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I am a A4
If you were born in the United States, you do not need to apply
to USCIS for any evidence of citizenship. Your birth certificate issued
where you were born is proof of your citizenship.1
If you were born outside the United States, but one or both
of your parents were U.S. citizens when you were born,
you may still be a U.S. citizen. This is called citizenship through
derivation. There are usually additional specific requirements, and
sometimes citizenship can be through a combination of a parent and
grandparent.
What documents are usually accepted as proof of U.S.
citizenship?
The most common documents that establish U.S. citizenship are:
• Birth Certificate, issued by a U.S. State (if the person was
born in the United States), or by the U.S. Department of State
(if the person was born abroad to U.S. citizen parents who
registered the child’s birth and U.S. citizenship with the U.S.
Embassy or consulate);
• U.S. Passport, issued by the U.S. Department of State;
• Certificate of Citizenship, issued to a person born outside the
United States who derived or acquired U.S. citizenship through a
U.S. citizen parent; or
• Naturalization Certificate, issued to a person who became
a U.S. citizen after 18 years of age through the naturalization
process.
I was born in the United States. Where can I get a copy of
my birth certificate?
Check with the Department of Health (Vital Records) in the U.S.
State in which you were born. For more information, visit the
National Center for Health Statistics web page at www.cdc.gov/
nchs/births.htm.
1An exception to this rule exists regarding children born in the United If your parent was a U.S. citizen when you were born but had not
States to foreign diplomats.
A4—I am a U.S. citizen…How do I get proof of my U.S. citizenship?
M-560B (October 2013) N
U.S. citizen
How do I get proof
of my U.S. citizenship?
I am a U.S. citizen. My child will be born abroad or recently
was born abroad. How do I register his or her birth and
U.S. citizenship?
Please contact the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Embassy
or consulate in the country where your child will be born for more
information about eligibility requirements and how to register your
child’s U.S. citizenship.
I was born overseas. My birth and U.S. citizenship were
registered with the U.S. Embassy or consulate.
I need a copy of the evidence of my citizenship. Whom
should I contact?
Contact the U.S. Department of State. For more information, please
see their Web site at www.state.gov.
I was born overseas. I believe I was a U.S. citizen at birth
because one or both my parents were U.S. citizens when I
was born. But my birth and citizenship were not registered
with the U.S. Embassy when I was born. Can I apply to
have my citizenship recognized?
Whether or not someone born outside the United States to a U.S.
citizen parent is a U.S. citizen depends on the law in effect when
the person was born. These laws have changed over the years, but
usually require a combination of the parent being a U.S. citizen when
the child was born, and the parent having lived in the United States
or its possessions for a specific period of time. Derivative citizenship
can be quite complex and may require careful legal analysis.
I was born overseas. One of my parents was a U.S.
citizen but never lived in the United States. One of my
grandparents was also a U.S. citizen. Could I have derived
U.S. citizenship?
lived in the United States for the required amount of time before
your birth, but one of your grandparents was also a U.S. citizen
and had already met the residence requirements, then you may still
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