Quick Answer: What Documents Do You Need for Form N-600?
The documents required for Form N-600 depend on how you acquired U.S. citizenship and your individual circumstances. Most applicants need records that establish the applicant’s birth, the U.S. citizen parent’s citizenship, and the qualifying parent-child or family relationship.
Additional evidence depends on the citizenship pathway. A citizenship-at-birth claim may require records showing the U.S. citizen parent’s residence or physical presence in the United States before the applicant’s birth. A citizenship-after-birth claim may require proof of lawful permanent resident status, U.S. residence, and legal and physical custody.
Additional records may also be needed for adoption, legitimation or paternity, qualifying military or U.S. government service, or legal name changes.
Not every document applies to every Form N-600 applicant.
Last verified: September 2026; Official source: USCIS Form N-600
For a broader overview of the Certificate of Citizenship process, see our complete Form N-600 guide.
Need Help Preparing Form N-600?
ImmigrationDirect can guide you through Form N-600 preparation, help you organize the required information and supporting documents, and review your responses for missing or inconsistent information before filing.
Any eligibility assessment is based on the information you provide. ImmigrationDirect is not USCIS, and USCIS makes the final eligibility determination and decision on your application.
Which Form N-600 Documents Apply to Your Situation?
The evidence you need depends on how citizenship was acquired and your family circumstances. Start with the records that prove the applicant’s birth, the U.S. citizen parent’s citizenship, and the parent-child relationship. Then review the additional evidence categories that apply to your specific citizenship pathway or family situation. You do not need every type of document listed below.
| Your situation | Evidence areas to review |
|---|---|
| Citizenship acquired at birth | Parent’s U.S. citizenship, parent-child relationship, and required U.S. residence or physical presence |
| Citizenship acquired after birth | Lawful permanent resident status, U.S. residence, and legal and physical custody |
| Child born out of wedlock | Parentage, paternity, or legitimation evidence where required |
| Adopted child | Adoption relationship and related custody or recognition records |
| Parents divorced or separated | Legal custody and, where relevant, physical custody evidence |
| Military or U.S. government family abroad | Qualifying service or employment and official assignment records |
Core Form N-600 Evidence Categories
The evidence required with Form N-600 depends on the citizenship claim and the applicant’s circumstances. These are evidence categories, not documents every applicant must submit.
Common categories may include:
- the applicant’s birth certificate or other birth record;
- the U.S. citizen parent’s birth record and proof of U.S. citizenship;
- the applicant’s or parents’ marriage records, when relevant;
- records showing how prior marriages ended, such as divorce, annulment, or death records;
- evidence of the required parent-child relationship, legal or physical custody, or adoption;
- proof of lawful permanent resident status for certain citizenship-after-birth claims;
- evidence of a U.S. citizen parent’s required U.S. residence or physical presence for applicable citizenship-at-birth claims; and
- evidence of a legal name or date-of-birth change, if applicable.
What Documents Prove a Parent’s U.S. Citizenship?
To support a Form N-600 claim, USCIS may accept one of several documents showing that the parent is a U.S. citizen. Depending on the parent’s situation, this may include:
- a U.S. birth certificate;
- a Certificate of Naturalization;
- a Certificate of Citizenship;
- a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA), where applicable; or
- a valid, unexpired U.S. passport.
USCIS also separately lists the U.S. citizen parent’s birth certificate or birth record, so the parent’s birth record and proof of U.S. citizenship may be separate pieces of evidence.
If available, an applicant may also submit a valid, unexpired U.S. passport or Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) as evidence supporting the applicant’s own U.S. citizenship claim.
Documents for Citizenship Acquired at Birth
If you acquired U.S. citizenship at birth outside the United States, your Form N-600 evidence should show that the citizenship requirements were satisfied when you were born.
Depending on your situation, this may include records showing:
- your birth outside the United States;
- your U.S. citizen parent’s citizenship;
- the qualifying parent-child relationship;
- your parents’ marital status, when relevant;
- the U.S. citizen parent’s required residence or physical presence in the United States before your birth; and
- paternity or legitimation, if your claim is through a U.S. citizen father and those rules apply.
The exact evidence depends on your date of birth, parentage, and citizenship pathway. For the legal requirements that determine whether citizenship was acquired at birth, see our Form N-600 eligibility and requirements guide.
What Can Prove a U.S. Citizen Parent’s Physical Presence?
