Report Birth Abroad

Reporting The Birth of a Child of a U.S. Citizen Abroad.

The birth of a child in Iceland to a U.S. citizen parent should be reported to the Embassy as soon as possible.  If the child is determined to be a U.S. citizen, the Embassy can then issue a Consular Report of Birth Aboard, which, like a U.S. birth certificate, functions as the child's proof of U.S. citizenship.

When you come to the Embassy to make your application, you must submit the following:

1. A fully completed form DS-2029.
2. The child’s birth certificate in English from Hagstofa Islands, the Icelandic Statistical Bureau.
3. Proof of U.S. citizenship for each of the U.S. parents.  This could be a U.S. passport, a certified copy of a U.S. birth certificate, or a Naturalization Certificate.
4. Parent's proof of identity
5. The parent's original marriage certificate (if applicable at the time of the birth).
6. Any original divorce decrees (if applicable).
7. 65 USD or the Icelandic Kronur equivalent payable in cash or a credit card. The Embassy does not accept personal checks or debit cards.

Parents should apply for a passport for their child at the same time they apply for the report of birth.

Click here for information on applying for a U.S. passport. 

For a summary of the rules governing the acquisition of U.S. citizenship by a child born abroad, click here.

Sometimes, an American citizen parent is not able to transmit citizenship to his or her child because that parent has not been physically present in the U.S. for sufficient time prior to the birth of the child.  In those cases, it may be possible for the child to become "expeditiously naturalized" as a U.S. citizen if an American citizen grandparent spent sufficient time in the U.S.  For further information on how this works, click here. 

You should also be aware of the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, which has made it easier for the children of U.S. citizens who are born abroad to obtain U.S. citizenship if they did not acquire it at birth.  For further details on the Child Citizenship Act, click here.