You may prove U.S. citizenship with any one of the following:

- Previous U.S. Passport (mutilated, altered, or damaged passports are not acceptable as evidence of U.S. citizenship.)
- Certified birth certificate issued by the city, county or state*

*NOTE: A certified birth certificate has a registrar’s raised, embossed, impressed or multicolored seal, registrar’s signature, and the date the certificate was filed with the registrar’s office, which must be within 1 year of your birth. A birth certificate must include your given name and surname, date and place of birth, date of birth record was filled, and the seal or other certification of the official custodian of such records.

- Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certification of Birth
- Naturalization Certificate
- Certificate of Citizenship

A Delayed Birth Certificate filed more than one year after your birth may be acceptable if it:

- Listed the documentation used to create it and
- Signed by the attending physician or midwife, or, lists an affidavit signed by the parents, or shows early public records.

If you do NOT have a previous U.S. passport or a certified birth certificate, you will need:

1) Letter of No Record
Issued by the State with your name, date of birth, which years were searched for a birth record and that there is no birth certificate on file for you.

2) AND as many of the following as possible:

- baptismal certificate
- hospital birth certificate
- census record
- early school record
- family bible record
- doctor’s record of post-natal care

NOTE:
- These documents must be early public records showing the date and place of birth, preferably created within the first five years of your life

.- You may also submit an Affidavit of Birth, Form DSP-10A, from an older blood relative, i.e., a parent, aunt, uncle, sibling, who has personal knowledge of your birth. It must be notarized or have the seal and signature of the acceptance agent.

For Applicants Born Outside the United States

Submit previous US passport or Certificate of Naturalization, or Certificate of Citizenship, or a Report of Birth Abroad, or evidence described below.

1) If you claim citizenship through naturalization of parent(s): Submit the Certificate(s) of Naturalization of your parent(s), your foreign birth certificate, and proof of your admission to the United States for permanent residence.

2) If you claim citizenship through birth abroad to ONE U.S. citizen parent: Submit a Consular Report of Birth (Form FS-240), Certification of Birth (Form DS-1350 or FS-545), or your foreign birth certificate, proof of citizenship of your parent, and affidavit showing all of your U.S. citizen parent’s periods and places of residence/physical presence in the United States and abroad before your birth.

3) If you claim citizenship through birth abroad TWO U.S. citizen parents: Submit a Consular Report of Birth (Form FS-240), Certification of Birth (Form DS-1350 or FS-545), or your foreign birth certificate, parent’s marriage certificate, proof of citizenship of your parent(s), and affidavit showing all of your U.S. citizen parent’s periods and places of residence/physical presence in the United States and abroad before your birth.

4) If you claim citizenship through adoption by a U.S. citizen parent(s): Submit evidence of your residence status, full and final adoption, and your U.S. citizen parent(s) evidence of legal and physical custody.

NOTE: The following are NOT proof of citizenship:

- Voter registration cards
- Army discharge papers
- Photocopies made by you, even when notarized, are NOT ACCEPTABLE.
- Hospital birth records/certificates are also NOT ACCEPTABLE.
- Applicants born in California MUST submit a Long Form Birth Certificate; short forms or abstract birth certificates are NOT ACCEPTABLE.

All official copies of documents are returned with the new passports.
 

Passport Depot
Toll Free: 800-689-1388 / Toll Free Fax: 800-687-1388
Email: info@passportdepot.com

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