If your citizenship-at-birth claim requires proof of a U.S. citizen parent’s physical presence in the United States before your birth, the USCIS Form N-600 Instructions list different types of records that can help establish where and when the parent was present.
Examples may include:
- school records;
- employment records;
- military records;
- deeds, mortgages, or leases showing residence;
- records or attestations from churches, unions, or other organizations;
- U.S. Social Security records; and
- affidavits from people with personal knowledge of the parent’s residence or physical presence.
The evidence should cover the relevant periods before your birth as clearly as possible. More than one type of record may be useful when a single document does not establish the full period.
Evidence for a Child Born Out of Wedlock
Additional legitimation or paternity evidence may be required in certain Form N-600 claims through a U.S. citizen father.
Depending on the law that applies, USCIS may accept:
- records showing the child was legitimated under the applicable law;
- a written acknowledgment of paternity by the father made under oath; or
- a court decision establishing paternity.
Not every child born out of wedlock needs the same evidence. The required proof depends on the citizenship claim and parent-child relationship.
For the rules governing when legitimation or paternity must be established, see our Form N-600 eligibility and requirements guide.
Documents for Citizenship Automatically Acquired After Birth
If you automatically acquired U.S. citizenship after birth, your Form N-600 evidence should show that the applicable citizenship requirements were met while you were under the relevant age limit.
Depending on your case, this may include records showing:
- your birth and qualifying relationship to the U.S. citizen parent;
- the parent’s U.S. citizenship;
- your lawful permanent resident status;
- your residence in the United States;
- the U.S. citizen parent’s legal custody; and
- your physical residence with that parent.
Together, the evidence should establish that the required conditions existed at the relevant time.
For the underlying citizenship requirements, see our Form N-600 eligibility and requirements guide or derivative citizenship guide.
What Documents Prove Lawful Permanent Resident Status?
For a citizenship-after-birth claim, USCIS may require evidence that the applicant was a lawful permanent resident when the applicable citizenship requirements were satisfied.
Examples may include:
- a Permanent Resident Card (Green Card);
- an older Alien Registration Receipt Card, where applicable;
- a temporary I-551 stamp in a valid foreign passport; or
- other USCIS-issued records showing lawful permanent resident status.
This evidence is specific to certain citizenship-after-birth claims and is not required for every Form N-600 applicant.
What Documents Prove Legal and Physical Custody?
USCIS treats legal custody and physical custody as separate requirements where they apply.
Evidence of legal custody may include:
- a court custody order;
- a divorce or legal-separation order assigning custody;
- an adoption order; or
- other records showing that the U.S. citizen parent had legal authority and responsibility for the child.
Evidence of physical custody should show that the child actually lived with the U.S. citizen parent. Examples may include:
- school records showing the same home address;
- medical or vaccination records;
- federal income tax transcripts showing the child as a dependent household member;
- other residence records linking the child and parent to the same address; or
- a notarized affidavit from the U.S. citizen or non-U.S. citizen parent describing when the child lived with the U.S. citizen parent, where appropriate.
A custody order may help establish legal custody, but it does not by itself prove that the child actually lived with the U.S. citizen parent.
What Documents Does an Adopted Child Need for Form N-600?
For an adopted child, Form N-600 evidence should establish the qualifying adoptive parent-child relationship. Depending on the adoption history, this may include:
- a full and final adoption decree;
- a U.S. re-adoption decree, when required;
- evidence that a foreign adoption is recognized as full and final under applicable U.S. state law, where relevant; and
- custody or residence records when those facts are required for the citizenship claim.
The exact records depend on how and where the adoption was completed.
For the citizenship requirements that apply to adopted children, see our Form N-600 eligibility and requirements guide.
Marriage, Divorce, and Death Records
Marriage and termination-of-marriage records may be required when they help establish the family relationship or marital history relevant to a Form N-600 citizenship claim.
Depending on the case, relevant records may include:
- the applicant’s marriage certificate, if applicable;
- a marriage certificate for the applicant’s parents, where relevant;
- divorce decrees showing that a prior marriage legally ended;
- a death certificate for a deceased former spouse; or
- an annulment record, where applicable.
These records are generally needed only when marital history affects the citizenship claim. Submit the records that apply to the relevant parent or family relationship; not every N-600 applicant needs marriage, divorce, or death records.
Evidence of a Legal Name or Date of Birth Change
If the applicant or relevant U.S. citizen parent has legally changed their name or date of birth, include a court order or other official record documenting the change or correction.
This evidence is generally relevant when the current name or date of birth differs from information shown on other documents submitted with Form N-600.
