Is a birth certificate the same as a Certificate of Citizenship?

No. A birth certificate records where and when you were born and who your parents are; it does not, by itself, establish U.S. citizenship for someone born abroad. A Certificate of Citizenship is a federal USCIS document that specifically proves you are a U.S. citizen who acquired or derived that status — typically through a parent. People born in the U.S. generally use a birth certificate as proof of citizenship and don't receive a Certificate of Citizenship.

What's the difference between a Certificate of Citizenship and a Certificate of Naturalization?

A Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-560/N-561) is issued to people who acquired or derived citizenship — usually children who became citizens through a U.S.-citizen parent. A Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550) is issued to adults who become citizens by going through the naturalization process themselves. Both prove U.S. citizenship; the difference is how the citizenship was obtained.

Do I need a Certificate of Citizenship if I already have a U.S. passport?

Not necessarily. A valid U.S. passport is itself accepted proof of citizenship, so many derived and acquired citizens rely on a passport instead. A Certificate of Citizenship is a permanent standalone document that never 'expires' the way a passport does, which some people prefer for sponsoring relatives or as a durable record. You can hold both, but you are not required to have the certificate if you have a passport.

How do you get a Certificate of Citizenship?

You apply to USCIS using Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, online or by mail. The current filing fee is $1,385 by paper or $1,335 online (there is no fee for eligible U.S. military members filing for themselves). You'll submit evidence of your parents' citizenship and your relationship to them; if approved, USCIS issues the certificate on Form N-560.

How do I replace a lost or stolen Certificate of Citizenship?

File Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document, with USCIS — online or by mail. The fee is $555 by paper or $505 online, and processing typically takes several months. Because replacement is slow and costly, keep the original secure and a clear digital copy on hand to prove your status while a replacement is pending.

Does a Certificate of Citizenship expire?

No. Unlike a passport, a Certificate of Citizenship has no expiration date — it's a permanent record of citizenship you already hold. It only needs to be replaced (via Form N-565) if it is lost, stolen, damaged, or contains information that needs to be corrected, such as after a legal name change.

Identity

Certificate of Citizenship

A Certificate of Citizenship is a federal document (USCIS Form N-560 or N-561) that proves you became a U.S. citizen automatically — by being born abroad to U.S.-citizen parents, or as a child through a parent's naturalization — rather than by naturalizing as an adult. USCIS issues it on a Form N-600 application.

Replacing a lost, stolen, or damaged Certificate of Citizenship requires filing USCIS Form N-565 with a $555 filing fee ($505 online) — and waiting months for reissuance.

Source: USCIS — G-1055 Fee Schedule

Written & maintained by the Granite team · Last updated June 2026

Overview

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) issues the Certificate of Citizenship to people who acquired or derived citizenship, most often a child who became a citizen through a U.S.-citizen parent. You apply for it on Form N-600; the certificate itself is Form N-560 (or N-561 if it's a replacement). It confirms citizenship you already hold — it does not grant it.

It is easy to confuse with two look-alikes. A Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550) goes to adults who naturalize, not to those who derived citizenship through a parent. And a birth certificate records where you were born, not your citizenship status. The Certificate of Citizenship is the document that ties the two together for derived and acquired citizens.

When you’ll get your Certificate of Citizenship

You acquired citizenship at birth abroad through a U.S.-citizen parent
You derived citizenship as a child when a parent naturalized
You were adopted by U.S.-citizen parents and became a citizen under the Child Citizenship Act
You need standalone proof of citizenship for a passport, job, or federal benefit
You filed Form N-565 to replace a lost, stolen, or damaged certificate

What’s on your Certificate of Citizenship

These are the fields Granite reads and extracts automatically the moment you upload one.

Full Name: The citizen's legal name as printed on the certificate.
Certificate Number: The red number printed after 'No.' (e.g. A3177286). Highly sensitive — a replacement (N-561) carries a new certificate number even though your A-Number stays the same.
USCIS Registration Number (A-Number): Your Alien Registration Number — an 'A' followed by 8–9 digits. Highly sensitive and used across your immigration records.
Date of Birth & Country of Birth: Used to confirm identity and the basis for citizenship.
Date You Became a Citizen: The date citizenship was acquired or derived, stated on the certificate.
Issue Date & Form Number: When the certificate was issued, and whether it's a Form N-560 (original) or N-561 (replacement).

How long to keep it

Keep the original certificate permanently in a secure place, and store a clear digital copy for reference.

A Certificate of Citizenship is one of the hardest identity documents to replace. USCIS does not let you simply order a new copy — you must file Form N-565, pay $555, and wait months for it to be reissued. Because it's a primary proof of citizenship requested at unpredictable, high-stakes moments, keeping the original safe and a digital copy findable means you're never stalled or forced into a slow, costly replacement.

How Granite handles your Certificate of Citizenship

Granite recognizes a Certificate of Citizenship on upload and pulls the details that matter — the holder's name, certificate number, A-Number, dates, and form number — then files it under your identity documents with per-document encryption, treating the certificate number and A-Number as sensitive. It links the certificate to the person it belongs to, so when you're suddenly asked for proof of citizenship, the digital copy is one search away and you know exactly where the irreplaceable original is kept.

FAQ

Certificate of Citizenship: common questions

Is a birth certificate the same as a Certificate of Citizenship?: No. A birth certificate records where and when you were born and who your parents are; it does not, by itself, establish U.S. citizenship for someone born abroad. A Certificate of Citizenship is a federal USCIS document that specifically proves you are a U.S. citizen who acquired or derived that status — typically through a parent. People born in the U.S. generally use a birth certificate as proof of citizenship and don't receive a Certificate of Citizenship.
What's the difference between a Certificate of Citizenship and a Certificate of Naturalization?: A Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-560/N-561) is issued to people who acquired or derived citizenship — usually children who became citizens through a U.S.-citizen parent. A Certificate of Naturalization (Form N-550) is issued to adults who become citizens by going through the naturalization process themselves. Both prove U.S. citizenship; the difference is how the citizenship was obtained.
Do I need a Certificate of Citizenship if I already have a U.S. passport?: Not necessarily. A valid U.S. passport is itself accepted proof of citizenship, so many derived and acquired citizens rely on a passport instead. A Certificate of Citizenship is a permanent standalone document that never 'expires' the way a passport does, which some people prefer for sponsoring relatives or as a durable record. You can hold both, but you are not required to have the certificate if you have a passport.
How do you get a Certificate of Citizenship?: You apply to USCIS using Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship, online or by mail. The current filing fee is $1,385 by paper or $1,335 online (there is no fee for eligible U.S. military members filing for themselves). You'll submit evidence of your parents' citizenship and your relationship to them; if approved, USCIS issues the certificate on Form N-560.
How do I replace a lost or stolen Certificate of Citizenship?: File Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document, with USCIS — online or by mail. The fee is $555 by paper or $505 online, and processing typically takes several months. Because replacement is slow and costly, keep the original secure and a clear digital copy on hand to prove your status while a replacement is pending.
Does a Certificate of Citizenship expire?: No. Unlike a passport, a Certificate of Citizenship has no expiration date — it's a permanent record of citizenship you already hold. It only needs to be replaced (via Form N-565) if it is lost, stolen, damaged, or contains information that needs to be corrected, such as after a legal name change.

Sources

This page is checked against primary and authoritative sources:

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