To get a Certificate of Citizenship, you file Form N-600 with USCIS, pay a filing fee of $1,335 online or $1,385 on paper, and submit documents proving you either acquired U.S. citizenship at birth abroad through a citizen parent or derived it automatically before turning 18 when a parent naturalized. You are not applying to become a citizen. You already are one. The certificate is USCIS’s official recognition of that status and the cleanest lifelong proof of it.
Who Can File Form N-600
Two paths lead to a Certificate of Citizenship, and the one that applies to you shapes everything else about your application.
You Acquired Citizenship at Birth Abroad
If you were born outside the United States to at least one U.S. citizen parent, you may have been a citizen from the moment you were born. The key question is whether that parent lived in the United States long enough before your birth. For a child born on or after November 14, 1986, to one citizen parent and one non-citizen parent, the citizen parent must have been physically present in the United States for at least five years, with at least two of those years after age 14.1USCIS. Chapter 3 – U.S. Citizens at Birth (INA 301 and 309) The rules shift depending on the parents’ citizenship and your date of birth. If both parents were U.S. citizens, only one needs to have resided in the country at some point before you were born.2Foreign Affairs Manual (FAM). 8 FAM 301.7 Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952
You Derived Citizenship After Birth
Under INA Section 320, you became a U.S. citizen automatically if all three of these things happened after February 27, 2001, and before your 18th birthday:
- At least one of your parents was or became a U.S. citizen.
- You were a lawful permanent resident.
- You were living in the United States in the legal and physical custody of that citizen parent.
All three conditions had to overlap while you were still a minor. If you turned 18 before your parent naturalized, or you were not yet a green card holder when your parent became a citizen, derivation did not happen and Form N-600 is not the right route.3eCFR. 8 CFR Part 320 – Child Born Outside the United States and Residing Permanently in the United States Adoption fits the same framework as long as the adoption was final before the child turned 18 and the other conditions were met.4USCIS. Chapter 1 – Purpose and Background
If Your Child Lives Abroad, You Probably Need N-600K
Form N-600 is for people living in the United States. If your child is under 18, regularly lives outside the country, and did not acquire citizenship at birth, the correct form is N-600K under INA Section 322. The child must be temporarily present in the United States on a lawful admission when the certificate is issued, and the citizen parent (or grandparent, if the parent has died) must meet the same five-year physical presence rule with two years after age 14. Time abroad on official military orders counts toward that presence requirement.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 8 USC 1433 – Children Born and Residing Outside the United States
Documents to Gather Before You File
This is where most N-600 applications go wrong. USCIS will reject or deny a filing that arrives without the required evidence, so building the file thoroughly at the start saves months.6USCIS. Form N-600, Instructions for Application for Certificate of Citizenship
At a minimum, plan to submit:
- Your birth certificate, issued by the civil authority in the country where you were born. If you were adopted in the United States, use the amended birth certificate that reflects the adoption.
- Proof of your parent’s U.S. citizenship. A U.S. birth certificate, Certificate of Naturalization (N-550), Certificate of Citizenship (N-560), Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240), or a valid U.S. passport all work.
- All marriage certificates for your citizen parent, along with certified divorce decrees, death certificates, or annulment records showing how any earlier marriages ended.
- Your full, final adoption decree, if applicable.
- Your green card or an I-551 stamp in a valid passport, if you are claiming derivation under INA 320.3eCFR. 8 CFR Part 320 – Child Born Outside the United States and Residing Permanently in the United States
- Evidence of your citizen parent’s physical presence in the United States if you acquired citizenship at birth abroad. School transcripts, employment records, tax returns, and military service records are the workhorses here, and you need to cover every stretch from your parent’s birth through yours.
- Two identical passport-style photos, 2 by 2 inches, in color, against a white or off-white background.7U.S. Department of State. U.S. Passport Photos
Any document not in English needs a certified translation. The translator must sign a statement confirming they are competent in both languages and that the translation is accurate.
