How to Change Your Name on a Citizenship Certificate

To change your name on a U.S. citizenship certificate, file Form N-565 (Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document) with USCIS, together with the original certificate and legal proof of your new name. The fee is $505 online or $555 by mail, and the median processing time in fiscal year 2026 is 6.3 months.¹ The same form and process apply whether you hold a Certificate of Citizenship or a Certificate of Naturalization.²

You Need a Legal Name Change First

USCIS does not change your name on its own. It updates the certificate to reflect a name change that already happened through a state or local legal process, so you must have the underlying document in hand before you file.

Four situations qualify. Marriage, where you took a new surname and can produce the marriage certificate. Divorce, where the decree restores a former name or grants a new one.³ A court order granting a name change, whatever the reason. And an adoption decree assigning a new name to a child, which USCIS specifically recognizes for internationally adopted children whose names were changed after entering the United States.⁴

In every case, you need an official document that connects the name on your current certificate to your new legal name. USCIS will not process the change without it.⁵

If USCIS Made the Error, Not You

If your name is wrong on the certificate because of a USCIS mistake rather than a legal change, the path is different. Instead of a marriage certificate or court order, you submit evidence that your original application had the correct spelling and that USCIS introduced the error. Form N-565 has a specific section for this.

What to Send With Form N-565

The application itself is Form N-565, filed online through a USCIS account or by mail on the paper form.² Along with it, you’ll send:

Your original certificate. USCIS takes the old certificate and issues a replacement bearing your new name. Online filers mail the original to the Nebraska Service Center after submitting the electronic form; paper filers include it with the mailing to the Phoenix Lockbox.² Photocopy both sides before sending, and think through anything (travel, employment paperwork) you might need the certificate for in the coming months.

Proof of the name change. A copy of the original or certified marriage certificate, divorce decree, annulment decree, or court order.⁵ The document has to show both names so USCIS can trace the change.

Photos, only if you live abroad. Applicants outside the United States include two identical color passport-style photographs. Applicants inside the U.S. do not send photos.⁵

English translations of any foreign-language documents. If your marriage certificate, court order, or other supporting document is in another language, include a complete English translation with a signed certification from the translator stating they are competent to translate between the two languages and that the translation is accurate. The certification should include the translator’s name, signature, address, and the date. Notarization is generally not required.⁶

Filing Online or by Mail

You have two ways to file, and they differ in cost and convenience.

Filing online costs $505. You create a free USCIS account, complete the form electronically, and then mail your original certificate separately to the Nebraska Service Center. The account lets you check case status, receive notifications, respond to any requests for evidence, and update your mailing address if you move during processing.²

Filing by mail costs $555. Pay with a personal check, money order, or cashier’s check payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. You can also authorize a credit or debit card payment by attaching Form G-1450 to the top of the package.⁷ All paper N-565 applications go to the USCIS Phoenix Lockbox in Arizona regardless of where you live.²

If You Can’t Afford the Fee

USCIS accepts fee waiver requests for Form N-565. You qualify if you currently receive a means-tested government benefit, your household income is at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or you can show extreme financial hardship.⁸ The waiver request has to go in with the application, not later. For internationally adopted children, USCIS notes that certain fee waivers may be available.⁴

How Long It Takes and What Happens Meanwhile

After USCIS receives your application, it sends a receipt notice with a case number. Use that number to track progress, especially if you filed on paper without online account access. Some applicants get a notice to appear at a local USCIS field office for biometrics, where fingerprints and a signature are collected.⁵

The median processing time for Form N-565 in fiscal year 2026 is 6.3 months, meaning half of cases take longer.¹ Through that whole period, USCIS holds your original certificate. The receipt notice confirms USCIS has your application but does not substitute for the certificate itself. A valid U.S. passport in your current legal name can serve as alternative proof of citizenship in the meantime.

When processing finishes, the new certificate arrives by mail with your updated name. It carries the same legal weight as the original.

Update Your Other Documents Next

The new certificate is one step. Two federal records commonly need matching updates.

For your Social Security card, apply for a replacement using Form SS-5 or start online at ssa.gov. You’ll bring proof of identity and legal name-change documents to an in-person appointment. There’s no fee, and the new card typically arrives within five to ten business days.⁹

For a U.S. passport in your old name, the State Department uses Form DS-5504 for name changes and corrections.¹⁰ The fee and required form depend on when the passport was issued and how recently your name changed, so check the current State Department instructions before you file. Your updated citizenship or naturalization certificate will likely serve as supporting evidence.

1
USCIS. Historic Processing Times
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 1 Part E Chapter 5 – Verification of Identifying Information
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Certificate of Citizenship for Your Internationally Adopted Child
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Form N-565 Instructions
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Immigration Documents and How to Correct, Update, or Replace Them
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions
8
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. USCIS Policy Manual Volume 1 Part B Chapter 4 – Fee Waivers and Fee Exemptions
9
Social Security Administration. Update Citizenship or Immigration Status
10
U.S. Department of State. Passport Forms