Naturalization Documents

What are naturalization documents and what kind of supporting documents are needed to become a U.S. citizen? Are there specific citizenship required documents? If you want to know the list of documents to submit for US citizenship and the list of documents to bring to the citizenship interview, check this article!

Anyone who applies to become a U.S. citizen must have to complete the Form N-400. However, Form N-400 alone is not enough. You will have to gather necessary supporting documents based on each applicant’s situation. These documents, naturalization documents, are for example, documents to prove citizenship of spouse, green card, marriage certificate, driver’s license, birth certificate, etc. Here, we will guide you through as to what supporting documents are needed besides to completing the Form N-400.

What documents to submit with the Form N-400
What supporting documents to bring to your Naturalization interview
What additional supporting documents you will need

Let's find out the detailed rules and regulations about naturalization documents.

I. What naturalization documents to submit with Form N-400

The following list of documents must be included and submitted together with Form N-400.

Document Type	Examples of Documents	Who is Required?
(1) Proof of Permanent Resident Status	Copy of your Green Card (Permanent Resident Card or Form I-551)	All Applicants
(2) Application Fee(s)	Choose only one of the following: Personal Check or Money Order (Write you’re A-Number back of the Check) Credit Card (Use Form G-1450)	All Applicants, Except those who are exempt or requesting for fee waiver.
(3) Proof of Your Current Marital Status	Send all of the following, if applicable: Marriage Certificate Divorce Decree Annulment Certificates Death Certificates	All currently married or previously married applicants
(4) Proof of Your Identity	TWO Passport Style Photo (2” x 2”)	Applicants living and applying from abroad
(5) Proof of Your Military Service	Form N-426, Request for Certification of Military or Naval Service (https://www.uscis.gov/n-426)	Applicants filing based on Military Service
(6) Proof of Any Medical Disability	Form N-648, Medical Certification for Disability Exceptions (https://www.uscis.gov/n-648)	Applicants requesting an exemption from the Naturalization Two-Part Test based on qualifying medical condition
(7) Fee Reduction Application	Form I-942, Request for Reduced Fee (https://www.uscis.gov/i-942)	Applicants who qualify for fee reduction
(8) Fee Waiver Application	Form I-912, Request for Fee Waiver (https://www.uscis.gov/i-912)	Applicants who qualify for fee waiver, including those who only qualify for Biometric Service Fee Waive
(9) Request for Representation at the Naturalization Interview	Form G-28, Notice of Appearance as Attorney or Accredited Representative	Applicants who wish to be represented by an attorney

II. Supporting documents to bring to your naturalization interview

You must bring the following supporting documents to your naturalization interview.

Document Type	Examples of Documents	Who is Required?
(1) Proof of Permanent Status	Copy of your Green Card(Permanent Resident Card or Form I-551)	All Applicants
(2) State-Issued Identification	Either One of the Following: State ID Driver’s License	All Applicants
(3) Travel Records	Bring All of the Following: Passports (Current and Expired) USCIS-Issued Travel Documents, such as I-94	All Applicants
(4) Proof of Current Marital Status and/or Termination of Your Previous Marriages	Bring original copies of all of the following, if applicable: Marriage Certificate Divorce Decree Annulment Certificates Death Certificates Other official records to confirm your marital history and current marital status	All currently or previously married applicants
(5) Proof of Termination of Your Spouse’s Previous marriages, if any	Bring original copies of all of the following for your spouse, if applicable: Divorce Decree Annulment Certificates Death Certificates Other evidence that indicates the termination of your spouse’s marriage for consideration	All currently married applicants who is applicable
(6) Proof of Official Name Change, if any	Bring as many of the following, if applicable: Marriage Certificate Court Order of Name Change Adoption Papers Other Official Records	All Applicants who is applicable

III. Additional supporting documents

The following naturalization documents can either be included and submitted along with the Form N-400 or can be brought to the naturalization interview. However, we recommend bringing the following lists of naturalization documents to your interview rather than submitting it with the Form N-400 because any changes that occur between filing N-400 and taking the Oath of Allegiance, you will have to submit new supporting document reflecting the change in which event it will cause delay to your process.

