U.S. Embassy in Mali

What is a Consular Report of Birth Abroad?

A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)  is a U.S. government-issued document certifying the acquisition of United States citizenship at birth for a person born outside the United States to a U.S. citizen parent (or two U.S. citizen parents) who meet the requirements for transmitting citizenship under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).  CRBA applications must be submitted online prior to scheduling an in-person interview at the embassy.  To be eligible, an application for a CRBA must be made before the child’s 18th birthday.  We recommend that parents apply for the CRBA as soon as possible after the child’s birth. 

Required Documents to Upload to the eCRBA Application

You must bring to the interview all original versions of any required documents you upload into the eCRBA application so the embassy can verify them. The originals will all be returned to you at the conclusion of the interview.

The list below covers the required documents for almost every routine application. Some documents are required for all applicants, while others are required only in some cases. You are solely responsible for ensuring your application is complete and that all required documents have been uploaded to the case before your appointment at the embassy. If any required document is missing, it will result in delays in processing, or you could be asked to reschedule the appointment.

1. Child’s original birth certificate showing birth outside the United States (a Malian, government-issued “Volet 3” birth certificate, showing the full name of the child and both parents, or at least the full name of the U.S. citizen parent)
2. U.S. citizen parent’s proof of identification and citizenship (this can be a U.S. passport, for example)
3. IF the U.S. citizen parent transmitting their citizenship is a naturalized U.S. citizen, their Certificate of Naturalization
4. Second parent’s proof of identification (a passport is strongly preferred, but Malian government-issued national IDs are also acceptable if a passport is not available; a Malian driver’s license is no longer acceptable)
5. IF the parents were married when the child was born, a copy of the official, government-issued marriage certificate
6. IF either parent has ever been divorced, a copy of their official government-issued divorce certificate(s)
7. IF the U.S. citizen parent transmitting their citizenship will not appear in person for the interview at the U.S. Embassy in Bamako, you must submit form DS-5507, Affidavit of Physical Presence or Residence, Parentage, and Support. This form must be signed in the United States before a Passport Specialist or a Designated Acceptance Agent at the time the oath is sworn. Outside the United States, it must be signed before a Consular Officer or a designated Passport Acceptance Agent.
8. Proof of physical presence in the United States for the U.S. citizen parent transmitting U.S. citizenship to the child. In many cases, the requirement is that the U.S. citizen parent spent at least five years in the United States prior to the birth of the child, at least two of which occurred after the age of fourteen. Please note the legal standard can vary, and it’s a good idea to list all periods of physical presence from the beginning to simplify the process and minimize requests for further information. In terms of documents that can be accepted as proof of physical presence, there is a variety: these can be U.S. tax records showing full employment in the United States, academic transcripts showing school or university attendance, photocopies of passport stamps showing arrivals and departures from the United States, rental leases, etc.  The transmitting parent is solely responsible for providing sufficient evidence of physical presence.