To get a Social Security number for a child born abroad, file Form SS-5-FS at a Federal Benefits Unit inside a U.S. embassy or consulate once you can prove the child is a U.S. citizen. In almost every case, that proof is a Consular Report of Birth Abroad or a U.S. passport for the child. The card is free, and the sooner you start, the easier the process is — both for the paperwork and for your next tax return.
Prove Citizenship Before You Apply
The Social Security Administration will not issue a number to a foreign-born child until citizenship is established. For most families, citizenship passes automatically from a U.S. citizen parent at birth, provided that parent lived in the United States long enough beforehand. The exact physical-presence requirement depends on whether one or both parents are citizens, whether they are married, and, for children of unmarried mothers, whether the birth was before or after June 12, 2017. If you are unsure whether your child qualifies, work that out with the consulate before you start on the Social Security paperwork.
The document that confirms citizenship is the Consular Report of Birth Abroad, or CRBA (Form FS-240). The State Department issues it, and it does the same legal work as a domestic birth certificate: it proves age, citizenship, and identity in one document. You apply online through the MyTravelGov portal, pay the fee, and schedule an in-person interview at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate. The child and generally both parents attend. Most embassies require the interview to be scheduled within 90 days of the online application.
If only one parent is a U.S. citizen, or if the child was born outside marriage, the consulate may ask you to complete Form DS-5507 documenting the citizen parent’s physical presence in the United States. Bring originals of everything: birth certificates, both parents’ passports, marriage certificate, and any records showing the citizen parent’s prior U.S. residence.
A valid U.S. passport for the child works in place of the CRBA if you already have one. Either document is enough for the Social Security application.
Documents the SSA Requires
Federal rules require proof of three things: the child’s age, citizenship, and identity. Everything must be an original or a copy certified by the agency that issued it. Regular photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted.
Age and Citizenship
One document usually covers both. The CRBA is the strongest option because it establishes age, citizenship, and identity together. A valid, unexpired U.S. passport for the child works the same way. A Certificate of Citizenship or Certificate of Naturalization is also acceptable citizenship evidence.
Identity
If you use the child’s passport, identity is already covered. Without a passport, the SSA needs a separate document showing the child’s name and either date of birth, age, or parents’ names. Certified medical records from a doctor or hospital, current or prior-year school or daycare records, and religious records all qualify. For a child over 5, immunization records do not. A birth record on its own is not enough to prove identity.
Parent Identification
The parent or guardian signing the form must prove their own identity too. A U.S. passport, state-issued driver’s license, or military ID all work. If you’re living abroad and don’t carry a state ID, your own U.S. passport is the simplest choice.
Foreign-Language Documents
Anything not in English needs a word-for-word translation, not a summary. Submit both the original and the certified translation. The SSA has its own internal translation process, but supplying a certified translation up front can head off delays.
Filling Out Form SS-5-FS
Form SS-5-FS is the version of the Social Security application designed for use outside the United States. You can download it from the SSA’s website or pick one up at a Federal Benefits Unit.
Enter the child’s name exactly as it appears on the citizenship evidence. This is where families get stuck. The SSA defines “legal name” as first name and last name only; middle names and suffixes go in separate fields. For a foreign-born child, the name on the CRBA, passport, or Certificate of Citizenship controls. If the foreign birth certificate shows a different form of the name, that version goes in the “other names” field. If the names on your documents genuinely conflict and cannot be reconciled, the SSA will reject the application until you supply evidence of a legal name change.
Both parents’ Social Security numbers go on the form. If a parent was never issued one, which is common for non-citizen parents, the form’s instructions tell you to leave that field blank. Give the international mailing address where you want the card sent, because that is where it will go. A parent or legal guardian signs under penalty of perjury. False statements are a felony punishable by fines up to $10,000 or up to five years in prison.
