File No. 1271.

[Untitled]

To the diplomatic and consular officers of the United States.

Gentlemen: Paragraph 172 of the Consular Regulations as amended by the executive order of April 8, 1907, reads as follows:

172. Registration of American citizens.—Principal consular officers should keep at their offices a register of all American citizens residing in their several districts, and will therefore make it known that such a register is kept and invite all resident Americans to cause their names to be entered therein. The same general principles govern applications for registry which govern applications for passports. (Paragraph 151.)

The register should show the date of registration, the full name of the person registered, the date and place of his birth, the place of his last domicile in the United States, the date of his arrival in the foreign country where he is residing and his place of residence therein, the reasons for his foreign residence, whether or not he is married, and if married, the name of his wife, her place of birth and residence; and if he has children, the name, date, and place of birth, and residence of each. The nature of the proof accepted to establish his citizenship should also appear, and his signature should be inscribed in the register.

Consuls may issue certificates of the registration prescribed above for use with the authorities of the place where the person registered is residing. Each certificate shall set forth the facts contained in the register and shall be good for use for one year-only and shall be in a form prescribed by the Secretary of State (Form No —). When a certificate expires a new one may be issued, the old one being destroyed, if it is clearly shown that the residence abroad has not assumed a permanent character. Persons who hold passports which have not expired shall not be furnished with certificates of registration, and it is strictly forbidden to furnish, them to be used for traveling in the place of passports. Returns ‘of all registrations made and of all certificates of registration issued shall be made to the embassy or legation in the country in which the consulate is situated and to the Secretary of State at intervals and under regulations to be prescribed by him. No fee will be charged for registration nor for any service connected therewith; nor for certificates of registration.

This paragraph shall go into effect July 1, 1907.

Books for registration are being prepared and will be furnished to consuls as soon as possible. In the meantime, after July 1, consuls will register American citizens, following carefully the requirements of the paragraph quoted above, and will carefully preserve the registrations and enter them in the register of American citizens as soon as the books for that purpose shall have been received.

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The certificate of registration shall be in the following form:

I, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Name of consul.) consul of the United States of America at _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Name of place.) hereby certify that _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Name of person registered.) is registered as an American citizen in this consulate. He was born _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Date of birth.) at _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Place of birth.), and is a citizen of the United States by (birth or naturalization). He arrived in _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Place of foreign residence.) on _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Date.) where he is now residing for the purpose of_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Reason why residing in foreign place.) He is married to_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Name of wife.) who was born in_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Place of birth of wife.) and resides at_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Place of wife’s residence.) He has the following children: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Name of child.) born in _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Place of birth.) on _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Date of birth.) and residing at _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _; (Place of residence.) and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Name of child.) born in _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Place of birth.) on_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Date of birth.) and residing at_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _; (Place of residence.) and _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Name of child.) born in _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Place of birth.) on _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Date of birth.) and residing at _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _; (Place of residence.) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ His citizenship of the United States is established by _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Nature of proof of citizenship produced.)

This certificate is not a passport and its validity expires on _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Date of expiration.)

The following is the signature of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.(Person registered.)

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name and affixed the seal of this consulate.

[l. s.] _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _,
American Consul.

Immediately upon the registration of an American citizen the fact of such registration should be certified to the embassy or legation in the country in which the consulate is situated, and a duplicate of the registration should be forthwith sent to this department, together with a statement whether a certificate of registration has been issued.

When a certificate of registration shall have expired and a new one has been issued notice of this fact should be sent immediately to the embassy or legation in the country in which the consulate is situated, and to this department.

American citizens resident abroad are required to register each year, and any additional facts concerning residence, marriage, and children should be noted in the register, but the full registration having been made once need not be repeated on each subsequent registration.

The department expects consuls to observe this requirement with great care, and if they are uncertain concerning any of their duties in relation thereto they should ask for instructions from the department.

I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant,

Elihu Root.