I am a

U.S. citizen A4

How do I get proof 

of my U.S. citizenship?

If you were born in the United States, you do not need to apply 

to USCIS for any evidence of citizenship. Your birth certificate issued 

where you were born is proof of your citizenship.1

If you were born outside the United States, but one or both 

of your parents were U.S. citizens when you were born, 

you may still be a U.S. citizen. This is called citizenship through 

derivation. There are usually additional specific requirements, and 

sometimes citizenship can be through a combination of a parent and 

grandparent. 

What documents are usually accepted as proof of U.S. 

citizenship? 

The most common documents that establish U.S. citizenship are: 

•	Birth Certificate, issued by a U.S. State (if the person was 

born in the United States), or by the U.S. Department of State 

(if the person was born abroad to U.S. citizen parents who 

registered the child’s birth and U.S. citizenship with the U.S. 

Embassy or consulate); 

•	U.S. Passport, issued by the U.S. Department of State; 

•	Certificate of Citizenship, issued to a person born outside the 

United States who derived or acquired U.S. citizenship through a 

U.S. citizen parent; or 

•	Naturalization Certificate, issued to a person who became 

a U.S. citizen after 18 years of age through the naturalization 

process. 

I was born in the United States. Where can I get a copy of 

my birth certificate? 

Check with the Department of Health (Vital Records) in the U.S. 

State in which you were born. For more information, visit the 

National Center for Health Statistics web page at www.cdc.gov/

nchs/births.htm. 

I am a U.S. citizen. My child will be born abroad or recently 

was born abroad. How do I register his or her birth and 

U.S. citizenship? 

Please contact the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Embassy 

or consulate in the country where your child will be born for more 

information about eligibility requirements and how to register your 

child’s U.S. citizenship. 

I was born overseas. My birth and U.S. citizenship were 

registered with the U.S. Embassy or consulate. 

I need a copy of the evidence of my citizenship. Whom 

should I contact? 

Contact the U.S. Department of State. For more information, please 

see their Web site at www.state.gov. 

I was born overseas. I believe I was a U.S. citizen at birth 

because one or both my parents were U.S. citizens when I 

was born. But my birth and citizenship were not registered 

with the U.S. Embassy when I was born. Can I apply to 

have my citizenship recognized? 

Whether or not someone born outside the United States to a U.S. 

citizen parent is a U.S. citizen depends on the law in effect when 

the person was born. These laws have changed over the years, but 

usually require a combination of the parent being a U.S. citizen when 

the child was born, and the parent having lived in the United States 

or its possessions for a specific period of time. Derivative citizenship 

can be quite complex and may require careful legal analysis. 

I was born overseas. One of my parents was a U.S. 

citizen but never lived in the United States. One of my 

grandparents was also a U.S. citizen. Could I have derived 

U.S. citizenship? 

If your parent was a U.S. citizen when you were born but had not 

lived in the United States for the required amount of time before 

your birth, but one of your grandparents was also a U.S. citizen 

and had already met the residence requirements, then you may still 1

An exception to this rule exists regarding children born in the United 

States to foreign diplomats.

A4—I am a U.S. citizen...How do I get proof of my U.S. citizenship?

M-560B (October 2013) N 1
2 A4—I am a U.S. citizen...How do I get proof of my U.S. citizenship?

M-560B (October 2013) N

have derived U.S. citizenship. The provisions of immigration law that 

govern derivative citizenship are quite precise and circumstances in 

individual cases can be complex. For specific information on how 

the law applies, please check our Web site at www.uscis.gov, or 

the U.S. Department of State Web site at www.state.gov, or call 

USCIS Customer Service at 1-800-375-5283. 

I was born overseas. After I was born, my parent(s) 

became naturalized U.S. citizens. Could I have derived U.S. 

citizenship? 

If one of your parents naturalized after February 27, 2001, and 

you were a permanent resident and under 18 years old at the time, 

then you may have automatically acquired U.S. citizenship. Before 

that date, you may have automatically acquired U.S. citizenship if 

you were a permanent resident and under 18 years old when both

parents naturalized, or if you had only one parent when that parent 

naturalized. 

However, if your parent(s) naturalized after you were 18, then you 

will need to apply for naturalization on your own after you have 

been a permanent resident for at least 5 years. 

How do I apply to have my citizenship recognized? 

You have two options: 

•	You can apply to the U.S. Department of State for a U.S.

passport. A passport is evidence of citizenship and also serves 

as a travel document if you need to travel. For information about 

applying for a U.S. passport, see the U.S. Department of State 

Web site at www.state.gov. 

•	If you are already in the United States, you also have the

option of applying to USCIS using Form N-600, Application for 

Certificate of Citizenship. However, you may find applying for 

a passport to be more convenient because it also serves as a 

travel document and could be a faster process. 

How do I replace a lost, stolen, or destroyed Naturalization 

Certificate or Certificate of Citizenship? 

To apply to replace your Naturalization Certificate or Certificate 

of Citizenship issued by USCIS or by the U.S. Immigration and 

Naturalization Service, file a Form N-565, Application for 

Replacement Naturalization Citizenship Document. Filing instructions 

and forms are available on our Web site at www.uscis.gov.

Key Information

Key USCIS forms referenced 

in this guide

Form #

Application for Certificate of Citizenship N-600 

Application for Replacement Naturalization 

Citizenship Document 

N-565

Other U.S. Government Services–Click or Call

General 

Information

www.usa.gov 1-800-333-4636

New 

Immigrants

www.welcometoUSA.gov

U.S. Dept. 

of State

www.state.gov 1-202-647-6575

National 

Center 

for Health 

Statistics

www.cdc.gov

www.cdc.gov/nchs 1-800-311-3435

/birth.htm

For more copies of this guide, or information about 

other customer guides, please visit 

www.uscis.gov/howdoi. 

You can also visit www.uscis.gov to download 

forms, e-file some applications, check the status of 

an application, and more. It’s a great place to start!

If you don’t have Internet access at home 

or work, try your local library. 

If you cannot find what you need, please call 

Customer Service at: 1-800-375-5283

Hearing Impaired TDD Customer Service: 

1-800-767-1833

Disclaimer: This guide provides basic information 

to help you become generally familiar with our 

rules and procedures. For more information, or 

the law and regulations, please visit our Web 

site. Immigration law can be complex, and it is 

impossible to describe every aspect of every 

process. You may wish to be represented by 

a licensed attorney or by a nonprofit agency 

accredited by the Board of Immigration Appeals.