Where to Submit It
You can bring the completed form and original documents in person to a Federal Benefits Unit at a U.S. embassy or consulate, or mail them in. Most parents go in person to avoid sending originals through international mail. Federal Benefits Units operate in major cities worldwide, including London, Paris, Frankfurt, Rome, Tokyo, Manila, and Mexico City. If no FBU is near you, contact the nearest embassy or consulate for instructions. Military dependents stationed on U.S. posts abroad can submit through the post’s personnel office.
Call or email the FBU to schedule an appointment first. Not every FBU has live access to SSA computer systems during every business hour because of time zone differences and system maintenance, and confirming availability before your visit saves a wasted trip. If you mail the application, the SSA will return your original documents after processing.
Cost and Timing
There is no fee. The card is free, and the SSA warns against paying any private company that offers “assistance” — they do nothing you cannot do yourself.
Domestic applications typically produce a card in 7 to 10 business days after approval, with mail-in applications running two to four weeks. International applications take longer because documents must travel from the embassy to SSA processing centers in the United States and the finished card must be mailed back overseas. The SSA does not publish a firm timeline for international processing. If the card has not arrived after a reasonable wait, contact the Federal Benefits Unit where you filed.
Once the card arrives, write down the number and store it separately from the card. The number itself is what you’ll use for tax filings and government records. The card is only proof that the number was assigned.
Apply Before the Child Turns 12
The process is significantly simpler if you apply while the child is under 12. Once a child reaches 12, the SSA requires an in-person interview for any original Social Security number, even when a parent signs the application. The interview exists so the SSA can verify no number was previously assigned, which is a reasonable concern for someone who has gone more than a decade without one.
At the interview, the SSA will ask for evidence that the child has never held a number. If the child has lived abroad, that means current and previous passports, foreign school records, and anything else showing long-term residence outside the U.S. If the child has spent time in the United States, expect requests for school records and copies of any tax returns that would have listed the child. Building that paper trail after the fact for a child who has lived overseas since birth is the single best reason to file the SS-5-FS early rather than waiting.
Internationally Adopted Children
Adopted children follow a related but distinct path, and it turns on how citizenship was acquired. Under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000, a foreign-born adopted child who enters the U.S. on an IR-3 or IH-3 visa is treated as fully and finally adopted and generally acquires citizenship automatically. Since 2004, the Department of Homeland Security has issued Certificates of Citizenship to these children on admission.
Children admitted on IR-4 or IH-4 visas may not have a completed foreign adoption. In that case, parents must finalize the adoption in a U.S. court before the child qualifies for automatic citizenship, and before the SSN application can proceed on citizenship grounds.
Acceptable citizenship evidence for an adopted child includes a Certificate of Citizenship or Certificate of Naturalization from DHS, a machine-readable immigrant visa showing IR-3 or IH-3 classification, or a valid U.S. passport. For age, provide the foreign birth certificate if you have it; if you can’t obtain it within 10 days, the SSA may accept the passport or a DHS-issued document instead. The SSA may also ask for custody documentation such as a court order, placement letter from a state social service agency, or school record. If the adoption is still pending and you need a tax identification number before the SSN arrives, the IRS issues one on Form W-7A specifically for pending U.S. adoptions.
Why the Timing Matters for Your Tax Return
The practical urgency behind all of this is money. Without a Social Security number for the child, you cannot list the child as a dependent on your federal return and you cannot claim the Child Tax Credit, worth up to $2,200 per qualifying child for the 2025 tax year. The IRS requires the child’s SSN to have been issued on or before the due date of your return, including extensions, for the child to qualify for the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Credit.
If you can see the timing is going to be tight, file Form 4868 for an automatic six-month extension. That gives the SSN application more time to process. The extension only moves the filing deadline; any tax you owe is still due by the original April date.
If the card arrives after you’ve already filed, submit an amended return on Form 1040-X to claim the credit. You generally have three years from the date the original return was filed, or two years from the date the tax was paid, whichever is later.
One shortcut that doesn’t work: applying for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) instead. The IRS only issues ITINs to people who are not eligible for a Social Security number. A U.S. citizen child is eligible for an SSN, so no ITIN will be issued no matter how long the SSN is taking.