The national number is the foundation of Sudanese civil identity, and the embassy issues it free of charge the first time. A replacement for a lost one costs $25. Every other procedure on this site for Sudan assumes you have it or are getting it.
Quick facts
That rule about children is worth repeating because it is unusually accommodating: a passport application for someone under 18 needs a national number document belonging to either parent, not both, and not specifically the father.
Fees breakdown
| Service | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| National number, first issue | Free | At the embassy |
| National number, replacement | $25 | If lost |
| Passport after the number exists | $250 or $125 | See the passport page |
| U.S. certificate and legalisation | $15–$50 plus chain fees | No apostille route |
| Arabic translation | Per page | Where required |
Sudanese civil certificates themselves are issued in Sudan, and access to registries has been disrupted since 2023. Where a document cannot be obtained, ask the embassy what evidence it will accept instead.
How to file
- Book an appointment with the embassy.
- Establish whether you already hold a national number.
- Gather whatever Sudanese documents the family still holds.
- For a child, bring a national number document belonging to either parent.
- Ask what alternatives are accepted where records are unobtainable.
- Keep copies of everything before it travels.
Required documents
- Existing national number document, or the application for one.
- Expired passport or other Sudanese identification.
- Either parent’s national number document for a child’s file.
- Proof of status in the United States.
- Photographs to specification.
- Payment where a replacement is involved.
Where to file
At the embassy in Washington, by appointment.
Additional notes
Get the number while it is free
First issue costs nothing and a replacement costs $25, so obtaining it before you need it urgently is simply cheaper.
Displacement and records
Families whose documents were lost are a routine case for this embassy rather than an exception. Ask rather than assuming nothing can be done.
Names in Arabic and English
Transliteration varies widely. Settle one English spelling and use it across every document.
Keep scans
With one mission and long processing, digital copies of everything are worth the few minutes they take.