Birth Abroad

Reporting a Birth in Libya

The birth of a child in the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya to U.S. citizen parent(s) should be reported as soon as possible to the Consular Section for the purpose of establishing an official record of the child's claim to U.S. citizenship at birth. The official record is in the form of a Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America (FS-240). This document, known as the Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), is considered a basic United States citizenship document. An original FS-240 is furnished to the parents at the time the registration is approved. Multiple copies of this document are not obtainable from the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli.

A consular report of birth can be prepared only at an American consular office overseas. It cannot be prepared if the person is 18 years of age or older at the time the application for a CRBA is made. Because the availability and/or reliability of the information presented and of the supporting evidence diminishes with time, it is advisable that the application be made as soon after birth as possible. Delay in reporting could cause inconvenience and possibly deprive a child of this valuable document.

Usually, in order to establish the child's citizenship under the appropriate provisions of U.S. law, the following documents must be submitted, including the child's presence:

1. Child's official original Libyan birth certificate in English (plus two photocopies).
   
2. Parents' original passports (plus two photocopies each).
   
3. Parents' original marriage certificate plus one copy (translated into English whenever applicable).
   
4. Original evidence showing how parents' prior marriages were terminated, i.e., divorce or death certificate (if applicable) plus one photocopy.
   
5. In cases in which only one parent is a U.S. citizen, that parent should complete an affidavit and provide evidence that s/he has been physically present in the United States for the requisite period before the child's birth and meets the requirements for transmission of citizenship. No such evidence is required when both parents are U.S. citizens.
   
6. $65 or Libyan Dinar equivalent plus an additional passport fee of $82 or Libyan Dinar equivalent (Total = $147 or Libyan Dinar equivalent ).
   
7. Application form, FS-579/SS-5, which is also an application for the child's Social Security Number. This form needs to be typed out and submitted unsigned.

The issuance process takes four to six weeks to complete.