SSN for newborn overseas
Posted by E36-PAT@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 24 comments
Hi,
I am hoping that someone here has recently gone through this process.
I am currently in Thailand and plan on being here for the next few months. My wife ( Thai ) and I ( U.S Citizen ) have 5 months old triplets and we recently received their CRBA and U.S Passports.
I am now trying to find information on the process of getting them their SSN. I tried to find some details online, but the informations that are available are not very clear to me.
From what I've gathered so far is that I would need to send their CRBA and their passport to the SSA Office in Manila along with thier SS-5 form since we are overseas is that
The address that I have for them is
U.S. Embassy – Manila Social Security Administration 1201 Roxas Boulevard Manila, Philippines 0930
E36-PAT@reddit (OP)
I wanted to follow up and provide an update, I received a certified true copies of my U.S passport, the triplets passport and their CRBA from the Embassy then sent in SSA form to Manila about a month ago, but so far have not received anything back. How long did it take you guys to get your children's SSN?
Oh, I forgot to mention, I got 3 certified true copies of my U.S passports and sent each of their applications separately through Thai post EMS, it did show that it was received by someone over there.
E36-PAT@reddit (OP)
I forgot to provide an update, so I received all 3 kids' passports already. It took about a month from the time I mailed it in ( expedited service ) to the time I received it back.
pine_salt@reddit
hopefully, after this time you received your children's SSN!
could you provide another update on the timeline?
I mailed my son's application with all supporting documents to Manila and received the pre-paid envelope back with just our passports.
when and how did you receive your SSNs (if at all) after that?
thank you!!
E36-PAT@reddit (OP)
Sorry, I didn't realize that when I provided an update to my original question, I typed passport instead of SSN.
I meant to say that after about a month, the SSN came in the mail.
pine_salt@reddit
thank you so much!
hihoooooooooooo@reddit
Hello, what’s the update on your son's SSN? I recently applied for a Social Security card at the U.S. Embassy in Manila since you can book an appointment for that service. The staff at the U.S. Embassy mentioned it takes about 3 months to receive the card at my location here in Cavite. Now I’m worrying hoping that my ssn card won’t be lost.
E36-PAT@reddit (OP)
I think you will be fine, I mean, they mailed you back your passport so they had to receive your documents. Good luck to you. How long ago did you send it.
E36-PAT@reddit (OP)
When I sent mine to Manila, if I remembered correctly, I sent in a certified true copy of the passports, and they kept the documents/applications.
About a month after I sent it in, I received the SSN in the main from the U.S, I forgot from which state.
muro510@reddit
What was the process to get the certified copies? I'm also going to through this process.
E36-PAT@reddit (OP)
Yeah, I was extremely confused as well. I sent you a message.
blackkettle@reddit
In Switzerland we did all of these things at the same time.
maganou@reddit
Really? We live in Zürich and had to do it in two steps (first passport and CRBA, then SSN).
blackkettle@reddit
Ours was in 2017, was one step and the specifically recommended we do both together to save time. Maybe it’s changed since then?
maganou@reddit
I think perhaps it has. The embassy and consulate websites have notices along the lines that they can’t do most services related to SSN in Switzerland anymore (that all has to be sent to Paris). Mostly a minor inconvenience since we live not too far from the consulate so we can go get our certified copies of documents for the SSN but still a bit annoying.
Pregnantwifesugar@reddit
In the UK we turned all the form in at the embassy and then waited for the documents to be mailed to us. I only received the passport and ssn got lost in the mail but can’t get a replacement now as it’s a nightmare.
I’m surprised you weren’t able to turn in all forms at once
Bokbreath@reddit
You can send a certified copy of their passports instead of the real thing. A US consulate will do that for you.
E36-PAT@reddit (OP)
That is great info! I just looked this up and see that it is an available service on the Thai consulate website. and now I'm not as concerned with losing the documents.
clondon@reddit
Just to add to this, when I went through the process 3 years ago (in Europe), the embassy made and notarized passport copies, notarized the request form, packaged it all up, addressed and stamped it, and all I had to do was drop it in a post box. It was crazy easy.
curious1914@reddit
We're about to do this in New Zealand and also have to send things to Manila. Annoying but I think you've got it right.
E36-PAT@reddit (OP)
So what are all forms do you plan on mailing to them? Yeah, it is annoying for sure.
fraxbo@reddit
Wow. Is this a special measure for the country/region? Or has the process changed so much. When I did my daughters’ consular report of birth in Finland 14 and 12 years ago, we got the passport, social security, and CRBA all at the same time as part of one appointment at the consular services section and one pickup from there.
E36-PAT@reddit (OP)
I'm not sure, to be honest with you. I got the CRBAs and Passports for the kids in the mail in a little less than 2 weeks after our appointment. I did inquire about their SSN and I was told that we needed the CRBA and the Passport first before we can submit an application.
I think it does have to do with the country that you are in because there was another poster who had a similar question and he ended up mailing his stuff in to Manila from Korea.
fraxbo@reddit
It makes sense that there would be different policies that have come up dependent on which types of issues they’ve had arise in a given country reason. I just remember that I was happy to have all those things done with each time. Best of luck!
E36-PAT@reddit (OP)
Thanks bro, Now that I know how to go about getting a certified copy I should be good from here.