Proof of U.S. citizenship

Accepted citizenship documents

• Certified U.S. birth certificate

  Issued by the city, county, or state of birth with the registrar's signature and a raised, embossed, impressed, or multicolored seal. It must list your full name, date and place of birth, parents' full names, and the date filed with the registrar (filed within one year of birth).

• Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240 / CRBA)

  Issued by a U.S. embassy or consulate for children born abroad to U.S. citizen parents. Form DS-1350 and FS-545 are also accepted.

• Certificate of Naturalization (N-550 / N-570)

  Issued by USCIS after you naturalize. Bring the original certificate, not a copy.

• Certificate of Citizenship (N-560 / N-561)

  Issued to people who derived or acquired citizenship through a parent.

• A fully valid, undamaged prior U.S. passport

  A previous passport book or card can itself serve as citizenship evidence if it is undamaged and was issued to you.

What acceptance agents reject

• Hospital souvenir or commemorative birth certificates with baby footprints.
• Photocopies, notarized copies, or scans of a birth certificate.
• Certificates missing the registrar's seal or signature.
• Delayed birth certificates filed more than a year after birth, without supporting secondary evidence.
• Puerto Rico birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010 — those were invalidated and must be reissued.

How to get your documents

1. Born in the U.S.: order a certified birth certificate

   Request a certified copy from the vital records office of the state or territory where you were born. Most states let you order online, by mail, or in person; allow several weeks for mail orders before your appointment.

2. Born abroad: request or replace a CRBA

   A Consular Report of Birth Abroad is issued by the U.S. embassy or consulate in the country of birth. Replacements for an FS-240 or DS-1350 are requested through the Department of State.

3. Naturalized or derived citizenship: replace a lost certificate

   Certificates of Naturalization and Citizenship are replaced by USCIS on Form N-565. Replacements take months, so start early — the passport agency cannot accept a photocopy of a lost certificate.

4. No record anywhere: build a secondary-evidence file

   Get a Letter of No Record, gather the oldest documents you can find, and have a blood relative or someone with personal knowledge of your birth complete Form DS-10 Birth Affidavit, notarized.

If you have no birth certificate

Request a Letter of No Record from the vital records office of the state where you were born, then submit secondary evidence with your DS-11:

• Letter of No Record from the state, plus early public records: baptismal certificate, hospital birth record, census record, or an early school record.
• Form DS-10 Birth Affidavit, signed by a blood relative or someone with personal knowledge of your birth, submitted with the DS-11 and the Letter of No Record.
• Doctor's or midwife's record of your birth.

Forms you will need

• DS-11First-time passport (DS-11)The in-person application used for first passports, all children under 16, and anyone who cannot renew by mail.Read the guide
• DS-5504Corrections & name change (DS-5504)The free, mail-in form for fixing a printing error, changing your name shortly after issuance, or replacing a limited-validity passport.Read the guide

Where to apply with your documents

• Acceptance facilitiesPost offices, clerks of court, and libraries that take DS-11 applications near you.
• Regional agenciesAppointment-only agencies for travel within 14 days, with proof of imminent travel.
• U.S. embassiesCitizens abroad apply and report births at the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

Citizenship evidence FAQ