Proof Of Citizenship For Passport

When you are applying in person with Form DS-11, you are required to submit primary evidence of US citizenship. If you cannot provide primary evidence, you must submit secondary evidence of US citizenship. Examples of primary and secondary citizenship evidence are listed below.

Primary evidence for US citizenhip

If you were born in the United States, below are examples of primary evidence:

Fully-valid, undamaged US passport (can be expired)
US birth certificate that were issued by the city, county, state of birth, lists applicant's full name, date of birth, and place of birth and lists parent(s) full names. also, they have the signature of the city, county, or state registrar, has the date filed with registrar's office (must be within one year of birth) and has the seal of issuing authority

If you were born outside the United States, below are examples of primary evidence:

Fully-valid, undamaged US passport (can be expired)
Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth
Certificate of Naturalization
Certificate of Citizenship

Secondary evidence for US citizenship

If born inside the United States, you must provide a delayed birth certificate or a Letter of No Record along with early public records.

Delayed birth certificate (filed more than 1 year after birth)
This document must include the following:

List the documentation used to create it (preferably early public records)
Signature of the birth attendant or an affidavit signed by the parent(s)

If your delayed US birth certificate does not include these items, it should be submitted with early public records.

Early public or private documents
Early public or private documents are documents that were created and/or issued early on in the applicant's life, preferably in the first five years. Public records should include the applicant's full name, date of birth, and place of birth. Examples include:

Baptism certificate
Hospital birth certificate (often shows baby's footprints)
US Census record
Early school records
Family Bible record
Doctor's records of post-natal care
Form DS-10, Birth Affidavit (this form is for applicants whose birth in the United States was recorded more
than one year late or who have a Letter of No Record)

Letter of No Record
For US birth certificates not filed in the state you were born, you will receive a Letter of No Record from the registrar instead of a birth certificate. It must meet the following requirements:

Issued by the state
Have applicant's name and date of birth
List the years for which a birth record was searched
Include a statement that no birth certificate was found on file
When submitting a Letter of No Record, you must also submit at least two early public documents or one early public document and one early private document with Form DS-10, Birth Affadavit

US Citizenship at Birth
If you were able to become a US citizen your US citizen parent(s) and born outside the United States, then please submit the following with your passport application:

Your foreign birth certificate listing your parent(s)
Your parent(s) evidence of US citizenship
Your parents' marriage certificate, if applicable
A statement from your US citizen parent(s) detailing all periods and places of their residence or physical
presence in the United States and abroad before your birth

US Citizenship through Naturalization of a Parent
If you were born outside the United States and acquired US citizenship through the naturalization of your parent(s), please submit the following with your passport application:

Your foreign birth certificate listing your parent(s)
Your parent(s) naturalization certificate
Evidence of your permanent residence status. Some examples would be, a permanent Resident Card/Green
Card or a foreign passport with the original I-551 visa entry stamp
Your parents marriage certificate (if your parents were married when you legally entered the US and before your 18th birthday)
Documentation of legal custody (if your parents were not married when you legally entered the US)
Evidence of your legitimation (if your parents were not married at the time of your birth). Some examples include, your parents' marriage certificate dated after your birth or a certified court order of legitimation

US Citizenship through Adoption
If you aquired US citizenship through adoption by US citizen parents and you were born outside the United States while under the age of 16, please submit the following:

Citizenship evidence of your US citizen parent
Your full and final adoption decree
Evidence of lawful entry for permanent residence (Examples: Child's foreign passport containing an ADIT stamp or Form I-94 with the ADIT stamp and picture)

Request a File Search
You may request a File Search instead of submitting evidence of US Citizenship if:

You have been issued a US passport or Consular Report of Birth Abroad in the past and
You can't submit it with your application

The File Search fee is $150 and charged in addition to the normal application fees, payable to the Department of State. Please fill out Request for a File Search and include it with your application.