Special Evidence for Certain Military and U.S. Government Families Abroad
Certain military and U.S. government employee families living abroad may need evidence of the qualifying overseas assignment.
For a child connected to a U.S. armed forces member, this may include Permanent Change of Station (PCS) or other official orders showing authorization to accompany and reside with the service member.
USCIS states that children of qualifying U.S. government employees or their spouses are not required by statute to be listed on the employee’s official orders.
Do You Need Passport Photos With Form N-600?
Two passport photos are not required from every Form N-600 applicant. If you reside in the United States, USCIS may have you appear at an Application Support Center to provide your photograph and signature.
If you reside outside the United States, you must submit two identical, recent color passport-style photographs with Form N-600. Different procedures may apply to certain U.S. military members stationed abroad, so follow the current USCIS instructions that apply to your filing situation.
Should You Submit Original Documents or Copies?
Unless USCIS specifically requires an original, submit legible photocopies of supporting documents with Form N-600. Keep the original records available because USCIS may later request to inspect or receive them.
When USCIS specifically requests an original document, it generally returns the original after it is no longer needed. However, do not voluntarily send original civil documents when USCIS has not requested them. USCIS warns that originals submitted when they were not required or specifically requested may be destroyed after they are received.
What Are the Translation Requirements for Form N-600 Documents?
Any supporting document written in a foreign language must be submitted with a full English translation. The translator must certify that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English.
The translator certification must include the translator’s signature, printed name, date of signature, and contact information. USCIS requires certification of the translation; this should not be confused with a requirement that the translator hold a particular professional “certified translator” credential.
What If a Required N-600 Document Is Unavailable?
If a required primary document cannot be obtained, explain why the record is unavailable rather than simply leaving it out. USCIS may require evidence from the appropriate government or issuing authority confirming that the record does not exist or cannot be obtained.
You may then submit suitable secondary evidence that helps establish the same fact the missing primary document would have proved. Depending on the record, examples may include:
- baptismal certificates;
- school records;
- census records; or
- other reliable records relating to the event or relationship.
If other types of secondary evidence are unavailable, affidavits may be used where permitted. The Form N-600 instructions contemplate statements from two people with personal knowledge of the relevant event.
The affidavits should explain what each person knows and how they obtained that knowledge. Affidavits do not automatically replace a missing primary record; USCIS evaluates whether the evidence establishes the required fact.
Do You Need to Resubmit Documents USCIS Already Has?
USCIS generally does not require certain evidence to be resubmitted when it is already contained in the agency’s administrative record. This may include documents retained from an immigrant visa package or previously included in a USCIS petition or application file.
Do not assume USCIS has a particular document simply because it was submitted elsewhere. USCIS may still request the document or additional evidence if needed to decide the Form N-600 application.
Review Your Form N-600 Evidence Before Filing
Before submitting Form N-600, review your supporting evidence to make sure it matches the citizenship claim you are documenting.
- Confirm the correct citizenship pathway.
- Include the applicant’s birth evidence.
- Include proof of the U.S. citizen parent’s citizenship.
- Add relationship, custody, or adoption records where applicable.
- Include physical-presence evidence when required.
- Make sure all copies are clear and legible.
- Include properly certified English translations for foreign-language documents.
- Explain unavailable primary records and provide appropriate secondary evidence.
- Avoid submitting original documents unless USCIS specifically requires or requests them.
What Should You Do After Organizing Your N-600 Documents?
Once your supporting evidence is organized, follow the Form N-600 instructions to complete and review the application. Before filing, confirm the current Form N-600 filing fee and make sure you are using the filing method that applies to your situation.
Submit the application only after checking that the form and supporting evidence are complete and consistent.
Form N-600 Document FAQs
Can USCIS Ask for More Evidence After I File Form N-600?
Yes. USCIS may issue a Request for Evidence (RFE) if the documents submitted do not sufficiently prove a required fact. The notice will explain what additional evidence is needed and the response deadline. USCIS may also ask to review an original document before deciding the application.
Preparing Form N-600?
ImmigrationDirect can help you prepare Form N-600 with guided questions, step-by-step support, and help organizing the information and supporting documents needed for your application. The service also helps you review responses for missing or inconsistent information and provides filing instructions before submission.
Any eligibility assessment is based on the information you provide. ImmigrationDirect is not USCIS, and USCIS makes the final eligibility determination and decision on your application. No preparation service can guarantee approval.
