How to Replace a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)

To replace a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, mail a notarized Form DS-5542, a photocopy of both sides of your government-issued photo ID, and a $50 check or money order per copy to the U.S. Department of State’s Passport Vital Records Section in Sterling, Virginia. The process is entirely paper-based, takes four to eight weeks, and has no expedited option.¹

If your original document is an older FS-545 (issued 1960 through November 1990) or DS-1350 (issued November 1990 through December 31, 2010), the replacement you receive will be a current FS-240. The older forms remain valid evidence of citizenship, but they are no longer issued.²

Who Can Request a Replacement

The Department of State limits replacement requests to four categories of requesters:

The person named on the CRBA, once they are 18 or older
Either parent of a child under 18
An authorized federal or state government agency
A person with written authorization from the individual named on the record

The governing regulation, 22 CFR 50.8, allows issuance to the citizen, the citizen’s parent, or a legal guardian upon payment of the fee.³ A general power of attorney is not listed. If you are requesting on someone else’s behalf, get written authorization from them specifically for this purpose.¹

What to Include in Your Mailing

Your envelope needs three items: a notarized DS-5542, a photocopy of your ID, and payment.

Notarized Form DS-5542

Download Form DS-5542, “Request for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad,” from the State Department’s website. You can complete it on a computer or by hand in black ink. It asks for the subject’s full legal name at birth, date and place of birth, and parents’ information. The signature must be witnessed by a notary public. A form arriving without a notary seal will be returned, and the processing clock restarts once you resend it. Notary fees for a single acknowledgment typically run between $2 and $25 depending on your state.

Photocopy of Valid Photo ID

Include a clear photocopy of both the front and back of a valid, government-issued photo ID. Accepted forms include:

State-issued driver’s license or non-driver photo ID
U.S. passport
Military ID
Veterans Affairs ID
Prison ID

Both sides matter. Blurry or cut-off copies get the application sent back.¹

Payment

Each copy costs $50, set by the federal Schedule of Fees for Consular Services.⁴ Three copies cost $150, and so on. Payment must be a check or money order made payable to “U.S. Department of State,” drawn in U.S. dollars on a U.S. bank, with your complete mailing address written on the check. Do not send cash; the Department is not responsible for currency lost in the mail.¹

Where to Send It

Mail your completed package to:

U.S. Department of State
Passport Vital Records Section
44132 Mercure Cir.
PO Box 1213
Sterling, VA 20166-1213¹

Use a trackable method such as USPS Certified Mail, FedEx, or UPS so you have delivery confirmation.

For return delivery within the United States, you have two choices. USPS First Class Mail is free and takes one to two weeks after processing finishes. For 1–3 day delivery, add $22.05 to your check or money order on top of the per-copy fee. Do not enclose a pre-paid express mail envelope with your request; the State Department says this causes delays rather than speeding delivery.¹

How Long It Takes

Processing runs four to eight weeks. There is no expedited option. Some records take longer than eight weeks to locate, especially older files.¹ If you need proof of citizenship for a passport application, a job, or a deadline-driven filing, start the request well ahead of when you need the document in hand.

If You Need to Correct Information, Not Just Replace

Amendments use the same Form DS-5542. On the form, check the boxes for “Amendment to Consular Report of Birth Abroad” and the specific change you want, such as a name change.

Along with the notarized form, ID photocopy, and $50 payment, an amendment request requires:

Certified supporting documents proving the change. Originals or certified copies only. A name change needs the certified court order; other corrections may need a foreign birth certificate, marriage certificate, or adoption decree.
All original CRBA copies you currently hold. If your document was issued before 1990, include the original FS-545 as well. If you cannot return them because they were lost, stolen, or destroyed, include a notarized statement explaining what happened.

Amendments use the same mailing address, the same fee structure, and the same four-to-eight-week window.¹

If No CRBA Was Ever Issued

You cannot replace a document that was never created. If your parents never registered your birth at a U.S. embassy or consulate, there is nothing on file at the State Department for you to replace. To establish U.S. citizenship in that situation, you have two options:

File Form N-600 with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services for a Certificate of Citizenship.
Apply for a U.S. passport using your foreign birth record showing your parents’ names, evidence of a parent’s U.S. citizenship, your parents’ marriage certificate if applicable, and a statement from your U.S. citizen parent listing where and when they lived in the United States and abroad before your birth.

Either produces an official document proving citizenship. The passport route is often faster and doubles as a travel document.⁵

1
U.S. Department of State. How to Replace or Amend a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)
2
U.S. Department of State. 8 FAM 303.3 Documentary Evidence of U.S. Citizenship
3
eCFR. 22 CFR 50.8 – Certification of Report of Birth Abroad of a United States Citizen
4
eCFR. 22 CFR 22.1 – Schedule of Fees
5
USA.gov. Prove Your Citizenship: Born Outside the U.S. to a U.S. Citizen Parent