Passport Information & Help Center

Passport Requirement – Proof of U.S. Citizenship

The following documents are accepted proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  1. Original Previously Issued Passport

    Previously Issued Passport
  2. Original or Certified state issued Birth Certificate

    • To obtain a certified copy of your birth certificate, contact the office of vital records in the state where you were born.
    • Birth Certificate

      (With A Raised Seal)

    • If you were born in California or Texas, you must provide the "long form birth certificate" that shows your parents' names.
    • To obtain an official, certified birth certificate online, quickly and securely, Rush My Passport recommends VitalChek.com .
  3. Original Naturalization Certificate

    Naturalization Certificate

  4. File Search

    If you have been issued a passport and no longer have the passport in your possession, you may request a file search with the U.S. Passport Agency. To do so you must.

    • Include a written request for a file search with the other required documents.
    • Include an additional personal check or money order made payable to the U.S. Department of State for $150

    Note: File search fees are in addition to the standard government processing fees. A file search may take an additional 5 days to process.

  5. Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form-FS 240) or Certification of Report of Birth (DS-1350)

    If you were born abroad to one or more U.S. citizens, your parents should have registered your birth at a U.S. embassy or consulate, and received a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240) or Certification of Report of Birth (Form DS-1350).

    To obtain a replacement for a lost or mutilated document, please submit a notarized written request including the original FS-240 or a notarized affidavit concerning the loss of the FS-240 and a $30 fee, payable to the "Department of State." Mail it to the address below. The affidavit must contain the: 1) name, (2) date, and (3) place of birth of the subject; (4) a statement regarding the whereabouts of the original FS-240; and (5) be signed by the subject, parent, or legal representative.

    The DS-1350 or a replacement FS-240 can be obtained by writing to:
    Vital Records Section
    Passport Services
    1111 19th Street, NW, Suite 510
    Washington, D.C. 20522-1705

    A written request must be notarized and must include a copy of valid photo identification of the requester. The written request must include:

    • Full name of child at birth (plus any adoptive names)
    • Date and place of birth
    • Full names of parents
    • Serial number, if known, of the FS-240 (on those issued after November 1, 1990)
    • Any available passport information
    • Signature of requester
    • Notarized affidavit for a replacement FS-240 (if applicable)

    Note: For Panama Canal Zone (PCZ) birth certificates, just include items (1) through (3). The fee for an FS-240 is $30.

    Note: Fees for DS-1350 and PCZ certificates are $30 for the first copy, $20 each additional copy.

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