After your oath ceremony, you can apply for a passport after naturalization the same day by filing Form DS-11 in person at a passport acceptance facility. You’ll need your original Certificate of Naturalization, a government-issued photo ID, one passport photo, and $165 in fees for a first-time adult passport book. Routine processing runs four to six weeks, plus mailing time on both ends.
What to Bring to Your Appointment
Your Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550) is the core document. The State Department requires the original; photocopies are not accepted. It will be mailed back to you separately from your finished passport, so plan to be without it for several weeks.
You also need a physical, government-issued photo ID. A valid driver’s license covers most people. If your license was issued by a different state than where you’re applying, bring a second photo ID as backup.
Bring one passport photo that meets these specifications:
- Color photo taken against a plain white or off-white background, with no shadows or patterns.
- 2 x 2 inches (51 x 51 mm), with your head measuring between 1 inch and 1⅜ inches from chin to crown.
- Taken within the last six months.
- No eyeglasses. If you cannot remove them for medical reasons, include a signed doctor’s note.
- No hats or head coverings, unless worn daily for religious or medical reasons, in which case include a signed statement.
Passport photos generally cost between $7 and $25 at drugstores, shipping stores, and some acceptance facilities. Many post offices that process applications also take photos on-site.
Filling Out Form DS-11
Every first-time applicant files Form DS-11, “Application for a U.S. Passport.” You can complete it online through the State Department’s website or pick up a paper copy at most acceptance facilities. The form asks for your full legal name, date and place of birth, Social Security number, and contact details.
Do not sign the form before your appointment. The acceptance agent must witness your signature in person, and a pre-signed form has to be redone. Fill everything else out ahead of time and leave the signature blank.
Where and How to Submit It
First-time applicants must apply in person at a passport acceptance facility. You cannot apply online or by mail. Acceptance facilities include many post offices, county clerk offices, and some public libraries and municipal buildings. The State Department’s website has a searchable locator.
Schedule an appointment before you go. Some facilities require one, and even walk-in locations tend to have long waits. Bring your unsigned DS-11, your original Certificate of Naturalization, your photo ID, your passport photo, and your payment. The agent verifies your documents, witnesses your signature, and packages the application for mailing to a processing center.
What It Costs
A first-time adult passport book costs $165, paid in two separate parts:
- Application fee of $130, paid to the U.S. Department of State by personal check, certified check, cashier’s check, traveler’s check, or money order.
- Acceptance facility fee of $35, paid directly to the facility where you apply. Most facilities accept credit cards, checks, and money orders for this portion.
Because the two payments go to different places, you’ll typically write two checks or use two different payment methods. Confirm what your specific facility accepts before your appointment.
Expedited processing adds $60 to your application fee. Faster 1-to-3-day return delivery of the finished passport adds $22.05. Both optional fees go to the U.S. Department of State, not the acceptance facility.
How Long It Takes
Routine processing currently takes four to six weeks. Expedited processing takes two to three weeks. Those windows only cover what happens once your application reaches a processing center, so add up to two weeks for the acceptance facility to mail it in, plus return mailing time for the finished passport.
Travel Within 14 Days
If you have international travel booked within the next 14 calendar days and can prove it with an itinerary or ticket, you can book an appointment at a regional passport agency or center through the State Department’s Online Passport Appointment System. Bring proof of your travel plans to the appointment.
Life-or-Death Emergencies
If an immediate family member outside the United States has died, is dying, or has a life-threatening illness or injury, and you need to travel within two weeks, you may qualify for a life-or-death emergency appointment. Immediate family for this purpose means a parent, child, spouse, sibling, or grandparent. You’ll need documentation of the emergency, such as a death certificate, a statement from a mortuary, or a letter on hospital letterhead signed by a doctor, along with proof of imminent international travel. Traveling abroad for your own medical care does not qualify.
Book, Card, or Both
On Form DS-11 you can choose a passport book, a passport card, or both. A passport book works for international air, land, and sea travel to any country. A passport card costs less ($30 application fee plus the $35 acceptance fee for first-time applicants) but only works for land and sea crossings between the U.S. and Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and certain Caribbean destinations. It cannot be used for international flights.
If you apply for both on the same DS-11, you pay the book fee plus the card fee plus a single acceptance fee. The card fits in a wallet, which makes it useful as a backup proof of citizenship, but if there’s any chance you’ll fly internationally, the book is what you need.
If Your Children Were Naturalized Too
If your minor children became citizens through your naturalization, or were already citizens by birth, you can apply for their passports using the same DS-11 form. For children under 16, both parents or legal guardians must appear at the acceptance facility with the child and give consent. The acceptance agent will verify this.
If one parent genuinely cannot appear, the State Department has a consent process involving a notarized statement, but it adds time and paperwork. Plan for both parents to be there if at all possible.
The Gap Without Your Certificate of Naturalization
Your Certificate of Naturalization is your only proof of citizenship until your passport arrives, and it will be out of your hands during processing. The certificate and the finished passport come back in separate mailings, so the certificate may arrive before or after the passport, and there will be a stretch when you have neither.
If you need proof of citizenship during that window, for employment onboarding, benefits enrollment, or anything similar, you’ll be caught short. The application requires the original certificate, so a photocopy won’t substitute. Some people time their application to avoid overlapping with processes that require citizenship documentation.
Updating Your Social Security Record
Separate from your passport, the Social Security Administration needs to know you’re now a U.S. citizen so your record reflects your status. Skipping this can cause problems with employment eligibility verification and access to federal benefits.
Wait at least 10 days after your ceremony before visiting a Social Security office, so USCIS has time to update the system SSA checks. Bring your Certificate of Naturalization, or your U.S. passport once you have it. The visit is usually handled in a single appointment.