How to Change Your Name on a Naturalization Certificate: Form N-565

To change the name on your naturalization certificate, file Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document, with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Submit your original certificate along with proof of the legal name change, and pay a filing fee of $505 online or $555 by mail. Once approved, USCIS mails you a replacement certificate showing your new legal name.

When USCIS Will Reissue Your Certificate

USCIS will change the name on a naturalization certificate in two situations. The first is a legal name change that occurred after you naturalized, whether through marriage, divorce, a state court order, or a common-law name change supported by a state-issued ID in the new name.¹ The second is a typographical or clerical error USCIS made when producing the certificate.

There is one boundary worth knowing before you file. If the name on your certificate matches what you wrote on your Form N-400, USCIS treats that as the name you swore to and will not simply correct it.¹ To fix an error that originated with you, you first need a court-ordered legal name change, then file N-565 with that court order attached.

Documents to Gather Before You File

Your original naturalization certificate. USCIS requires the original document, not a copy, when you request a replacement for a name change.²
Proof of the legal name change: a marriage certificate, divorce decree, or certified court order. Without one of these, USCIS will not change your name.²
A government-issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license or state ID card.
A certified English translation of any foreign-language document. The translator must certify in writing that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from the source language into English.³

If you are correcting a USCIS typo instead of updating a legal name, include the incorrect original certificate and any evidence that shows the error.

Filing Form N-565

Form N-565 is the only application you need.³ You can complete it online through a USCIS account or download the PDF and fill it out on paper in black ink. On the form, you will provide your current legal name and mailing address, check the box indicating a name change as the reason for your application, and give the details and legal basis of your new name. If any answer runs long, use the supplemental section or attach a separate sheet with your name, A-Number, and the specific part and item number you are continuing.²

Even if you file online, you still have to mail your original naturalization certificate to the Nebraska Service Center. USCIS provides the mailing address during the online filing process.³ Paper applications go by mail to the designated USCIS service center with all supporting documents and the original certificate enclosed.

Fees and When You Can Skip Them

The filing fee is $505 for online submissions and $555 for paper.⁴ Online filers pay by credit or debit card. Paper filers pay by check or money order.

Two situations remove or reduce the fee. If USCIS made the typographical or clerical error, no filing fee is required.¹ You can also request a fee waiver on Form I-912 if you receive a means-tested public benefit, your household income is at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or you can show extreme financial hardship. Fee waiver requests must be filed by mail with a paper N-565.⁵

What Happens After You File

USCIS mails a receipt notice (Form I-797C) after accepting your application, with a 13-character receipt number you can use to track your case online.⁶ Some applicants are called in for a biometrics appointment to have their fingerprints and photograph taken; not everyone is, but missing a scheduled appointment can delay or derail your case.

USCIS may send a Request for Evidence if your application is incomplete. Respond by the deadline stated in the request. Processing times for N-565 vary and can shift, so check the USCIS processing times page for a current estimate. When the application is approved, USCIS mails your new certificate with your updated name.

If USCIS Denies Your Application

You can challenge a denial by filing Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion, within 33 calendar days of the date USCIS mailed the denial. The clock runs from the mailing date on the notice, not the day you received it, so act quickly. A late appeal will be rejected unless the office that issued the denial treats it as a motion to reopen or reconsider, and late motions to reopen are only excused when the delay was both reasonable and outside your control.⁷ The most common reason for denial is insufficient evidence of the legal name change, so before appealing, consider whether refiling with stronger documentation would be faster.

Updating Your Other Records

The new certificate updates your USCIS record only. Your Social Security card and passport still show your old name until you update them separately.

Social Security Card

Start at ssa.gov, which will tell you whether you can finish online or need to complete the process in person at a local Social Security office within 45 calendar days. You need to bring original documents or certified copies issued by the agency that created them; the SSA does not accept photocopies or notarized copies.⁸ Your new naturalization certificate works as proof of the legal name change. The SSA may also ask for an identity document in your old name (which can be expired) and one in your new name, both with a photograph.

U.S. Passport

Which passport form you use depends on timing. If your most recent passport was issued less than a year ago and your legal name change also happened within that year, submit Form DS-5504 by mail with your current passport, the name change document, and a new photo. If more than a year has passed since either the passport was issued or the name change occurred, renew by mail on Form DS-82 or apply in person on Form DS-11, depending on your eligibility.⁹ Updating your Social Security record before you apply for a passport update avoids mismatches between federal databases that can slow processing.

1
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Replacement of Naturalization/Citizenship Document
2
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Instructions for Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document
3
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document
4
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1055 Fee Schedule
5
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Chapter 4 – Fee Waivers and Fee Exemptions
6
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Case Status Online
7
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion
8
Social Security Administration. U.S. Citizen – Adult Name Change on Social Security Card
9
U.S. Department of State. Name Change for U.S. Passport or Correct a Printing or Data Error