If you were born at a US embassy does that make you a US citizen?

Ying Ding Aing

A US embassy, or indeed any embassy, is granted a set of privileges known collectively as "extraterritoriality". They include immunity from unauthorized entry, search, seizure, or examination, and in most cases application of the embassy's home government's laws where they differ from the host country's. With this comes a certain amount of responsibility, including the need for embassies to have their own mini-police force, building codes, and so on.

To answer your question specifically, a child born to a US citizen is always a US citizen by birth, and those are the only people likely to give birth in an extraterritorial setting (incidentally, extraterritorial protection of diplomats trumps jus soli laws where they apply, so a Swedish diplomat's child who's born in America is NOT eligible for citizenship by birth). I don't know of it ever happening, but it's unlikely that, if a non-citizen gives birth inside a US embassy, the child would be considered a US citizen, since non-citizens are given only limited extraterritorial protections. The laws and treaties are murky enough that if it did happen, there would need to be a ruling by a Federal immigration judge or a writ by Congress to settle the matter for certain in favor of citizenship.

Jay K

probably not. Or else you'ld have pregnant women the world over flinging themselves over the walls of U.S. embassies hoping to pop you a baby on impact. Thousands of women massing the walls of the U.S. embassies! What are you trying to start?

Yak Rider

If your parent(s) were US citizens, yes. Otherwise, no.

It's a myth that embassy property and foreign military bases are "US soil." It doesn't work that way.

ibu guru

No one will allow anyone to have a baby in an embassy. Embassies and consulates are predominantly office buildings, and they are not equipped for medical situations. They will simply call an ambulance and escort a person in labor out of there -- pronto!

Wouldn't give a baby born at the embassy any right to citizenship anyway. The parents would have to prove they are US citizens, register the birth to citizens while abroad, and jump through a few hoops to get their child a passport. Non-citizens will be shown the door -- with a Marine as escort.

Slal

Great job, now we're gonna have to close the embassy in Mexico City... just kidding, good question, I'd say the parents would have to be the citizens of the U.S.

Yankeez

Yes. U.S. property is considered U.S. soil.

Same goes for U.S. military bases.

Sam C

Yes, just like a military base, it is American soil and yes you'd be a citizen especially if you're parents are Americans.

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