If your birth certificate did not come back with your passport, that is normal. The U.S. Department of State mails your new passport and your citizenship evidence in separate envelopes, and the birth certificate typically arrives up to four weeks after the passport, sent by regular First Class Mail with no tracking number.1U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions about Passport Services – Section: How Will You Send My Passport and Supporting Documents? In most cases the document is simply still in the mail.
Why the Two Documents Ship Separately
The passport book goes out first through a trackable service such as USPS Priority Mail. Your birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or other citizenship evidence follows in its own envelope by First Class Mail, which does not include a tracking number.1U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions about Passport Services – Section: How Will You Send My Passport and Supporting Documents? If you applied for both a passport book and a passport card, those also travel in separate envelopes, so a single application can produce three different mailings.
The lack of a tracking number on the citizenship evidence is what makes the wait feel wrong. It usually isn’t. Four weeks of quiet is built into the process.
Confirm the State Department Actually Mailed It
If you gave an email address on your application, the State Department sends automatic status updates at each processing stage, including when documents are mailed. The passport shipment update carries a tracking number; the citizenship evidence update does not, because it goes out untracked.2U.S. Department of State. Checking Your Passport Application Status
You can also check manually through the Online Passport Status System using your last name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number.2U.S. Department of State. Checking Your Passport Application Status Look for the status “Supporting Documents Mailed.” That confirms the envelope has left the State Department heading to the address on your application.
What to Do If Four Weeks Pass With Nothing
Wait the full four weeks from the date your passport was mailed before treating the document as missing. First Class Mail runs slower than Priority Mail, and delays get worse during peak travel season. If four weeks have gone by and your birth certificate still hasn’t arrived, call the National Passport Information Center at 1-877-487-2778 to report it as not received.1U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions about Passport Services – Section: How Will You Send My Passport and Supporting Documents? For deaf or hard of hearing callers, the TDD/TTY number is 1-888-874-7793.3U.S. Department of State. How to Get My U.S. Passport Fast
Representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time and on Saturday and Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The center is closed on federal holidays.4U.S. Department of State. Contact U.S. Passports
Reimbursement Has a 90-Day Deadline
If the State Department confirms your birth certificate was lost, you can request reimbursement for the cost of a replacement. You must contact them within 90 days of the date your passport was mailed, and you’ll need a receipt showing what you paid for the replacement copy.1U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions about Passport Services – Section: How Will You Send My Passport and Supporting Documents? Miss that window and you cover the cost yourself, so don’t wait to report a missing document.
How to Order a Replacement Birth Certificate
The State Department does not issue birth certificates, and no other federal agency does either. Order a replacement from the vital records office in the state or territory where you were born, which handles requests online, by mail, or in person.5USAGov. How to Get a Certified Copy of a U.S. Birth Certificate
You’ll typically need to provide your full name, date and place of birth including city and county, and your parents’ names. Most states require a valid photo ID such as a driver’s license, and some ask for proof of your relationship to the person named on the certificate if the record isn’t your own. Fees for a certified copy generally range from about $10 to $35 depending on the state, with expedited processing or shipping adding to the cost. Standard turnaround times vary widely, so check with the specific vital records office for current estimates.
If You Sent a Naturalization or Citizenship Certificate Instead
Naturalization certificates and certificates of citizenship follow the same return process and the same four-week First Class Mail timeline as birth certificates.1U.S. Department of State. Frequently Asked Questions about Passport Services – Section: How Will You Send My Passport and Supporting Documents? Replacement is more expensive and slower, though. You file Form N-565 with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, with a filing fee posted on the USCIS fee schedule and processing that can run several months.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document Because of the cost, report a missing certificate to the NPIC promptly so you stay inside the 90-day reimbursement window.
You Can Still Use Your Passport While You Wait
Your new passport works as proof of both identity and U.S. citizenship for most purposes while the birth certificate is in transit or being replaced. The Social Security Administration, for instance, accepts a valid U.S. passport as evidence of citizenship and age when you apply for a Social Security card.7Social Security Administration. Application for a Social Security Card (Form SS-5-FS) Employers reviewing I-9 documents, banks, and most government agencies treat a passport the same way they would treat a birth certificate. Getting the original replaced is worth doing for your records, but you aren’t stuck without usable ID in the meantime.