Passport requirements - proof of US citizenship

You can prove your US citizenship with one of the following:

Original Birth Certificate (if born in the United States);
or Old (undamaged) passport;
or Original Certificate of Citizenship or FS-240, DS-1700 ( if born outside the US );
or Original Certificate of Naturalization issued by the Immigration and Naturalization Office.

Note: A certified birth certificate has a registrar's raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal, registrar's signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar's office, which must be within 1 year of your birth.

A Delayed Birth Certificate filed more than one year after your birth may be acceptable if it:

Listed the documentation used to create it and
Signed by the attending physician or midwife, or, lists an affidavit signed by the parents, or shows early public records.

If you changed your legal name by way of marriage or otherwise you will need to provide evidence of the name change: a certified copy of either
- A marriage certificate, or
- A name change court decree.

If you do not have a previous U.S. passport or a certified birth certificate, you will need:

Letter of "No Record" issued by the State with your name, date of birth, which years were searched for a birth record and that there is no birth certificate on file for you and
As many of the following as possible:

baptismal certificate
hospital birth certificate
census record
early school record
family bible record
doctor's record of post-natal care

Note: These documents must be early public records showing the date and place of birth, preferably created within the first five years of your life. You may also submit an Affidavit of Birth, form DS-10, from an older blood relative (i.e. parent, aunt, uncle, sibling) who has personal knowledge of your birth. It must be notarized or have the seal and signature of the acceptance agent.

If you were born abroad and do not have a Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certificate of Birth on file, you will need:

If you claim citizenship through birth abroad to one U.S. citizen parent:
- Issued by the State with your name, date of birth, which years were searched for a birth record and that there is no birth certificate on file for you.
- Foreign birth certificate;
- Proof of citizenship of your U.S. citizen parent;
- An affidavit of your U.S. citizen parent showing all periods and places of residence or physical presence in the United States and abroad before your birth.
If you claim citizenship through birth abroad to both U.S. citizen parents:
- Your foreign birth certificate;
- Parent's marriage certificate;
- Proof of citizenship of your U.S. parents and an affidavit of your U.S. citizen parents showing all periods and places of residence of physical presence in the United States and abroad before your birth.

Requirements for a proof of US citizenship for adopted children:

At least one parent of the child is a U.S. citizen, either by birth or naturalization.
The child is under the age of 18.
The child must be residing in the United States in the legal and physical custody of the U.S. citizen parent after having been lawfully admitted into this country as an immigrant for lawful permanent residence.
If the child has been adopted, the adoption must be final.

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