is submitted and the person is within the
United States. The decision whether to apply for a certificate of citizenship
is optional; its possession is not mandatory because a valid U.S. passport
or a Form FS-240 has the same evidentiary status.
Death records of U.S. citizens who die in foreign
countries
The death
of a U.S. citizen in a foreign country may be reported to the nearest
U.S. consular office. If reported, and a copy of the local death certificate
and evidence of U.S. citizenship are presented, the consul prepares the
official Report of the Death of an American Citizen Abroad' (Form OF-180).
A copy of the Report of Death is then filed permanently in the U.S. Department
of State (see exceptions below).
To obtain a copy of a report filed in 1963 or after, write to Passport Services, Correspondence Branch, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC 20522-1705. The fee for a copy is $20.00 for the first copy, $10.00 for each additional copy. Fee may be subject to change.
Reports of Death filed before 1963 are maintained by the National Archives and Records Service, Diplomatic Records Branch, Washington, DC 20408. Requests for such records should be sent directly to that office.
Reports of deaths of persons serving in the Armed Forces of the United States (Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, or Coast Guard) or civilian employees of the Department of Defense are not maintained by the U.S. Department of State. In these cases, requests for copies of records should be sent to the National Personnel Records Center (Military Personnel Records), 9700 Page Ave., St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5100.
Records of birth and death occurring on vessels
or aircraft on the high seas
When a birth or death occurs on the high seas, whether
in an aircraft or on a vessel, the record is usually filed at the next
port of call.
2. If the first port of entry was in the United States, write to the registration authority in the city where the vessel or aircraft docked or landed in the United States.
3. If the vessel was of U.S. registry, contact the local authorities at the port of entry and/or search the vessel logs at the U.S. Coast Guard Facility at the vessel's final port of call for that voyage.
Records maintained by foreign countries
Most, but
not all, foreign countries record births and deaths. It is not possible
to list in this publication all foreign vital records offices, the charges
they make for copies of records, or the information they may require to
locate a record. However, most foreign countries will provide certifications
of births and deaths occurring within their boundaries.
Persons who need a copy of a foreign birth or death record should contact the Embassy or the nearest Consulate in the U.S. of the country in which the death occurred. Addresses and telephone numbers for these offices are listed in the U.S. Department of State Publication 7846, Foreign Consular Offices in the United States, which is available in many local libraries. Copies of this publication may also be purchased from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.
If the Embassy or Consulate is unable to provide assistance, U.S. citizens may obtain assistance by writing to the Office of Overseas Citizens Services, U.S. Department of State, Washington, DC 20520-4818. Aliens residing in the United States may be able to obtain assistance through the Embassy or Consulate of their country of nationality.
Records of birth,
death, and marriage in the Panama Canal Zone for U.S. citizens and foreign
nationals
From 1904 until 1979,
the Canal Zone Government registered all civil acts of birth, death, and
marriage in the Canal Zone for U.S. citizens and foreign nationals. Since
1979, the Panama Canal Commission has issued certified copies of these
documents in response to requests from the public. On December 31, 1999,
the Panama Canal Commission will no longer exist. On December 1, 1999,
those records were transferred to Passport Services in the U.S. Department
of State, which will provide the certification service just as it does
for similar records issued by U.S. Embassies and Consulates abroad.
To request copies, write to Correspondence Branch, Passport Services, U.S. Department of State, 1111 19th Street NW, Suite 510, Washington, DC 20522-1705. Please include the following items for birth , death, or marriage:
1. the full name
of subject at the time of event;
2. month, day and year of event;
3. place of event (city and country);
4. parents' names, date and place of birth, and nationality for
birth record;
5. any available U.S. passport information;
6. signature of the requestor, parent or guardian, or legal representative;
7. requestor address and telephone number;
8. a check or money order for $20.00 and $10.00 for each additional
copy issued at the same time, made payable to U.S. Department of State.
Do not send cash.