India keeps no consular civil register in the way many countries do. What missions in the United States handle is narrower and more specific: the registration of the birth of a child born to Indian citizens, the surrender of passports after naturalisation, police clearance certificates, and attestation of U.S. civil documents for use in India.
Quick facts
The timing rule that matters most: a child born abroad to Indian citizens is registered at the mission, and doing it within the first year avoids having to seek central government permission later.
Fees breakdown
| Service | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Birth registration of a child born abroad | Government fee plus welfare fund | Through VFS Global |
| Attestation of a U.S. civil document | Government fee plus welfare fund and service charge | For Indian passport holders |
| Apostille of a U.S. civil document | $3–$25 | For foreign passport holders |
| Surrender of Indian passport | $40 plus $3 welfare fund | Plus the service charge |
| Police clearance certificate | Government fee plus service charge | Through VFS Global |
Every one of these is filed through VFS Global. Missions stopped taking these applications directly at the counter.
How to file
- Order the long-form U.S. certificate of the event from the state vital records office.
- Have it apostilled by the Secretary of State of the issuing state.
- Identify the correct category on the VFS portal and download the checklist for your jurisdiction.
- Complete the online application and pay the fees.
- Submit the package at the VFS centre or by post, in the order the checklist specifies.
- Keep the returned documents together, since later applications reuse them.
Required documents
- Apostilled long-form U.S. certificate naming both parents.
- Parents’ Indian passports, or foreign passports with cards where they have naturalised.
- Marriage certificate of the parents where the file requires it.
- Proof of lawful U.S. status and of address within the jurisdiction.
- Photographs to the Indian specification.
- Consent and signatures of both parents for anything concerning a child.
Where to file
Through the VFS centre paired with the mission covering your state. Jurisdiction follows your residential address.
Consulate General of India
View details →HoustonConsulate General Of India
View details →New YorkConsulate General of India, New York
View details →New YorkPermanent Mission of India
View details →San FranciscoConsulate General of India
View details →Sandy SpringsConsulate General of India
View details →WashingtonEmbassy of India
View details →Additional notes
Birth registration and citizenship
Registering the birth at the mission is what records the child as an Indian citizen by descent. Families who intend the child to remain a U.S. citizen usually skip it and apply for a card instead, since the two are mutually exclusive.
Surrendering the passport
Holding an Indian passport after acquiring another nationality is an offence under Indian law. The surrender procedure exists precisely to close that exposure, and the certificate it produces is required for almost everything afterwards.
Marriages in the United States
There is no consular marriage register. A U.S. marriage certificate, apostilled, is what Indian authorities accept.
Police clearance
Certificates are issued for specific purposes and named countries, so apply for the one the receiving authority actually asks for.