Proof of U.S. citizenship for a child is required when applying in person for a U.S. passport. Depending on where and how the child acquired citizenship, families may use a U.S. birth certificate, prior passport, CRBA, Certificate of Citizenship or other qualifying evidence.
Parents applying in person for a child’s U.S. passport must provide evidence that the child is a U.S. citizen. The acceptable document depends largely on whether the child was born in the United States, acquired citizenship abroad or obtained citizenship later through a parent.
The State Department requires physical citizenship evidence and generally a photocopy. Electronic copies of birth certificates are not accepted.
U.S. Birth Certificate as Citizenship Evidence
For a child born in the United States, a qualifying U.S. birth certificate is one of the main forms of primary citizenship evidence.
The document should show the child’s full name, date and place of birth, the parents’ full names, the registrar’s signature and the official seal or stamp of the issuing city, county or state. It generally must also have been filed within one year of the child’s birth.
A full-validity, undamaged U.S. passport previously issued to the child can also serve as primary evidence.
Citizenship Documents for Children Born Abroad
A child born outside the United States may have different citizenship documentation.
Primary evidence can include a full-validity U.S. passport, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, also known as a CRBA, or a Certificate of Citizenship. A CRBA documents that a qualifying child born abroad acquired U.S. citizenship at birth.
In some cases, determining citizenship through a U.S. citizen parent requires additional records, including the child’s foreign birth certificate and evidence of the parent’s U.S. citizenship.
What if the Child Has No Primary Citizenship Document?
The State Department allows secondary citizenship evidence in certain situations when primary evidence is unavailable.
For a person born in the United States, this may include a delayed birth certificate or a state-issued Letter of No Record combined with early records. Examples can include early school, medical, baptismal or census records. Form DS-10, Birth Affidavit, may also be used in certain circumstances.
Bring Originals and Photocopies
Citizenship evidence should be accompanied by clear photocopies on white, standard 8.5-by-11-inch paper. If information appears on the back of a document, that side should also be copied.
Parents should verify that names, birth information and other details are consistent across the child’s documents before applying. Children born abroad or those with complicated citizenship histories may require additional evidence, so families should review current State Department requirements before the passport appointment.
