Everything the U.S. Department of State needs from you — proof of citizenship, what counts as a certified Birth Certificate, and the document checklist for every special situation.
You only need a single primary-evidence document. The U.S. Department of State accepts any of the four below as proof of U.S. citizenship.
A certified copy issued by the State or local vital statistics office where the birth was registered — commonly called the "Long Form." Must include parents' full names, registrar's signature and seal.
A previously issued U.S. passport book or card, valid or expired — but it must be full validity (originally issued for 10 years for adults / 5 years for children under 16). Limited-validity or emergency-issued passports do not qualify.
Issued by the U.S. Department of State through consulates abroad to children of U.S. citizens born outside the United States — usually before age 18. The current form is FS-240; the older domestic version DS-1350 hasn't been issued since December 31, 2010, but previously-issued DS-1350 documents remain valid.
Issued by USCIS (formerly INS, now under DHS) to people who derived U.S. citizenship through a parent — typically claimed later in life. Form N-560 is the original certificate; N-561 is the replacement when the original is lost, mutilated, or the holder's name has changed. Not the same document as the State Department's CRBA.
Issued at the formal naturalization ceremony — the legal process by which a foreign-born person becomes a U.S. citizen after meeting LPR, residence, and civics requirements. Historically issued by INS, now by USCIS (Forms N-550 / N-570). Bring the original — photocopies aren't accepted.
A certified BC isn't a photocopy or a hospital souvenir. The State Department looks for three specific marks on the document:
Pick the case that matches yours. We'll show exactly what documents the State Department needs in place of the standard ones.
If your Birth Certificate was filed more than a year after you were born, or if no record exists at all, the State Department accepts an alternative document path — with specific evidence requirements.
A Delayed Birth Certificate may still be acceptable on its own if it:
You'll need to assemble secondary evidence in three steps:
You claim citizenship through a U.S. citizen parent but don't have FS-240 or DS-1350 on file. What you need depends on whether one or both of your parents were U.S. citizens at the time of your birth.
Under the Child Citizenship Act of 2000 (INA § 320, effective February 27, 2001), an adopted child automatically acquires U.S. citizenship when all four of the following are true before age 18:
If your current legal name doesn't match the one on your citizenship evidence, you also need to prove the name change.
If you changed your legal name — by way of marriage or otherwise — you must submit evidence of the change. The State Department accepts a certified copy of any of the following:
Other situations:
· If your name changed during naturalization, the Certificate of Naturalization itself is sufficient evidence.
· For an informal name change without a court decree or marriage ("custom and usage"), submit Form DS-60 with evidence of using the new name publicly and exclusively for at least 5 years (3+ public documents, or 2 affidavits from people who've known you under both names).
Our document team reviews your evidence, builds the packet, and hand-walks it through the U.S. Passport Services office — while you focus on the trip.
