If you are a Filipino parent who gave birth outside the Philippines, whether in the U.S, Canada, Australia, U.K., or elsewhere, you should file a Report of Birth at the Philippine Embassy or Consulate where the event occurred.
A Report of Birth ensures that the child is legally recognized as a Filipino citizen, even if born abroad, and enjoys the benefits under the Philippine Law.
Did you know? A child born abroad to at least one Filipino parent is considered a Filipino by blood, but unless you officially register the birth, Philippine government has no record of your child’s citizenship.
What is the DFA Report of Birth?
A Report of Birth (ROB) is an official civil registration submitted to the embassy or consulate abroad by Filipino citizens whose children are born abroad.
The ROB is later transmitted to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) and becomes part of your child’s legal record in the Philippines.
Difference Between CRBA and Report of Birth DFA
You might have come across the term CRBA or Consular Report of Birth Abroad if your child was born specifically in the United States. But it is different from the Report of Birth that is being filed at the Philippine Consulate or Embassy. Let’s clarify the distinction.
The Philippine Report of Birth Abroad is filed with the Philippine Embassy or Consulate to register a child of a Filipino Citizen, either one or both parents are Filipino, who was born abroad.
On the other hand, the CRBA is being filed at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate that recognizes the child as a U.S. citizen if at least one parent is an American or meets U.S. residency requirements.
Take Note: If the child was born in the United States with a Filipino parent, and at least one parent is a U.S. citizen, the child may be eligible for dual citizenship. This will involve filing both the CRBA and the Report of Birth with the Philippine Embassy and Consulate.
These are separate processes required to establish the child’s U.S. citizenship and Filipino citizenship, respectively.
Requirements Checklist of the Report of Birth Philippines
Here are the following documents needed for filing a report of birth. Prepare and submit five (5) photocopies of each.
REPORT OF BIRTH FORM (FA FORM NO. 40/ REV. 01 24 APRIL 2018)
Five (5) forms should be printed in A4 paper, originally filled out and signed with handwritten/wet signature and item 20 should be notarized by the notary public.
Entries must be TYPEWRITTEN OR PRINTED LEGIBLY.
Entries must be at the time of birth of the child/subject.
BIRTH CERTIFICATE ISSUED BY THE COUNTRY OF BIRTH (ORIGINAL COPY SHOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE DFA)
For birth certificates not in English language, kindly submit an official English translation.
For applicants born in CHINA, FRANCE, AUSTRIA, NORWAY, DENMARK, FINLAND, SWEDEN, ICELAND, NETHERLANDS, INDIA, and in the MIDDLE EASTERN countries (i.e. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, et.al.) the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country of birth must authenticate the birth certificate.
For applicants born under the consular jurisdiction of the Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, kindly submit PSA birth certificate with QR code of Filipino parent and Foreign birth certificate of Foreign national parent
For applicants born under the consular jurisdiction of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, kindly submit the original certified true copy of live birth (long form).
For applicants born under the consular jurisdiction of the Philippine Embassy in Mexico, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the country of birth must authenticate the birth certificate
For applicants born in Indonesia, the Ministry of Human Rights and Justice and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia must authenticate the birth certificate
FIRST PASSPORT OR TRAVEL DOCUMENT OF THE CHILD/SUBJECT
Photocopies of bio data pages
In case of unavailability, execute an Affidavit of Non-submission of Document and attach a copy valid/recent passport or any valid ID.
AUTHENTICATED MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE OF PARENTS FROM THE PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY (PSA with QR code) / FOREIGN MARRIAGE CONTRACT
For unmarried parents:
If child/subject is using the surname of the father, kindly submit an Affidavit to Use the Surname of the Father (AUSF) to be executed by the mother and Affidavit of Acknowledgement of Paternity to be executed by the father. If the two (2) affidavits will be executed in the Philippines, these should be registered first as Legal Instruments at the Local Civil Registry Office of the place of execution and authenticated by the DFA. If executed abroad, these should be registered first at the Foreign Service Post (FSP) of the country of residence of the parent(s) or at the FSP nearest the place of residence.
If child/subject is using the surname of the mother, kindly submit the Birth Certificate of the mother.
PASSPORT OF PARENTS (Valid at the time of the birth of the child) + CURRENT/VALID PASSPORT OF BOTH PARENTS
Photocopies of bio data pages
In case of unavailability, execute an Affidavit of Non-submission of Document and attach a copy valid/recent passport or any valid ID [(i.e. Green card or permanent resident card, copy of visa (at the time of birth of the child), working permit if working abroad at the time of birth of the child]
For applicants born in USA and Canada, kindly submit any of the following documents of parent/s:
USA/Canada Visa
USA/Canada Working Permit
Green Card of Permanent Resident Card
If Filipino parent/s had acquired foreign citizenship (i.e. American, Australian, British or Canadian) and re-acquired Philippine citizenship, submit certificate of naturalization of parents and re-acquisition certificates of parents and of the child. If the child is 18 years old and above at the time of parent’s re-acquisition of Philippine citizenship submit an Identification Certificate for Filipino citizen issued by the Bureau of Immigration.
NOTARIZED AFFIDAVIT OF DELAYED REGISTRATION [required only for children/subjects who are more than one (1) year old]
NOTARIZED AFFIDAVIT OF TWO (2) DISINTERESTED PERSONS [required only for children/subjects who are more than one (1) year old]
NEGATIVE CERTIFICATE OF BIRTH RECORD FROM THE PSA WITH QR CODE (CRS FORM NO. 1)
Source: Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) – http://consular.dfa.gov.ph/report-of-birth/
Take note: Applications are strictly by APPOINTMENT. You must send an email to the location where the event took place to schedule an appointment. You may visit the DFA website to check the list of emails.
The whole process takes approximately two (2) to four (4) months.
Sound Overwhelming? It doesn’t have to be!
If you’ve already reported your child’s birth at a Philippine Embassy or Consulate abroad, the next step is to register it with the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) — and that’s where Filedocsphil steps in. We assist Filipino families by managing the domestic process of registering the Report of Birth with the DFA-Manila and PSA. Whether you’re back in the Philippines or still overseas, we act as your local representative, helping you prepare all required documents, including the consular-issued Report of Birth, notarized affidavits, and supporting IDs or certificates. We also provide assistance in cases of delayed reporting or missing Philippine documents like marriage certificates or passports.
Once your documents are ready, Filedocsphil will personally submit them to the DFA Consular Records Division, pay the necessary fees, and monitor the progress of your application. We coordinate directly with the DFA and PSA to ensure your child’s birth is officially recorded in the national civil registry. Once processed, we secure the PSA-issued birth certificate and arrange for delivery — no need for you or your family to visit government offices.
With Filedocsphil, reporting a birth abroad to the Philippines becomes convenient, secure, and stress-free.
Let FileDocsPhil Do the Work!
Need to register a birth abroad with the PSA? Let Filedocsphil handle it for you — fast, easy, and hassle-free.