Document Type	Examples of Documents	Who is Required?
(1) Documents to prove citizenship of spouse for the past 3 years prior to filing Form N-400	Birth Certificate (for Spouses who have been U.S. Citizen since birth) Certificate of Naturalization Certificate of Citizenship Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen (Form FS-240)	Applicants filing based on their marriage to a U.S. citizen
(2) Proof of termination of your previous marriage(s) at the time of filing Form N-400	Bring original copies of all of the following: Marriage Certificate Divorce Decree Annulment Certificates Death Certificate	Applicants filing based on their marriage to a U.S. citizen
(3) Proof of an authentic marriage for the past 3 years prior to filing Form N-400	Bring as many as possible of the following: Joint bank account and credit card statements Joint leases or mortgages Birth Certificate of your child(ren) Joint insurance policies Joint income tax returns or tax transcripts for the past 3 filing years	Applicants filing based on their marriage to a U.S. citizen
(4) Proof of parental rights over your child(ren)	Bring one of the following for each child: Birth Certificate Court order naming you as the parent Adoption papers	Applicants listing their children or dependents on Form N-400
(5) Proof that you have fulfilled your financial support obligations, if applicable	Bring the following for each dependent child who does not live with you and for other dependents (Spouse and/or ex-spouse(s)): Copies of court or government orders for you to provide financial support Canceled checks or money order receipts Copies of court or government documents showing child support and/or alimony payments Records of wage garnishments Notarized letter from the parent or guardian who cares for your child(ren)	Applicants listing their children or dependents on Form N-400
(6) Proof of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax payments or overdue tax obligations	Bring copies of the following: Federal Income Tax returns for the past 5 years filing (or past 3 years filing if applying based on marriage to a U.S. Citizen) If you owe federal, State, or local taxes: A signed agreement from the appropriate tax office showing that you’ve filled an income tax return and made a payment arrangement for your outstanding balance Documentation from the appropriate tax office showing the current status of your payment arrangement	All applicants, but especially those who apply based on their marriage to a U.S. citizen or who have taken trips abroad of at least 6 months
(7) Proof that you have maintained permanent residence in the United States	Bring as many as possible of the following: Copy of your passport showing departure and arrival stamps Copies of income tax returns for the past 5 years (or 3 years if applying based on marriage to a U.S. Citizen) Rent or mortgage payment receipts Bank, Credit Card, and loan statement showing regular transactions Auto registration and insurance Other records showing that you maintained your permanent residence	All applicants who have taken any trips outside the United States lasting over 6 months but less than 1 year
(8) Proof of Selective Service Registration (If you are a male between 18 and 26 years of age, you need to provide proof of your registration with the Selective Service. If you are 26 years of age or older, you need to provide proof that you registered with the Selective Service when you were required to do so between 18 and 26 years of age (This does not include living in the United States as a lawful nonimmigrant). If you were required to register and did not, you need to provide a statement explaining why you did not register and provide a status information letter from the Selective Service. For more information, please visit www.sss.gov or call 1-888-655-1825.	If you registered for Selective Service, bring the following: Registration Acknowledgement Card (From Selective Service System) If you did not register for Selective Service but were required to, bring all of the following: Status Information Letter (From Selective Service System) A notarized personal affidavit from yourself, stating the reason why you did not register Notarized personal affidavits from other people who knew you and can support your claim	Male applicants of a certain age
(9) Records of previous encounters with law enforcement	If you have ever been arrested or detained anywhere in the world, and no charges were filed, bring both of the following: Original or Court-certified arrest report Official, certified statement from the law enforcement agency that arrested you or from the court confirming that no charges were filed If you have ever been arrested or detained anywhere in the world and charges were filed, bring certified copies of all of the following: Arrest reports Charging documents Court dispositions Sentencing reports (including a report that you completed your probationary sentence) Other relevant documents (including those in your favor that you’d like USCIS to consider) If you have ever been convicted or placed in alternative sentencing (such as diversion) or rehabilitation (such as drug treatment or community service), bring both of the following: Original or Court-certified sentencing record for each incident Original or agency-certified record showing that you completed your program or sentence (Such as a probation or parole record) If you have ever had any arrest or conviction vacated, set aside, sealed, expunged, or removed from your record, bring one of the following: Original or Court-certified court order showing any of the above outcomes Original statement from the court that no record exists of your arrest or conviction If you have ever been in a traffic incident that involved alcohol or drugs, led to an arrest, or seriously injured another person, bring the following: Any of the relevant documents listed above based on the outcome of each incident Original arrest record, if any Original police report	All applicants who have ever been: Arrested Detained Charged Convicted Received an alternative sentence Placed in rehabilitation

IV. Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. I lost my marriage certificate. What should I do?

A. The marriage certificate proves two people are married. For a certified copy of your marriage certificate, contact the vital records office in the state where you were married. Even though the guidelines vary by state, all requests should include:

Full names of both spouses at the time of marriage
Month, day, and year of the marriage
Place of the marriage (city or town, county, and state)
Purpose for requesting the copy of the marriage certificate
Relationship to the people whose marriage certificate is being requested
Your daytime telephone number (include area code)

Q2. My spouse lost the birth certificate. What should I do?

The birth certificate proves the holder’s identity and age. It may be the most important document. Even if the holder lost it, don’t worry and contact the vital records office in the state where the holder was born to get a copy of the birth certificate.

Q3. What are documents to prove citizenship?

Applicants filing based on their marriage to a U.S. citizen are required to submit documents to prove U.S. citizenship of their spouse. The documents can be one of Birth Certificate (for Spouses who have been U.S. Citizen since birth), Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen (Form FS-240), etc.

Q4. What are naturalization documents?

Naturalization documents are for example, documents to prove citizenship of spouse, marriage certificate, driver’s license, birth certificate, etc. A Form N-400 is the official application but it is not enough to proceed naturalization. It is important to submit necessary supporting documents based on each applicant’s situation.

Related Information

An illustration of a passport with the American flag in the background

How to Become a U.S. Citizen through Naturalization

Requirements to Become a U.S. Citizen through Naturalization

Form N-400 Preparation Tips to Apply for U.S. Citizenship