Baby born in the Philippines from US Mother?

The first answer is no doubt well-intended, but not accurate. If your baby is born outside of the US, you will need to register the birth through the American Citizens Services Section in Manila or in other words, you'll need to get a Certificate of Registration of Birth Abroad, and a US passport. In order for your child to be recognized as a US citizen at birth, you will need to demonstrate that you or your husband are an American, and that one of you has lived in the US as a citizen for at least 5 years, including 2 years after the age of 14. If you can't do that, then your child would not be automatically eligible for US citizenship.

You can check out the requirements for citizenship at http://travel.state.gov/law/family_issues/birth/bi... .

You can also check out the American Citizens Services Section in Manila webpage at http://manila.usembassy.gov/wwwhppt.html .

You'll be able to verify what I've told you fairly quickly.

yes, your baby will need a passport. once you have your baby there, you apply to get a birth certificate immediately. it might take sometime in the philippines... but then you can always bribe someone to do it faster or expedite it.

if you're a US citizen, you can just show up at the US embassy in manila to take care of the baby's papers... like registering the baby's birth (you would need the birth certificate. so get it before going to the embassy), getting its citizenship and obtaining a US passport for the baby.

if you're a permanent resident, you'll have to call to make an appointment. you'll be able to obtain a permanent resident visa for the baby there as well. as for the passport, you'll have to apply for one at a Department of Foreign Affairs.

§ 1401. Nationals and citizens of United States at birth

The following shall be nationals and citizens of the United States at birth:

(c) a person born outside of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents both of whom are citizens of the United States and one of whom has had a residence in the United States or one of its outlying possessions, prior to the birth of such person;

For Citizenship:

A Consular Report of Birth can be prepared only at an American consular office overseas while the child is under the age of 18. Usually, in order to establish the child’s citizenship under the appropriate provisions of U.S. law, the following documents must be submitted:

(1) an official record of the child’s foreign birth;

(2) evidence of the parent(s)’ U.S. citizenship (e.g., a certified birth certificate, current U.S.

passport, or Certificate of Naturalization or Citizenship);

(3) evidence of the parents’ marriage, if applicable; and

(4) affidavits of parent(s)’ residence and physical presence in the United States.

In certain cases, it may be necessary to submit additional documents, including affidavits of paternity and support, divorce decrees from prior marriages, or medical reports of blood compatibility. All evidentiary documents should be certified as true copies of the originals by the registrar of the office wherein each document was issued. A service fee of $65 is prescribed under the provisions of Title 22 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 22.1, item 9, for a Consular Report of Birth

The U.S. Embassy (American consular office) is located at: 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Manila, Philippines, tel. (63) (2) 301-2000.

For the Child's Passport:

You'll need to provide proof of citizenship in the form of one of the following:

Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240); or

Certification of Birth Abroad (Form DS-1350)

Edit: George was correct, originally I had the wrong section of US code. His answer, however, is a bit misworded. A "Certificate of Registration of Birth Abroad" is a Canadian document for citizenship, not a US document. To sidestep potential mistakes, you should get form FS-240 or DS-1350