Registering a child born in the United States is one of the cheapest procedures in this directory: $20, paid by money order or cashier check. And it can be done entirely by post if you cannot reach a consulate, which matters in a country with only four posts across the United States.
Quick facts
The requirement people forget is proof of residence — a driving licence or a utility bill will do — alongside the identity document of the Paraguayan parent making the registration.
Fees breakdown
| Service | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Registration of a birth | $20 | Money order or cashier check |
| U.S. birth certificate | $15–$50 | State vital records office |
| Apostille on it | $3–$25 | Secretary of State |
| Legalisation of documents | Published tariff | Booked online |
| Courier and return postage | You arrange it | Tracking on both legs |
The whole exercise is modest in cost, which is a real contrast with several neighbouring systems where registering a child runs into the hundreds.
How to file
- Order the child’s U.S. birth certificate from the state vital records office.
- Have it apostilled by that state’s Secretary of State.
- Gather a copy of the Paraguayan parent’s identity card or passport.
- Add proof of residence, such as a driving licence or utility bill.
- Book the online appointment, or prepare a tracked courier shipment.
- Pay $20 by money order made out to the consulate.
Required documents
- Child’s U.S. birth certificate, apostilled.
- Copy of the Paraguayan parent’s identity card or passport.
- Proof of residence in the consular district.
- Completed registration form.
- Money order or cashier check for $20.
- Prepaid tracked return envelope for postal filings.
Where to file
At the post covering your area, in person or by courier.
Additional notes
Postal filing is your own risk
The consulates say expressly that shipping by mail or courier is the applicant’s responsibility. Use a tracked service and insure anything irreplaceable.
Do it early
Registration is the foundation for the identity card and the passport. At $20, there is little reason to postpone it.
Names must match later
Whatever name is registered will govern the identity card and then the passport, and consulates cannot change it afterwards.
Keep the apostilled original
Order a second certificate at the same time, since later procedures will ask for one.