The Citizenship Certificate is a document provided to individuals that were born abroad to or are the adopted child of U.S. citizen parents, or that at least one of their parents became a U.S. citizen before they reached the age of 18.
Those who need to replace their Citizenship Certificate must file Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document. This form N-565 is used to replace Declaration of Intention, Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, Repatriation Certificate or to apply for a special certificate of naturalization as a U.S. citizen to be recognized by a foreign country.
Related Article: Guide on Naturalization/Citizenship Certificate
Form N-565, Application for Replacement of Naturalization or Citizenship Document
The US Citizenship Certificate Replacement may be filed:
- If you have been issued a Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, Declaration of Intention or Repatriation Certificate that that document has been lost, mutilated, or destroyed, or
- If your name has been changed by marriage or by a court order after the document was issued and you seek a document in the new name, or
- If you are a naturalized citizen desiring to obtain recognition as a citizen of the United States by a foreign country, you may apply for a special certificate for that purpose.
Documents Needed:
- For your application for Citizenship Certificate Replacement to be accepted by USCIS, you need to provide all the required documents.
- If you are applying based on your certificate being mutilated, you must include attach the mutilated certificate with your petition.
- If you are applying based on a name change, then you must provide the actual/ original Citizenship Certificate and a copy of your marriage certificate or a document issued by court order to prove that your name has changed.
- If you are applying for the purpose of a Special Certificate, then you must include a copy of your naturalization certificate.
Application Process:
Once you have gathered all the required documents to send with your application, you need to mail your application and documents to USCIS with the required fee. Once the application for a Replacement Certificate has been received by the USCIS, it will be checked for completeness, including the required documents. Any application for Citizenship Certificate Replacement that is not signed, does not include all the supporting documents or the fee payment is incorrect, will be rejected and then you will receive a notice stating that the application was incomplete. The applicants may then have to file again with all the correct information.
Once your application is approved, the USCIS will conduct an interview. You may then be required to submit original documents as reference at the time of the interview. If the USCIS finds you are eligible for Citizenship Certificate Replacement, your application will be approved. You will be notified in writing about the approval and your new certificate will be sent to you to your mailing address. If your application is denied, USCIS will notify you in writing, stating the reason for rejection.
