Form N-600: Application for Certificate of Citizenship

Filing Guide

N-600 is different from every other form on this site: you're not applying to become a citizen — the law already made you one. You're asking USCIS to issue a Certificate of Citizenship as proof, most commonly in one of two situations: you were born abroad to a U.S. citizen parent, or you automatically gained citizenship as a child when a parent naturalized while you were under 18 and living with them in the U.S. as a green card holder.

Don't file N-600 if you're actually seeking to become a citizen through the normal naturalization process — that's Form N-400. And if you already hold a valid, unexpired U.S. passport, you may not need a separate certificate at all, since the passport itself already serves as proof for most purposes.

This is a genuinely fact-heavy filing — proving derivative or acquired citizenship often means digging up years-old school records, tax returns, and passport stamps to establish exactly when someone lived where, and with whom.

Required Documents

• Your birth certificate
• Your parent's proof of U.S. citizenship (birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or passport)
• Proof of legal and physical custody, if claiming citizenship through a parent's naturalization
• Your parents' marriage or divorce documents, if relevant to your specific case
• Evidence of your U.S. citizen parent's physical presence in the U.S., for citizenship acquired at birth abroad
• Two passport-style photos

Common Mistakes

• Selecting the wrong eligibility category on the form for how citizenship was actually acquired
• Submitting thin evidence of a parent's physical presence or custody — this is usually the hardest part to document well
• Filing N-600 when Form N-400 (naturalization) or a passport application was actually the right path
• Missing required signatures depending on the applicant's age

Frequently Asked Questions

How is this different from a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA)?

A CRBA is filed at a U.S. embassy shortly after a birth abroad and serves as citizenship proof for life. N-600 is filed later, often years afterward, when a CRBA was never obtained or when citizenship came later through a parent's naturalization.

How long does N-600 take?

Processing time varies enormously — from several months to well over a year — often depending on how much historical documentation is needed to establish the case.

Is there an interview?

Sometimes — it depends on the case and the applicant's age. If required, the Oath of Allegiance may be administered at that same appointment for applicants over 14.

Typical Process Flow

File N-600 with supporting evidence → Receipt notice → Biometrics (if applicable) → Case reviewed → Interview (if required) → Certificate of Citizenship issued.