Fill out Form N-600 online

Who uses Form N-600

• People born outside the United States who were U.S. citizens at birth through a U.S. citizen parent
• People who automatically became U.S. citizens through a U.S. citizen parent after birth but before turning 18
• U.S. citizen parents or legal guardians filing for a minor child
• Interpreters and preparers who help with the application, who complete and sign Parts 9 and 10

Before you start

• The applicant's A-Number, if any, from the Permanent Resident Card; if it has fewer than nine digits, add zeros in front to make nine
• The applicant's birth certificate and the U.S. citizen parent's birth certificate, each issued and certified by a civil authority
• Proof of the parent's U.S. citizenship, such as a U.S. birth certificate, Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, Form FS-240 or a valid unexpired U.S. passport
• Marriage certificates for the parent and the applicant, and any divorce decree, death certificate or annulment record that ended a marriage
• Entry and status details: port and date of entry, the name used, the passport or travel document, and when and where permanent resident status was granted
• If it applies: a copy of the Permanent Resident Card (if citizenship is claimed after birth), the full and final adoption decree or U.S. re-adoption decree, proof of legitimation, records of the parent's residence or physical presence in the United States, and a full English translation of any foreign-language document with the translator's signed certification

How to fill out Form N-600

1. 1

   Part 1. Information About Your Eligibility

   Enter the applicant's 9-digit A-Number at the top, if there is one. In Item Number 1, say whether you are the child filing for yourself or a U.S. citizen parent or legal guardian filing for a child. In Item Number 2, select how the child is related to the U.S. citizen parent: biological child, adopted child, child of a non-genetic gestational parent, child of a parent married to the genetic or gestational parent at the time of birth, or Other with an explanation. Select only one box in each item.

2. 2

   Part 2, Items 1-19. Information About You (Child of a U.S. Citizen)

   If a parent or guardian is filing, every answer in Part 2 is about the child. Items 1-14 ask for names (current legal name, the name on the Permanent Resident Card, other names used), Social Security number, USCIS Online Account Number, date and country of birth, prior citizenship, sex, height, mailing and physical addresses, marital status and U.S. Armed Forces service. Item 15 asks how the child entered the United States, the travel document used, and whether and when the child became a lawful permanent resident. Items 16-19 ask about lost LPR status, earlier Certificate of Citizenship or passport applications, and custody by the U.S. citizen parent.

3. 3

   Part 2, Items 20-25. Adoption, parents' marriage and absences

   Items 20-22 cover adoption: place and dates of the adoption and of legal and physical custody, whether it was full, final and complete, and any recognition or re-adoption in the United States. If the child was not adopted, Items 23 and 24 ask whether the parents were married to each other at the birth or married later; answer No to Item 23 if they married only after the birth. Item 25 lists trips abroad and is only for people born before October 10, 1952 who claim citizenship at birth.

4. 4

   Parts 3 and 4. The U.S. citizen parent and the other parent

   Part 3 (Items 1-10) is about the U.S. citizen mother or father: name, date and country of birth, physical address (write "Deceased" and the date of death if that applies), how the parent became a citizen, any loss of citizenship, marital history and the parent's current spouse. A U.S. citizen parent filing for a child answers Part 3 about themselves. Part 4 (Items 1-12) asks the same about the other mother or father, including whether that parent is a U.S. citizen.

5. 5

   Parts 5, 6 and 7. Guardian, physical presence and military service

   Part 5 is only for a legal guardian filing for a minor child. Parts 6 and 7 are only for applicants born outside the United States who claim to have been citizens at birth. Part 6 asks which U.S. citizen parent the dates belong to and every period that parent was physically present in the United States from the parent's birth until the child's birth. Part 7 asks whether that parent served in the U.S. Armed Forces, with dates and type of service.

6. 6

   Parts 8, 9 and 10. Statement, signatures, interpreter and preparer

   In Part 8, select Item 1.A if you read and understood the form in English or Item 1.B if an interpreter read it to you, and select Item 2 if a preparer helped. Give your phone numbers and email in Items 3-5, then sign in ink and date Item 6. An interpreter completes and signs Part 9, and anyone else who prepared the application completes and signs Part 10; an attorney or accredited representative may also need to file Form G-28.

7. 7

   Part 11. Additional Information, and Parts 12 and 13

   Use Part 11 for any answer that does not fit: give the applicant's name and A-Number, then the page, part and item number for each answer, and sign and date each extra sheet. Leave Parts 12 and 13 blank. Part 12 is completed only at the interview if the USCIS officer tells you to, and Part 13 is for USCIS use only.

After you fill it out

The signed application goes to USCIS with the filing fee, or a Form I-912 fee waiver request if eligible, and copies of the required evidence. A paper application is mailed to a USCIS Lockbox that depends on where you live, so check the current address on the USCIS Form N-600 page and the fee on the USCIS Fee Schedule (Form G-1055). USCIS also accepts Form N-600 through a USCIS online account, which is a separate process, but the N-600 page currently says applicants outside the United States, applicants requesting a fee waiver, and members or veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces filing for themselves must file by mail. USCIS may then schedule biometrics or an interview and sends its decision in writing.

Signing: Print the form and sign Part 8, Item Number 6 by hand in ink; USCIS does not accept a stamped or typewritten name and rejects an unsigned application. A parent or legal guardian may sign for an applicant under 14, and a photocopy, fax or scan of the original hand-signed application is accepted.

Questions about Form N-600

Official information

• USCIS: Form N-600, Application for Certificate of Citizenship
• Instructions for Form N-600 (PDF)
• USCIS: Form N-600 frequently asked questions
• USCIS Fee Schedule (Form G-1055)

Page text last reviewed November 7, 2026.

Related forms

• Form N-565Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document
• Form G-28Notice of Entry of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative
• Form I-912Request for Fee Waiver
• Form DS-11Application for a U.S. Passport
• Form N-400Application for Naturalization