When a Document Doesn’t Exist
If you cannot obtain a birth certificate or other primary record, USCIS accepts secondary evidence such as baptismal certificates, school records, hospital records, and census records.8USCIS. Chapter 4 – Documentation and Evidence A letter from the foreign government confirming the document is unavailable is not required, but it strengthens the file.
If neither primary nor secondary documents exist, submit at least two sworn affidavits from people with direct personal knowledge of the facts, such as a relative who witnessed your birth or a family friend who knew your parents when they married. Each affidavit should include the affiant’s full name, address, date and place of birth, relationship to you, a copy of their government-issued ID, and a detailed account of how they know what they are attesting to.9USCIS. Chapter 4 – Documentation Vague affidavits carry no weight.
Fees and Fee Waivers
The filing fee is $1,335 online or $1,385 on paper. Biometrics are included, so there is no separate charge.10USCIS. Frequently Asked Questions on the USCIS Fee Rule
Current or former members of any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces applying on their own behalf pay no fee.11regulations.gov. Copy of TOC Copy Decks for All Online Filing Products – Fee Rule NPRM Children of military members do not qualify for that exemption.
If the fee is out of reach, you can request a waiver on Form I-912. USCIS generally grants a waiver if you receive a means-tested benefit such as Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, or SSI, if your household income sits at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, or if you can show financial hardship from a medical emergency, job loss, homelessness, or similar circumstances even when your income exceeds that threshold.12USCIS. Form I-912, Instructions for Request for Fee Waiver
How to File and What Happens Next
You can file Form N-600 through a USCIS online account or by mailing a paper package to a USCIS lockbox. Online filing costs less, lets you upload documents, and gives you real-time case tracking. Paper filers must include a check or money order payable to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. If the payment is wrong, the form is unsigned, or required evidence is missing, USCIS will reject the whole package and you will have to start again.
Once your filing is accepted, USCIS mails a receipt notice (Form I-797C) with the number you use to check your case status.13USCIS. Form I-797C, Notice of Action Processing runs several months at minimum and considerably longer in busier field offices. You can look up current estimates on the USCIS processing times page.
Next comes a biometrics appointment for fingerprints, a photograph, and a signature. At that appointment you also sign an oath confirming the information in your application is complete, true, and correct.6USCIS. Form N-600, Instructions for Application for Certificate of Citizenship This is not the Oath of Allegiance from naturalization; it is a verification oath specific to N-600. If you are overseas, the notice will direct you to the nearest U.S. Embassy, consulate, or USCIS office abroad.
A USCIS officer then interviews you in person. The officer’s job is to confirm you meet every legal condition under the specific citizenship provision you claimed. Bring the originals of every document you filed; the officer may want to inspect them. If the officer is satisfied, USCIS issues a physical Certificate of Citizenship, either at a scheduled ceremony or by mail. That document is permanent proof of your citizenship.
If USCIS Denies Your Application
A denial is not final. You have 30 days from the date of the decision to appeal on Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion. The appeal goes to the USCIS Administrative Appeals Office for a fresh look at the evidence.14USCIS. N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship Frequently Asked Questions
Miss the 30 days and you cannot simply file a new N-600. USCIS will reject it. Your only remaining path is a motion to reopen or reconsider, also on Form I-290B, asking USCIS to look again based on new facts or a legal error in the original decision.15USCIS. When to Use Form I-290B, Notice of Appeal or Motion Treat the 30-day window as firm.
Replacing a Lost or Damaged Certificate
Once you have your certificate, if it is later lost, stolen, or damaged, you do not file another N-600. You apply for a replacement on Form N-565. Include a copy of the original if you have one, plus a police report or sworn statement for a lost or stolen certificate, or the damaged document itself for a mutilated one.16USCIS. Form N-565, Instructions for Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document Form N-565 carries its own filing fee, which USCIS adjusts periodically; check the current schedule when you file. If you are abroad, USCIS sends the replacement to the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate rather than to a foreign address.