Consular Notification thingy of Birth Abroad

If you were born and brought up in the US, then the baby is a US citizen as from birth, I think. The registration and passport are mere confirmations of that status, she does not have to be "naturalised" first.

This is the specific requirement in the citizenship statute

The following persons shall be US citizens from the time of their birth:

...

"a person born outside the geographical limits of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is an alien, and the other a citizen of the United States who, prior to the birth of such person, was physically present in the United States or its outlying possessions for a period or periods totaling not less than five years, at least two of which were after attaining the age of fourteen years:"

So you should have been physically present, as a US citizen, in the US for at least 5 years in total prior to the birth of the child, at least two of which have to have been after the age of fourteen.

Do you know if registering the birth and getting the passport then make my daughter a US citizen, or does that come separate? When I got my dual citizenship in Britain I was first a citizen then got my passport. They seem to be the same thing on the American side.

Her report of Birth is her US Birth Certificate and will allow her to get her passport. Both are proof of her citizenship.

To anyone who has been to the embassy in London, is there any parking available?? We will be travelling from Manchester and I desparatly want to take our car as Hope our 6 month old will be travelling with us.

Thanks in advance
Joanne & Hope Lavender

Hello, we notified the Embassy of the birth of our twin babies last year.  I took the day off work to do it, dragged along the first born (3 years old!) and we made it into a family day out!  There is on street parking available near the Embassy, but we used an underground car park beneath Hyde Park - 5 min walk from the Embassy.  Bring food and drink.  (Public transport is pretty easy though if you only have one baby) Allow plenty of time for the security checks - we were late for our appointment 'cos of all the checks.  It was a tedious bureaucratic process, but the staff were a nice bunch and they had a little kiddy area and a breast feeding area.  Once you're through with all of that (it took us all morning), head off into Hyde Park for some fresh air!

Well we've finally decided to go through with it. Our appointment is next Tuesday - country mice go to the city!

I'm a bit worried though, because when my British husband went to the consulate for his US visa eleven years ago they took blood and did an AIDS test and all sorts - do any of you who have been through this with baby know whether they're as invasive with a little one, or will it literally be just interviewing me and my husband and looking at our documents?

You're child is entitled to US citizenship - he/she isn't applying for a visa.  They won't draw blood - honest!

Well we did it!

But it turns out the courier service has closed and you have to get the pre-paid special delivery envelope (£4?) from the post office beforehand. Fortunately the woman helping us was very helpful and let me send one to her later. We had the passport in just over a week.

Somebody told us as well that if we'd tried to travel in with baby on her UK passport before sorting the US one we'd be giving up her citizenship at that point, that she'd never be able to apply for her US. I didn't see that on the consulate pages, but it's a point worth bearing in mind.

Somebody told us as well that if we'd tried to travel in with baby on her UK passport before sorting the US one we'd be giving up her citizenship at that point, that she'd never be able to apply for her US. I didn't see that on the consulate pages, but it's a point worth bearing in mind.

Who told you that? THat doesn't sound right at all.  The US is a bit of a jerk about making sure entitled babies get their US passports, but it doesn't go as far as giving up citizenship.

Actually, in another thread about duals and which passport to travel on, it's stated that a US citizen entering the US on OTHER than their US passport can be taken as intent to renounce your US citizenship.

Though how they could hold a baby/young child responsible for what is the parent's actions is beyond me.  But in the state of the world today, I wouldn't put it past them to use it as proof the *parent* is trying to renounce citizenship! 

Cripes. When we were doing the passport thing for Philip I had done loads of research and knew we were at risk for a fine or for being denied entry by not using his US passport, but I didn't know it was going *this* far yet.   :\\\'(

Well we did it!

But it turns out the courier service has closed and you have to get the pre-paid special delivery envelope (£4?) from the post office beforehand. Fortunately the woman helping us was very helpful and let me send one to her later. We had the passport in just over a week.

Courier service?  Sorry, I thougth I read the whole thread thru, but what's this about a Courier service??

When I went to Grosvenor Sq. to get passports for my first 2 children (oldest now only 5), we didn't need appointments, and you got the child's passport to take home with you on the day.  In 2002 I had to take a note from my (British) husband saying he was ok about the baby getting a passport... what new hoops will the invent for us to jump thru, I wonder?!

[ Hi Tracy -- I'm also a Yank in Norfolk.  I think someone named Jill -- from my home town, what's worse -- may be in Norwich, too.  ]

Courier service?  Sorry, I thougth I read the whole thread thru, but what's this about a Courier service??

When I went to Grosvenor Sq. to get passports for my first 2 children (oldest now only 5), we didn't need appointments, and you got the child's passport to take home with you on the day.  In 2002 I had to take a note from my (British) husband saying he was ok about the baby getting a passport... what new hoops will the invent for us to jump thru, I wonder?!

[ Hi Tracy -- I'm also a Yank in Norfolk.  I think someone named Jill -- from my home town, what's worse -- may be in Norwich, too.  ]

Alot has changed since you where there.

All full passports are a new style and printed only in America. No post abroad has the equipment to produce them. The embassy only prints emergency passports. This is why you need to either bring an Special Delivery envelpe with you or use the New curiour service (around £10 I think) when you get to the embassy. The choice is yours.

The new concent form has been put into place due to new laws passed back in the states.

Well, we're back, and I'm falling asleep at work because of baby's jet lag, not mine!

I asked my husband who it was who told us about forfeiting the baby's citizenship claim by travelling on the wrong passport - it turns out it was the woman at the embassy herself. Oh dear. They do mean business... as we found out...

Now we've got to go back again to London, because exactly ten years ago this week my British husband (then fiance) outstayed his visa-waiver by two days - this is the little green form they get on the plane that lets them stay 90 days - and he was nearly chucked out of the country before we even got past immigration. He can't ever enter the country again on a visa waiver because of this, and he has to apply for a ten-year visa, like a criminal or something. He lived there five years and could have become a citizen, for Pete's sake!

Okay, I've gone to the website, checked the right buttons, gone to the calendar, and........nothing.  The calander thingy won't let me pick a date and I can't fill in a date on the form without it.  Am I missing something here?

And also, about how long does it take to get the actual passport afterwards. 

ehile I'm there I want to renew the sixteen year olds passport after her sixteenth birthday(in June) but before her trip to the US in August.  And I'd preferably like to do it after school lets out in the end of July. 

Okay, I've gone to the website, checked the right buttons, gone to the calendar, and........nothing.  The calander thingy won't let me pick a date and I can't fill in a date on the form without it.  Am I missing something here?

I had the same problem.  I was using Firefox and the calendar only works in Internet Explorer.  Could that be your problem?

It took about 3 wks to get my two passports from our late January appointment.