Register US-born child for Mexico dual nationality

Children born in the United States to Mexico-citizen parents are entitled to dual nationality — US citizenship by birthright (14th Amendment) and Mexico citizenship by descent. To exercise the Mexico citizenship, you register the child’s birth at the nearest Mexico consulate.

Why register your US-born child

Registering provides the child with:

  • A Mexico birth registration certificate (an official civil-registry document of Mexico)
  • Eligibility to apply for a Mexico passport (a separate MiConsulado appointment)

Dual nationality — confirmed lawful by both countries

The United States permits dual nationality. Per the US Department of State: “Dual nationality means you are a national of 2 countries. A dual national generally has legal rights and obligations in both countries.”

On the Mexican side, the Chicago and San Diego consulates say that obtaining Mexican nationality does not cause the loss of, or affect, US citizenship.

Required documents

To register your US-born child as a Mexico citizen:

  • Child’s US birth certificate — the original long form, not an abstract. A US-issued certificate needs no apostille: the San Diego consulate asks for an apostille or legalization only when the certificate was issued outside the United States
  • Child’s valid official ID showing name and date of birth (Los Angeles consulate)
  • Birth certificate of the Mexican parent(s) — original; at least one parent must prove Mexican nationality
  • Marriage certificate of the parents, original, if they are married. If they are not married, or married after the birth, the father must appear at the registration in person or through a notarized special power of attorney
  • Each parent’s valid official photo ID showing full name and signature (Los Angeles). San Diego lists, for a Mexican parent, a valid Mexican passport, a valid high-security matrícula consular or an INE voter card; a foreign parent must show a valid passport
  • Completed application form — San Diego says it must be filled out in full and posts it for download
  • Fee — none; the San Diego consulate says the procedure is completely free and includes the first certified copy

Step-by-step process

  1. Schedule appointment at your local Mexico consulate (online portal)
  2. Gather documents per checklist above
  3. No apostille is needed for a US-issued birth certificate; only a certificate issued outside the United States must be apostilled or legalized (San Diego consulate)
  4. Attend both visits — at the Los Angeles consulate only the person presenting the documents attends the first (document review); the parents and the child all appear at the second, where the registration is done
  5. Submit documents — registration is free (San Diego consulate)
  6. Registration day — the Los Angeles consulate issues the Mexican birth certificate and a certified copy the same day as the second visit; San Diego hands them over at a separate third step
  7. Receive Mexico birth registration certificate — this is the child’s official Mexico civil-registry document
  8. Apply for Mexico passport (optional, separate appointment) using the new birth registration

Children born outside marriage (and other family configurations)

For Mexico, one Mexican parent is enough: the San Diego consulate says at least one parent must prove Mexican nationality. Adults can also be registered — the Los Angeles consulate’s rules cover a person to be registered who is of legal age. If the parents are not married, or married after the birth, the father must appear at the registration in person or through a notarized special power of attorney, whether the person being registered is a minor or an adult (Los Angeles). San Diego adds that if the father has died or is unavailable and the parents did not marry before the birth, the registration cannot be done at the consulate; you can instead request the insertion (inscripción) of the foreign birth certificate at any civil registry office in Mexico. Verify your specific situation directly with the Mexico consulate before the appointment.

After registration

Once the child’s Mexico citizenship is registered:

  • The child can be issued a Mexico passport (separate consular appointment)
  • Use the Mexico passport when entering Mexico
  • When entering or leaving the US, a US citizen must use a valid US passport unless an exception applies (22 CFR 53.1 and 53.2)

When the child is older, they can register to vote in Mexico elections from abroad if Mexico allows it.

Authoritative sources

Last verified: 2026-10-08. General procedural information for educational purposes. Citizenship-by-descent rules vary by country and change. Verify directly with the Mexico consulate before traveling. Not legal advice.