American Citizen Services Unit U.S. Consulate General Guadalajara

Non-Emergency Services

Passports	Consular Reports of Birth Abroad
Notarials	Federal Benefits

 Passports

The ACS Unit accepts passport applications from US citizens who reside in the states of Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Colima, and Nayarit, any day Monday-Friday (except for US and Mexican holidays) between the hours of 8:30 and 12:00 noon.  Effective April 8, 2002, passports are produced at the National Passport Center in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  The passports are returned to the Consulate for delivery a few weeks after the date of application.  For more information on the new passport procedures, please click here.

US citizens who live in or around Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, may apply for their passports at the US Consular Agency Puerto Vallarta. Those applications will be forwarded to Guadalajara for processing, however, so the requirements described below apply to Puerto Vallarta applicants as well.

For an overview about passport services and regulations as well as details about fees and documents required, please visit http://travel.state.gov/passport_services.html

Residents of the Lake Chapala area may also give their applications to one of the ACS Unit’s Consular officers during his/her monthly visits to Chapala and Ajijic. Visits are generally scheduled for the first Wednesday of every month. Contact the Lake Chapala Society (52-376-611-40) or American Legion Post #7 (52-376-522-59) for more information about these visits.

  Consular Reports of Birth Abroad
A child born overseas to two US citizen parents acquires US citizenship at birth. Even if only one parent is a US citizen, the child may still acquire US citizenship, depending on how much time the US citizen parent had spent in the United States prior to the child’s birth. For details on the requirements for transmitting US citizenship, click here.

A Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) must be issued by the US Embassy or Consulate that has responsibility for the area where the child was born. American citizen children born in the states of Jalisco, Aguascalientes, Colima, and Nayarit, must apply for their CRBA at the US Consulate General in Guadalajara. Children born in the Puerto Vallarta area may submit their applications at the US Consular Agency Puerto Vallarta.  It is best to apply as soon after the birth as possible. Parents should present the following documents:

• The child’s Mexican birth certificate (one certified copy of the long form issued by the civil registry);
• Pre-natal medical records, including ultrasounds, blood test, and doctor´s chart, issued by the doctor(s) who attended the mother during her pregnancy in the United States and/or Mexico;
• Hospital record of birth (e.g hospital certificate). If one was not issued, you must present a letter from the hospital administration, on its letterhead, giving the details of the child’s birth. If the child was born at home, you must present a letter from the attending physician, on letterhead, giving the details of the birth and the reason why the child was not born in a hospital;
• Consular Report of Birth Abroad worksheet (download here) *
• Affidavit of physical presence (download here)*

* To download these two forms you will need the AdobeAcrobat Reader.  To download this program for free, go to: www.adobe.com

• If the mother is a US citizen, proof of  her date of entry into Mexico (e.g. her tourist card or FM3);
• Proof of the parent(s)’ US citizenship (e.g. passport, certified birth certificate and photo ID, or naturalization certificate);
• The parents' marriage certificate (if applicable);
• If the US citizen parent does not have a passport, please fill out a DS-11 passport application (down load here);
• Proof of termination of all previous marriages (i.e. certified copy of divorce decree or death certificate);
• If only one parent is a US citizen, proof of that parent’s physical presence in the United States prior to the child’s birth. For example, if the child was born after 1986, the parent must be able to demonstrate five years of physical presence in the United States, at least two of which must have been after the age of 14. Documents such as tax returns and school records are quite helpful in proving physical presence. For more information on the physical presence requirements, please click here.
• The personal appearance of the child is also required.
• CRBA fee of USD $65.00, payable via credit card or in cash (dollars or the peso equivalent).

In some cases, a child who is unable to derive US citizenship from his/her US citizen parent may be eligible for expeditious naturalization if one of the parents of the US citizen parent was also an American citizen and lived in the United States for more than five years. Click here for more details.

The ACS Unit accepts applications for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA) By mail either to babygdl@state.gov or to the ACS Unit at Progreso 175, Col. Americana, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Once we receive all your documents we will contact you for an appointment.

Notarial service is provided Monday through Friday from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.

US and Mexican holidays.

Notarials
There are two basic types of notarial services offered by the ACS Unit:

Acknowledgment of Execution
This is used for legal agreements and business documents. It is also used when two or more signatories are required on the document, but not all the parties who must sign are present. We can notarize only the signatures of those who are present to sign in front of the consular officer or appear in front of the consular officer and affirm that they have signed the document.

Administration of Oath
This is used on documents that require a sworn affidavit. This format cannot be used unless all persons who are to sign the document are present.

Federal Benefits
The Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) works alongside the ACS Unit and provides services relating to Federal benefits, such as Social Security and Veterans’ benefits, Railroad Retirement Board pensions, and Office of Personnel Management (OPM) civil service pensions. The FBU can process claims, accept applications for Social Security cards for US citizens and Mexican nationals who are entitled to work in the United States, and provide assistance in resolving any problems about entitlements. They can also process changes of address and assist when checks are lost or stolen. Any US or Mexican citizens who are entitled to Social Security benefits may use the services of the FBU.

The Federal benefits Unit is open to the public every day, Monday-Friday, from 8:30 to 11:30am, except on US and Mexican holidays. They can be reached at (52) (33) 3268-2139. The FBU’s fax number is (52) (33) 3825-7942.

For detailed information from the Social Security Administration about how residing outside the United States might affect your Social Security benefits, please click here.

For information about the Veterans Administration’s Foreign Medical Program (FMP), please click here.