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U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Fill out Form N-565 online

Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document

Form N-565 is the application to USCIS for a replacement Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, Declaration of Intention or Repatriation Certificate. People use it when the document was lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated, has a typographical or clerical error made by USCIS, or must show a legally changed name; it also covers a Certificate of Citizenship with a legally changed date of birth and a document whose listed sex does not match the sex at birth. Naturalized citizens also use it to ask for a special certificate so a foreign country can recognize their U.S. citizenship.

Fill out Form N-565Blank form from the USCIS

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Edition
Edition 02/27/25
Pages
7
Fillable fields
139
Checked against the USCIS
November 8, 2026

GuruPDF is not affiliated with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This page explains the form in plain words; it is not legal or tax advice. Always check the official instructions before you file.

Who uses Form N-565

  • People whose naturalization or citizenship certificate was lost, stolen, destroyed or damaged
  • Holders of a certificate or declaration with a typographical or clerical error made by USCIS
  • People who legally changed their name through marriage, divorce, annulment or a court order
  • Holders of a Certificate of Citizenship whose date of birth was legally changed
  • Naturalized citizens who need a special certificate for a foreign government

Before you start

  • Your current certificate or declaration, or a copy of it if it was lost, stolen or destroyed and you have one; you need its number, the USCIS office or court that issued it, and the issue date
  • Your A-Number, if you have one
  • A copy of your U.S. government-issued photo ID
  • Evidence for your reason: a police report and/or a sworn statement for a lost, stolen or destroyed document, or the marriage certificate, divorce or annulment decree, court order, U.S. government-issued document or birth certificate that supports the change
  • A copy of the document showing any change in marital status since your original document was issued
  • Two identical color passport-style photos, only if you live outside the United States

How to fill out Form N-565

  1. Part 1: Information from your current certificate

    Give your name exactly as it is printed on the certificate or declaration, the date of birth shown on it, your country of birth, your country of former citizenship or nationality, the certificate or declaration number, and your A-Number if you have one. In Item 7, name the USCIS office or court that issued your last document and the date it was issued.

  2. Part 2: Current information about you

    Enter your full legal name today (no nickname), all other names you have used, your current mailing address and your marital status. Item 5 asks whether you have lost or renounced your U.S. citizenship since becoming a citizen; if you answer Yes, explain in Part 12 or on a separate sheet.

  3. Part 3: Type of application and basis

    In Items 1.a to 1.e, select only one document: a new Certificate of Citizenship, Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Repatriation or Declaration of Intention, or the special certificate for recognition by a foreign country (1.e). If you selected 1.e, skip to Part 8. Otherwise, under Basis for My Application, select every reason in Items 2.a to 2.g that applies; 2.a and 2.g also ask for a written explanation. The note under each reason says which part to go to next and what to attach.

  4. Parts 4 to 7: Details of the change

    Complete the part for each reason you selected. Part 4 is for a USCIS typographical or clerical error: select what is wrong (name, date of birth, sex or other) and explain it. Part 5 is for a name change through marriage, divorce or annulment, or a court order, with its date. Part 6 is for a date of birth changed by a court order or a U.S. Government-issued document, and asks for the new date of birth. Part 7 asks for your biological sex at birth. If a USCIS error caused the problem, use Part 4 instead of Parts 5 to 7, and after any of these parts go to Part 9.

  5. Part 8: Special certificate for a foreign country

    Only if you selected Item 1.e. Name the foreign country and, if you know them, the name, title, agency and address of the foreign official who asked for the certificate. Do not complete Item 4: a USCIS or consular official completes that certification after USCIS decides, and only if the application is approved.

  6. Parts 9 to 11: Contact details and signatures

    In Part 9, give your daytime phone number and, if you have them, a mobile number and email address, then sign and date in Item 4. If an interpreter read the form to you in a language you are fluent in, the interpreter completes and signs Part 10. If someone other than you prepared the form, that person completes and signs Part 11; a person who did both completes both parts.

  7. Part 12: Additional information

    Use Part 12 for anything that does not fit, such as explanations or more names. Give the page, part and item number for each answer, put your name and A-Number (if any) at the top of each extra sheet, and sign and date each sheet.

After you fill it out

Mail the signed application to USCIS with the evidence and any original document your reason requires; check the current filing address on the official N-565 page. USCIS also lets you file Form N-565 online by creating a USCIS online account and completing the application there; USCIS says you must then mail your original document separately, to the address given in the Evidence section of the online application. Check the current filing fee on the USCIS Fee Schedule (Form G-1055). If you file by mail and want an email or text when USCIS accepts the form, you can complete Form G-1145 and clip it to the first page.

Signing: For a paper filing, print the form and sign it by hand in ink; USCIS does not accept a stamped or typewritten name in place of a signature, and it rejects an unsigned application. A photocopy, fax or scan of the original application with your handwritten signature is accepted, and a mother, father or legal guardian may sign for an applicant under 14.

Watch out for

  • USCIS rejects the form if it is unsigned, if Part 2 is missing your family name or current mailing address, if Part 3 does not have exactly one box selected in Items 1.a to 1.e, or if the basis for the application is missing. It also rejects an application sent without the correct fee.
  • If you print the form to mail it, all pages must be from the same edition and none may be missing, with the edition date and page numbers visible at the bottom of each page, or USCIS may reject the form.
  • USCIS cannot change a name or date of birth on a Certificate of Naturalization that you gave incorrectly on your Form N-400 and then swore to at your interview. It can change the name only if you changed it after you naturalized.
  • The date of birth change in Item 2.e and Part 6 is only for a Certificate of Citizenship.

Questions about Form N-565

Do I have to send my original certificate?

Yes, for every reason except a lost, stolen or destroyed document: a mutilated document, a USCIS error, a name or date of birth change, a sex correction and any other reason (Item 2.g) all require the original. If it was lost, stolen or destroyed, send a copy if you have one, plus a police report and/or a sworn statement explaining what happened. For the special certificate in Item 1.e, attach a copy of your naturalization certificate.

My certificate was never delivered. Which reason do I select?

USCIS says to select Part 3, Item 2.a, which covers a certificate or declaration that was lost, stolen or destroyed.

Do I need passport photos?

Only if you live outside the United States. In that case, send two identical color passport-style photos, 2 by 2 inches, taken recently, with your name and A-Number (if any) lightly printed on the back in pencil or felt pen.

What is the special certificate in Item 1.e?

It is for a naturalized citizen when a foreign government needs proof of U.S. citizenship for a legitimate purpose, but not for entry into that country or its own immigration processing. Where appropriate, USCIS sends an approved special certificate to the Department of State for delivery to the foreign official.

What happens if I file from outside the United States?

If you give a foreign mailing address and the application is approved, USCIS sends the new document to the nearest U.S. Embassy, U.S. Consulate or USCIS field office. You get a notice by mail saying where to pick it up.

Official information

Page text last reviewed November 7, 2026.

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