Passport Information and Help Center

Passport Requirement – Proof of U.S. Citizenship

The following documents are accepted proof of U.S. Citizenship.

  1. Original Previously Issued Passport

    Previously Issued Passport

  2. Original or Certified state issued Birth Certificate

    Birth Certificate

    (With A Raised Seal)

    • To obtain a certified copy of your birth certificate, contact the office of vital records in the state where you were born.
    • If you were born in California or Texas, you must provide the "long form birth certificate" that shows your parents' names.
    • To obtain an official, certified birth certificate online, quickly and securely, Rush My Passport recommends VitalChek.com.

  3. Original Naturalization Certificate

    Naturalization Certificate

  4. File Search

    If you have been issued a passport and no longer have the passport in your possession, you may request a file search with the U.S. Passport Agency. To do so you must.

    • Include a written request for a file search with the other required documents.
    • Include an additional personal check or money order made payable to the U.S. Department of State for $150

    Note: File search fees are in addition to the standard government processing fees. A file search may take an additional 5 days to process.

  5. Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form-FS 240) or Certification of Report of Birth (DS-1350)

    If you were born abroad to one or more U.S. citizens, your parents should have registered your birth at a U.S. embassy or consulate, and received a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (Form FS-240) or Certification of Report of Birth (Form DS-1350).

    To obtain a replacement for a lost or mutilated document, please submit a notarized written request including the original FS-240 or a notarized affidavit concerning the loss of the FS-240 and a $30 fee, payable to the "Department of State." Mail it to the address below. The affidavit must contain the: 1) name, (2) date, and (3) place of birth of the subject; (4) a statement regarding the whereabouts of the original FS-240; and (5) be signed by the subject, parent, or legal representative.

    The DS-1350 or a replacement FS-240 can be obtained by writing to:
    Vital Records Section
    Passport Services
    1111 19th Street, NW, Suite 510
    Washington, D.C. 20522-1705

    A written request must be notarized and must include a copy of valid photo identification of the requester. The written request must include:

    • Full name of child at birth (plus any adoptive names)
    • Date and place of birth
    • Full names of parents
    • Serial number, if known, of the FS-240 (on those issued after November 1, 1990)
    • Any available passport information
    • Signature of requester
    • Notarized affidavit for a replacement FS-240 (if applicable)

    Note: For Panama Canal Zone (PCZ) birth certificates, just include items (1) through (3). The fee for an FS-240 is $30.

    Note: Fees for DS-1350 and PCZ certificates are $30 for the first copy, $20 each additional copy.