AMERICAN CITIZEN SERVICES - LAGOS

Birth Abroad

Consular Reports of Birth Abroad are done by appointment only.  Please schedule your appointment here https://evisaforms.state.gov/acs/default.asp?postcode=LGS&appcode=1).  Please note that if the forms linked below are not completed upon arrival to the Consulate General, you may be asked to reschedule your appointment.

Reporting of Birth Abroad

Children born abroad to U.S. citizen parents may have a claim to U.S. citizenship.  If the parent(s) meets the transmission requirement and the child was born in the Lagos’ consular district, the birth should be reported at the U.S. Consulate General and a Consular Report of Birth Abroad and a U.S. passport will be issued. 

We strongly recommend that the birth be reported to the Consulate General as soon as possible after the birth.  Even if your child holds nationality of a country other than the U.S., if your child has a claim to U.S. citizenship, he or she must be in possession of a valid U.S. passport to enter and exit the United States.

Applying For a Consular Report of Birth Abroad and Passport for Your Child

In all cases, both parents must appear in person with the child upon the submission of the application. If one parent is outside Nigeria and unable to appear, a signed written consent (Form DS-3053) notarized by a U.S. Notary Public or U.S. Consular officer must be provided by that parent in addition to a copy of his/her passport.

All documents must be submitted in the original.  Where originals cannot be submitted, notarized copies are acceptable.

What You Need to Bring

If Both Parents Are American Citizens

1. The child's official birth certificate issued by the Nigerian authorities (civil registration department).
   
2. Parents' official marriage certificate.
   
3. Official divorce decree if either parent was previously married. If one parent is deceased, please provide an official death certificate.
   
4. Naturalization certificate for a naturalized parent(s) and/or U.S. passport(s).
   
5. Parents who have previously documented children born abroad should bring any other Consular Reports of Birth Abroad.
   
6. One photograph 2” x 2”, showing a full front view of the child's face with a white background. Please make sure that ears and eyebrows are visible.
   
7. Passport application Form DS-11; Consular Report of Birth Abroad application (Form DS-2029); and Affidavit of Parentage and Physical Presence. Please click here Affidavit of Physical Presence, Paternity and Support.

If Only One Parent is an American Citizen

In addition to the documents listed above, the American citizen parent must provide documentation of evidence of at least five years physical presence in the U.S. before the child's birth (10 years of physical presence if the child was born before 1986). Please complete this supplementary form to establish presence in the U.S., and present primary evidence of this presence at the time of interview.

What constitutes U.S. physical presence: U.S. citizens may count any time they have been physically present in the United States or its outlying possessions. Naturalized U.S. Citizens may count time spent in the U.S. prior to their naturalization, regardless of their status.

The following are examples of documents which may be considered by the Consular Officer as primary evidence of physical presence in the United States:

• Official school transcripts (secondary or higher)
  
• Medical records
  
• Tax returns with attached W-2 forms
  
• Social Security Earnings Record (SSA 7005)
  

Please note the following important information

Consular Reports of Birth Abroad Certificates for previously documented children can serve as evidence that proof of physical presence was established in the past.  However, applicants may be required by the adjudicating officer to provide primary proof of physical presence as well.  For this reason, applicants are encouraged to bring all documentation regarding their physical presence with them to the interview. 

Previous passports may be used only as supplements to additional documentary proof of physical presence. The United States does not have an exit control system, and therefore, passport stamps are not sufficient proof of physical presence.

Affidavit of Parentage and Physical Presence: Please make sure that the Affidavit of Parentage and Physical Presence is completed. Do not simply list years in the U.S. (i.e. 1982-1990) without identifying periods of time outside the United States (i.e. summers in Nigeria). This is particularly important if the U.S. Citizen parent traveled back and forth between the U.S. and other foreign countries during the time claimed as physically present in the U.S.

Ultimately, the burden of proof rests on the parent. The information above will assist in providing proof of physical presence but the Consular Officer will make the final determination.

Please do not come to the Consulate General unless all applications and documents are in order. If the documents are not complete, you will be asked to return.

Fees

Fees are paid in cash upon submission of the application in either U.S. dollars or Nigerian naira.  Current fees for service are:

• Registration of birth of American citizen abroad: $65
  
• Execution of passport application: $25
  
• U.S. passport issuance fee, child under age 16: $40
  
• U.S. passport surcharge: $20