UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A for and Registration of CITIZEN of the United States who resides abroad and who desires to obtain an American passport or to be registered in an American consular office as an American citizen should apply in person or in writing to the nearest American consular office for authentic information concerning the procedure which he should follow. Relatives and friends in the United States desiring to assist American citizens residing abroad to obtain passports or to be registered should determine whether such citizens are in possession of documentary evidence of their citizenship and should advise them to apply to the American consular office nearest their place of residence abroad. Documentary evidence in such cases should not be submitted to the Department for transmission to a consular officer, but should be transmitted direct to. the applicant for submission with his application for a passport or for registration. The Department of State will not undertake to initiate correspondence with consular officers regarding the issue of passports in individual cases of this kind. The following sections set forth the kind of evidence of American citizenship which is usually required. Consular officers may, in their discretion, require additional evidence. 1. Birth certificates.-A native citizen born where official records of birth were kept at the time of his birth must submit in support of his application for a passport a birth certificate under the seal of the official custodian of birth records. A certificate, to be acceptable, must show the date and place of birth and that the record thereof was made at the time of birth or shortly thereafter. 2. Baptismal certificates.-A baptismal certificate or a certified copy of the record of baptism 647388 45 |