U.S. Embassy in Zimbabwe

Additional Infomation

For information about passport applications, please visit our Passport Services page.

For questions about eligibility for becoming a U.S. citizen, please contact the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at 1-800-375-5283 or visit www.uscis.gov.

If you think you transmit U.S. citizenship to a child born outside of the United States, you should apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad. Application for a Consular Report of Birth must be made, in person, through a pre-arranged appointment.  Interviews for A Consular Report of Birth are done on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons by appointment only. The child must accompany the parent to the Embassy. The Embassy/Consulate is closed on American and Zimbabwean holidays.

We strongly encourage both parents to be present when filing an application for a child’s CRBA and first time passport.

Required Documents

Parents typically choose to apply for the child’s U.S. passport at the same time they apply for the Consular Report of Birth Abroad. The list below covers both the Consular Report of Birth Abroad, and the U.S. passport. You do not need to apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad before the child’s first passport, but we strongly recommend it, since institutions such as universities or employers in the future may require it.

Please bring the following original items to the interview:

• Proof of the parents’ identity and citizenship such as U.S. or other passports.
• Child’s original birth certificate issued by the local authorities (including English translation, if applicable). The birth certificate must include the name of the child.
• One studio quality photograph of the child, 2″ x 2″ in size and taken against a light background. The child must be facing forward with his/her ears showing and eyes open.
• Prenatal and hospital records (e.g., ultrasounds, prescriptions, evidence of pre-natal doctor visits, hospital discharge documents, vaccination card, etc.).
• If the child was born through surrogacy: a detailed medical certificate from the surrogacy clinic or ART physician which reflects this fact.
• If the parents were married, the parents’ marriage certificate; if not married, other proof of their relationship prior to the child’s conception. At a minimum, you should have proof that both parents had physical access to each other at the time of conception, unless conceived through ART.
• Proof of the U.S. citizen parent’s physical presence in the U.S. If both parents are U.S. Citizens, you must bring proof that either parent has resided in the U.S. prior to the child’s birth. For children born to one U.S. citizen and one foreign national, the U.S. citizen parent will need to prove five years of CUMULATIVE physical presence in the U.S., at least two of which must be after the age of 14. Examples of items that show physical presence are school transcripts, income tax returns with Form W-2, Social Security earnings history, pay receipts, passport entry/exit stamps in current and previous passports, medical records, court or prison records,  leases, etc.
• If also applying for a passport (see below) and a parent is not present at the interview, the non-present parent must complete Parental Consent Form DS-3053(PDF 52KB). This form must be notarized and submitted with a notarized copy of the absent parent’s photo ID (their passport is preferred).
• Complete and print the following forms online before coming to your appointment. Please do not sign the forms until directed to do so by a consular officer. DS-2029, Application for Consular Report of Birth Abroad (PDF 62KB).
• To schedule an appointment to apply for a Consular Report of Birth Abroad please email ACSHarare@state.gov. 

After applying for the Consular Report of birth abroad, you will also need to apply for a social security number and a U.S passport. The Embassy no longer accepts applications for Social Security numbers. The Social security application is filed directly with the Social Security Administration offices. Refer to the Social Security website https://www.ssa.gov/ for more information.

Form SS-5-FS Application for a Social Security Card (PDF 132KB)

Form DS-11 Application for a U.S. Passport

Insufficient Evidence of Relationship

If the Consular Officer finds that there is insufficient evidence of a genetic relationship between the parent(s) and the child(ren), a DNA test may be recommended at the time of interview.  If the interviewing officer makes this recommendation, then parents can expect a processing delay of approximately three to four months to allow for the receipt of the DNA test kit at the Embassy, sample collection, the mailing of the sample, and the receipt of results from the lab.  Parents should factor this possible delay into their plans.  If a DNA test is recommended, you will be provided with all details related to this testing at the time of your interview.  All costs and expenses associated with DNA testing must be borne entirely by the passport applicant and his/her family.

For more information on DNA testing, see “Information for Parents on U.S. Citizenship and DNA Testing”