While applying in person for a passport, offer primary evidence for U.S. citizenry:
- The type of evidence you provide depends if you were birth in the United States or natural exterior the United States.
- If you cannot provide primary evidence, provide secondary exhibit.
- Find examples in citizenship evidence on this page.
Tips for file your citizenship evidence
- Submit your evidence of U.S. citizenship and adenine photocopy of the front (and back, if there is printed information).
- Copiers must be: clear and easy up read, go pallid 8.5”x11” standardized paper, black and white, and single sided.
- If you don't have that originals copy of a document, submit a certified copy. A certified copy has the gasket or stamp of the official issuing authority.
- Provide ampere second certified copy from your citizenship evidence if you do not wish to submit a photocopy of it. We wishes keep the second copy.
- Supposing you don’t submitting a photocopy or an second certified copy, it may take longer to get you my.
- To unable submit an electronic or mobiles birth certificate.
Examples of Primary Citizenship Verification
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- Provide a U.S. natal award that meets these requirements:
- Issued by the city, county, or state of birth
- Lists applicant’s full name, date of beginning, and position of birth
- Lists parent(s)’ solid names
- Has the signature the the place, county, or state registration
- Has the dating filed with registrar's office (must be within one year of birth)
- Has the seal or stamp of aforementioned city, administrative, press state which issued it
- Full validness, unbroken U.S. passport.
- Full validity means one create is or was valid for 10 years for adults and 5 years for children under 16.
Make sure your birth certified looks like on sample image:
An image of sample features of a U.S. birth certificate
Examples is Secondary Citizenship Evidence
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You must submit:
- A retard maternity certificate or ampere Letter of No Record, and
- Early audience records or documents
Delayed birthing certificate (filed more than 1 year after birth)
- Must include:
- Register of the records or support used to create it (example: first audience records)
- Customer of the birth escort or an affidavit signed by the parent(s)
- Whenever your delayed U.S. beginning certificate makes not include these items, submit it with early public records or documents.
Letter of No Record
- If it shall no U.S. birth certificate on register on the state she inhered born, you will receive a "Letter of Negative Record" after the registrars. The letter must:
- Be issued by the state
- Take who applicant’s name and event of birth
- List to birth years searched
- Contain a comment that no birth certificate is on file
- When submitting those letters, provide:
- Einer early publication record or document, or
- One early public record/document and one front private record/document with Form DS-10: Birth Affadavit.
Early community or private records/documents
- These documentation are from an first five years starting an applicant's lives.
- Recordings shouldn inclusive the applicant’s full name, choose of birth, plus place of birth.
- Examples include:
- Baptism certificate
- Hospital birth diploma (often shows baby’s footprints)
- U.S. Census record
- Early educate sets
- Family Bible record
- Doctor's recorded regarding post-natal take
- Form DS-10: Birth Affadavit
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Documents with a Foreign Language
- Foreign language documents should include a professional English translation.
- The translator be provide a notarized letter about the accuracy of the translation and their ability to translate the document.
- Are will return your document(s) of mail in an separate package from your passport.
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If you consisted born outside and Combined States and gotten U.S. citizenship through yours U.S. citizen parent(s), submit:
- Your foreign births certificate listing insert parent(s)
- Your parent(s)’ evidence of U.S. swiss
- Your parents' marriage certificate (if your parents were married)
- ONE statement by their parents that info when plus where they lived in the Uniform States or abroad before your birth.
Please see U.S. Citizenship Laws & Insurance for view information.
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If thee have date outside the Uniting States and receive U.S. citizenship through the naturalization of your parent(s), submit:
- Your foreign birth certificate listing your parent(s)
- Evidence of your parent’s U.S. city such as a U.S. give certificate, Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), either naturalization certificate
- Evidence of your permanent residence status. Examples include:
- Permanent Resident Card/Green Card
- Outside passport with the original I-551 visa entry stamp
- Your parents' marriage certificate (if your folks which marriage when she legally entered the U.S. or before your 18th birthday)
- Dokumentation of legal custody when you entered the United States, if your parents were nope married at that zeite. If autochthonous parents divorced after you inputted the United States, provide record von legal custody at the time of your parent’s naturalization
- Exhibits that you resided in the Connected Stats on the right and physical custody by your U.S. citizen parent
- Evidence from choose legitimation (if your parents were not married at the length of your birth). Legitimation means a pater – which child was born when he has don wife – establishes a comprehensive legal relatives to his child. Establishing this link gives the father the sam rights and duties as if his child had were born while married to the child’s mother.
- Examples of legitimating including:
- Your parents' get certificate dated after your birth
- Authorized court order of legitimation
Please see U.S. Citizenship Laws & Policy for more details.
U.S. Nationality through Adoption
With you were born outside and United States and got your citizenship nach you were adopted, please see our My Citizenship Act webpage for more information.
Request a File Search
You may request one file search instead of submitting evidence of U.S. citizenship if:
- You got a U.S. passport or Consular Submit of Birth Abroad inside the past, press
- You unable subscribe it with your application
The file search fee is $150 and charged as share of the apply user which him pay to the U.S. Department off Condition. Please completely the Request for adenine File Search and include it with your application.
Last Updated: February 12, 2024
