I AM A US CITIZEN. HOW DO I GET PROOF OF MY US CITIZENSHIP?

I am a US Citizen. How Do I Get Proof of My US Citizenship?

If you were born in the United States, you were a US citizen at birth. You do not need to apply to USCIS for any evidence of citizenship. Your birth certificate issued by the US State where you were born is proof of your citizenship.

If you were born outside the US, but one or both your parents were US citizens when you were born, you may still be a US citizen. This is called citizenship through derivation. There are usually additional specific requirements, and sometimes citizenship can be through a combination of a parent and grandparent.

What documents are usually accepted as proof of US citizenship?

The most common documents that establish US citizenship are:

• Birth Certificate issued by a US State (if the person was born in the US), or by the US Department of State (if the person was born overseas and the parents registered the child’s birth and US citizenship at birth with the US Embassy or Consulate).

• US Passport

• Certificate of Citizenship issued to a person born outside the US who was still a US citizen at birth, or to a person who later automatically became a US citizen.

• Naturalization Certificate issued to a person who became a US citizen after birth through the naturalization process.

I was born in the US. Where can I get a copy of my birth certificate?

Check with the Bureau of Vital Statistics in the US State in which you were born. For more information, please visit the National Center for Health Statistics web page at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/births.htm.

I am a US citizen. My child will be born abroad, or recently was born abroad. How do I register his or her birth and US citizenship?

Please contact the US Embassy in the country where your child will be born for more information about eligibility requirements and how to register your child’s US citizenship.

I was born overseas. My birth and US citizenship were registered with the US Embassy. I need a copy of the evidence of my citizenship. Whom should I contact?

Contact the US State Department. For more information, please see their website at http://www.state.gov.

I was born overseas. I believe I was a US citizen at birth because one or both my parents were US citizens when I was born. But my birth and citizenship were not registered with the US Embassy when I was born. Can I apply to have my citizenship recognized?

Yes, but please note whether or not someone born outside the US to a US citizen parent is a US citizen depends on the law in effect when the person was born. These laws have changed over the years, but usually require a combination of the parent being a US citizen when the child was born, and having lived in the US or its possessions for a period of time. The information below gives some examples of recent requirements. Derivative citizenship can be quite complex and may require careful legal analysis.

Derivative citizenship through birth to a US citizen parent or parents Child born abroad to two US citizen parents

Born on or after December 24, 1952

Requirements: One parent must have resided in the US and its possessions before the child was born.

Child born abroad – one parent a US citizen when the child was born; the other not a US citizen

Born on or after November 14, 1986

Requirements: Before the child was born, the US citizen parent must have been physically present in the US or its possessions for at least 5 years, 2 of which must have been after the parent turned 14.

Born between December 24, 1952 and November 13, 1986

Requirements: Before the child was born, the US citizen parent must have been physically present in the US and its possessions for at least 10 years, 5 of which must have been after the parent turned 14. Military or government service abroad can count as US presence.

For example: For a child born on or after November 14, 1986, with one parent a US citizen when the child was born, the child ‘derived’ US citizenship at birth if, before he or she was born, that parent lived in the US for at least 5 years, 2 of which were after he or she turned 14.

Requirements differ somewhat for children born out of wedlock to a US citizen mother or father.

Birth Abroad Out-of-Wedlock to a US Citizen Father:

A child born abroad out-of-wedlock to a US citizen father may acquire US citizenship provided:

1) A blood relationship between the applicant and the father is established by clear and convincing evidence;

2) The father had the nationality of the United States at the time of the applicant's birth;

3) The father (unless deceased) had agreed in writing to provide financial support for the person until the applicant reaches the age of 18 years, and

4) While the person is under 18 years old –

A) Applicant is legitimated under the law of their residence or domicile,

B) Father acknowledges paternity of the person in writing under oath, or

C) The paternity of the applicant is established by adjudication court.

Birth Abroad Out-of-Wedlock to a US Citizen Mother:

A child born abroad out-of-wedlock to a US citizen mother may acquire US citizenship, if the mother was a US citizen at the time of the child's birth, and if the mother had previously been physically present in the United States or one of its outlying possessions for a continuous period of one year.

I was born overseas. One of my parents was a US citizen but never lived in the US One of my grandparents was also a US citizen. Could I have derived US citizenship?

If your parent was a US citizen when you were born but had not lived in the US for the required amount of time before your birth, but one of your grandparents was also a US citizen and had already met the residence requirements, then you may still have derived US citizenship. For more information, please check our website, or the State Department website at http://www.state.gov.

I was born overseas. After I was born, my parent(s) became naturalized US citizens. Could I have derived US citizenship?

If one of your parents naturalized after February 27, 2001, and you were a permanent resident and under 18 at the time, then you may have automatically acquired US citizenship. Before that date, you may have automatically acquired US citizenship if you were a permanent resident and under 18 when both parents naturalized, or if you had only one parent when that parent naturalized.

However, if your parent(s) naturalized after you were 18, then you will need to apply for naturalization on your own after you have been a permanent resident for at least 5 years.

How do I apply to have my citizenship recognized?

You have two options:

• You can apply to the US Department of State for a US passport. A passport is evidence of citizenship and also serves as a travel document if you need to travel.

• If you are already in the US, you also have the option of applying for a Certificate of Citizenship. However, you may find applying for a passport to be more convenient because it also serves as a travel document and is often a faster process.

How do I replace a lost, stolen, or destroyed naturalization certificate or certificate of citizenship?

You can apply to the USCIS for a Replacement Naturalization Citizenship Document.

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