Form N-565 is the application you file with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to replace a lost, stolen, or damaged Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship, or to correct information on one you already have. The fee is $555 on paper and $505 online, with no fee at all when you’re fixing a clerical mistake USCIS made. Processing usually runs several months, so file cleanly the first time.
Which Certificate You Hold
A Certificate of Naturalization goes to someone who was a citizen of another country and later became a U.S. citizen through naturalization. A Certificate of Citizenship goes to people who acquired or derived citizenship another way, most commonly by being born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent or by deriving citizenship when a parent naturalized while the person was still a minor. Both are primary legal evidence of citizenship, and Form N-565 handles replacements and corrections for either.
When You Can File
Lost, Stolen, Damaged, or Destroyed Certificates
Federal regulations allow a replacement when your certificate has been lost, mutilated, or destroyed.1GovInfo. 8 CFR Part 343a – Naturalization and Citizenship Papers Lost, Mutilated, or Destroyed The form instructions also cover stolen certificates, and USCIS expects a police report, a sworn statement explaining what happened, or both for stolen or destroyed documents.2U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document
A certificate counts as mutilated when it’s unreadable or physically damaged enough that it no longer clearly shows your information. One narrow exception: holes punched by a government fastener when your certificate was temporarily surrendered to the State Department or USCIS don’t automatically count as mutilation, though you can insist on a replacement if you refuse to accept the certificate back in that condition.3eCFR. 8 CFR Part 343a – Naturalization and Citizenship Papers Lost, Mutilated, or Destroyed
Corrections
If your certificate contains a typographical or clerical mistake USCIS made during printing, or the information on the certificate doesn’t match what appeared on your naturalization application, you can file for a corrected certificate at no cost.4eCFR. 8 CFR 338.5 – Correction of Certificates You’ll need to return the original incorrect certificate so USCIS can compare it against your file.
Form N-565 also handles legal name updates after a marriage, divorce, or court order, corrections to your date of birth, and updates to your gender marker. Gender marker updates still require supporting documentation under the current form instructions rather than a simple self-selection.
Do You Really Need a Replacement?
Before waiting months for a new certificate, check whether a U.S. passport solves your problem. The State Department treats a full-validity U.S. passport as primary evidence of citizenship, on equal footing with a Certificate of Naturalization or Certificate of Citizenship.5U.S. Department of State. Get Citizenship Evidence for a U.S. Passport If you already hold a valid passport, many situations that seem to require the certificate can be handled with the passport instead. Some immigration filings and certain government employment applications still ask for the certificate itself, so a passport isn’t always a full substitute.
What to Include With Your Application
Every N-565 needs the same core information: your full legal name, current address, date of birth, and your Alien Registration Number (A-Number), which is the identifier USCIS uses to pull your immigration file. Include the certificate number and issue date from your original document if you have them. Two identical passport-style photographs with a full-face view go with the application. You can download the form at uscis.gov/n-565.
Part 2 of the form asks you to select your reason for filing, and that choice drives what evidence you attach.
Evidence by Reason
- Lost, stolen, or destroyed: A police report if applicable, a sworn statement describing what happened and any efforts to recover the document, and a copy of the certificate if one exists.
- Mutilated: Return the damaged original with the application.
- USCIS clerical error: Return the original incorrect certificate.
- Legal name change: A certified copy of the marriage certificate, divorce decree, or court order authorizing the change.
- Date of birth correction: A birth certificate, prior passport, or other official record showing the correct date.
- Gender marker update: Medical certification or a court order, submitted under the current form instructions.
Foreign-Language Documents
Any supporting document in a language other than English needs a full English translation. The translator must certify in writing that they are competent in both languages and that the translation is accurate, and must sign, date, and include their address on the certification.6U.S. Department of State. Information about Translating Foreign Documents The translator doesn’t need to be professionally licensed. A bilingual friend or family member is fine as long as they provide the certification statement.
Fees, Exemptions, and Waivers
The filing fee is $555 by paper and $505 online. Paper filers can pay by personal check, money order, or by authorizing a credit card charge through Form G-1450. Online filers pay with a debit or credit card.
No fee is required when you’re asking USCIS to correct its own typographical or clerical error, and you claim the exemption by selecting the USCIS-error option in Part 2.4eCFR. 8 CFR 338.5 – Correction of Certificates Read Part 2 carefully. Checking the wrong box can cost you $555 to fix a mistake that wasn’t yours.
If you can’t afford the fee, request a waiver by submitting Form I-912 with your N-565. Fee waiver requests can’t be filed online; you must submit a paper application.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-912, Instructions for Request for Fee Waiver USCIS approves waivers on three grounds:
- You, your spouse, or your head of household currently receives a means-tested government benefit such as SNAP, Medicaid, or Supplemental Security Income.
- Your household income is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. For 2026 in the 48 contiguous states, that’s $23,940 for one person, $32,460 for a household of two, and $49,500 for a family of four. Thresholds are higher in Alaska and Hawaii.8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Poverty Guidelines
- You demonstrate extreme financial hardship. This basis requires extensive documentation and is rarely approved.
Where and How to File
You can file online through your USCIS account at uscis.gov or mail a paper application to the USCIS Phoenix Lockbox. For USPS: USCIS, Attn: N-565, P.O. Box 20050, Phoenix, AZ 85036-0050. For FedEx, UPS, and DHL: USCIS, Attn: N-565 (Box 20050), 2108 E. Elliot Rd., Tempe, AZ 85284-1806.9U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document
Once USCIS receives your application, you’ll get a Form I-797C receipt notice with a unique case number.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-797C, Notice of Action Keep it. That number is how you track the case online and how you’ll identify yourself if you need to contact USCIS. Some applicants will also be scheduled for a biometrics appointment for fingerprints or a signature before the new certificate is printed.
How Long It Takes and Expedite Requests
Standard processing takes several months. If you have an urgent need, you can ask USCIS to expedite, but approval is discretionary and limited to specific grounds:11U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Policy Manual – Volume 1 – Part A – Chapter 5 – Expedite Requests
- Severe financial loss to a person or company, where the urgency isn’t the result of your own delay in filing.
- A humanitarian emergency involving serious illness, disability, death of a family member, or extreme conditions from a natural disaster or armed conflict.
- A clear USCIS error you urgently need corrected.
- A government interest such as public safety or national security.
Expedite requests generally go through the USCIS Contact Center after your application is already on file, and you’ll need documentation supporting the urgency. Simply wanting the certificate faster doesn’t qualify.
If USCIS Denies Your Application
A denial isn’t the end of the road. You have two options, both filed on Form I-290B within 30 days of the decision date, or 33 days if the decision was mailed.12U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion A motion to reopen asks the same office to look again based on new evidence you didn’t submit before; previously submitted documents don’t meet the bar. A motion to reconsider argues USCIS applied the law or policy incorrectly to the evidence already in your file, with no new facts.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. AAO Practice Manual – Chapter 4 – Motions to Reopen and Reconsider
In many denials, the simplest path is to fix what went wrong and file a new N-565, particularly when the problem was missing evidence rather than a fundamental eligibility issue. A fresh application with complete documentation often resolves things faster than an appeal.
Signing Under Penalty of Perjury
Every statement on Form N-565 is submitted under penalty of perjury. Knowingly providing false information on a federal form can carry fines, up to five years in prison, or both.14Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1001 – Statements or Entries Generally If the false statement is connected to a terrorism-related offense, the maximum jumps to eight years. If you’re unsure about a date or detail, say so in a sworn statement rather than guessing. Honest uncertainty is far better than an inaccurate answer USCIS later finds in your file.