To update your SSN after citizenship, file Form SS-5 with the Social Security Administration and present your Certificate of Naturalization (or U.S. passport) along with an identity document. Your nine-digit number does not change. SSA updates the citizenship designation on your record and mails a new card without the “VALID FOR WORK ONLY WITH DHS AUTHORIZATION” legend if your old card carried it.1Social Security Administration. Types of Social Security Cards There is no fee.2Social Security Administration. Your Social Security Number and Card
Documents to Bring
Start with Form SS-5, downloadable at ssa.gov. It asks for your full legal name, date of birth, and parents’ names, and includes a citizenship checkbox where you mark “U.S. citizen.”3Social Security Administration. Application for Social Security Card Form SS-5
For proof of citizenship, SSA accepts:4Social Security Administration. SSA Handbook 1725
- Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550 or N-570)
- U.S. passport
For proof of identity, SSA prefers a U.S. driver’s license, a state-issued non-driver ID, or a U.S. passport. If you have none of these and can’t get one within 10 days, SSA may accept another current document showing your name plus identifying information such as date of birth or a photo — an employee ID, school ID, health insurance card (not Medicare), or U.S. military ID.5Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card
Every document has to be an original or a copy certified by the issuing agency. Photocopies and notarized copies are not accepted. Foreign-language documents can be translated by SSA, but you still bring the original or a certified copy.5Social Security Administration. Learn What Documents You Will Need to Get a Social Security Card Whichever way you file, SSA returns your originals after verification.3Social Security Administration. Application for Social Security Card Form SS-5
If You Changed Your Name at Naturalization
Many people adopt a new legal name during naturalization. If your Certificate of Naturalization shows both your prior name and your new one, that single document proves the name change — you can update citizenship and name together.6Social Security Administration. Required Evidence to Process a Name Change on the SSN Based on a Certificate of Naturalization
If the certificate does not show your prior name, you need something else linking the two: a court-ordered name change petition showing the prior name, or your birth certificate if it matches the name currently on your Social Security record. You’ll also need a separate identity document, though the naturalization certificate itself can usually satisfy that requirement if it carries your photo and identifying details.6Social Security Administration. Required Evidence to Process a Name Change on the SSN Based on a Certificate of Naturalization
Three Ways to File
Start Online, Finish in Person
SSA’s recommended path is to begin at ssa.gov, complete the application electronically, and schedule an in-person appointment through the same process. Bring your original citizenship and identity documents to the appointment. Your new card arrives by mail within 5 to 10 business days after SSA verifies everything.7Social Security Administration. Update Citizenship or Immigration Status
Walk Into a Field Office
You can also go directly to a Social Security field office or a Social Security Card Center. Use the Office Locator at ssa.gov/locator to find the closest one.8Social Security Administration. Field Office Locator Card Centers focus on card replacements and record updates; field offices handle a wider range of services. Bring the completed Form SS-5 and your originals. Staff verify and return your documents during the visit.
Mail It In
If neither of the above works, mail your Form SS-5 and original documents to your local Social Security office. Because you’re mailing irreplaceable certificates, use trackable, insured shipping. SSA returns your originals separately from the new card.9Social Security Administration. POMS RM 10205.065 – Applicant for SSN Mails Application to a Non-Servicing Office Mail-in processing alone can take 2 to 4 weeks before the card is sent, making this the slowest option by a wide margin.10Social Security Administration. How Long Will It Take to Get a Social Security Card
Whichever route you use, remember that the internal record update happens before the physical card is mailed. The card confirms the change; it isn’t what triggers it. If your card doesn’t arrive within the expected window, contact your local field office to check the status.
Why You Should Do This Promptly
Two situations turn a stale citizenship record into a real problem.
The first is employment verification. If your employer runs your information through E-Verify while SSA still shows you as a non-citizen, the system may flag a citizenship mismatch. Once your employer refers the case, you have 8 federal working days to visit an SSA field office or contact the Department of Homeland Security to resolve it.11E-Verify. DHS and SSA Mismatches Missing that deadline produces a Final Nonconfirmation, and your employer may terminate you.12E-Verify. Social Security Administration Resumes E-Verify Operations After SSA updates the record, changes can take up to two federal working days to flow through to E-Verify. Updating before your next job or reverification avoids the whole sequence.
The second is time abroad. U.S. citizens can generally keep receiving retirement or disability payments while living in most other countries. Non-citizens who leave the U.S. can have payments stopped after 6 consecutive calendar months outside the country, depending on citizenship and destination. Tax treatment differs too: citizens abroad follow standard U.S. income tax rules, while non-citizens without permanent residency face a flat 30% withholding on 85% of each benefit payment unless a tax treaty applies.13Social Security Administration. Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States A current record keeps you on the citizen side of both rules.
Other Records Worth Updating
USCIS suggests handling a few more items after naturalization:14U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. New U.S. Citizens
- Apply for a U.S. passport through the Department of State. It’s a second proof of citizenship in case the naturalization certificate is lost or damaged.
- Update your driver’s license or state ID with your state’s motor vehicle agency. For a REAL ID-compliant card, you’ll usually need to show proof of citizenship. State fees generally range from $0 to $40.
- Register to vote. Your state’s process is linked from vote.gov.