Certificate of Citizenship Apostille

Issuing agency

US Citizenship and Immigration Services

We can obtain it?

No — you request the certified copy from USCIS

Certification first?

No state certification — a USCIS certified copy is required

Also known as

N-560, N-561, citizenship certificate

A Certificate of Citizenship is issued by USCIS to people who acquired or derived U.S. citizenship through a U.S.-citizen parent, rather than going through the naturalization process. When you need to prove that citizenship abroad — for dual nationality, a foreign passport, property, or residency by descent — the certificate usually has to be apostilled by the U.S. Department of State.

Like a naturalization certificate, this document carries a copying restriction that trips up most applicants and most competitors. Read the next section before you do anything with your certificate.

What a Certificate of Citizenship is

USCIS issues Form N-560 or N-561 as a Certificate of Citizenship to a person who became a U.S. citizen automatically — typically a child who acquired citizenship at birth abroad to a U.S.-citizen parent, or who derived it when a parent naturalized. It shows your name, the certificate number, date of citizenship, your photograph, and the seal and signature of the issuing USCIS officer.

It is not the same as a Certificate of Naturalization, which goes to people who naturalized. Both are federal USCIS documents authenticated by the Department of State, but they come from different procedures — and if you're unsure which you hold, ask us before ordering.

Why it needs an apostille abroad

A foreign government cannot independently verify a U.S. citizenship record. The apostille, issued by the U.S. Department of State, certifies the USCIS document as genuine for use across the 120-plus Hague Convention countries. Non-Hague destinations need that authentication followed by embassy or consulate legalization.

How to obtain a certified copy USCIS will accept

USCIS is the only authority that can issue an acceptable certified copy. The usual route is Form N-565, the Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document — filed online through your USCIS account or by mail. A filing fee applies (currently $555), and routine processing commonly runs 6–12 months, so start early. In some situations USCIS will issue a certified true copy through a records request instead.

Not sure which path fits? That's exactly the call we help you make before you spend the USCIS fee.

Why originals can’t be apostilled — and copies can’t be homemade

The Department of State will not apostille your original Certificate of Citizenship — originals are irreplaceable federal identity records, and federal rules prohibit affixing an apostille or additional seals to them. At the same time, you cannot photocopy the original and have that copy apostilled: reproducing the certificate is restricted under federal law, and a self-made or notarized photocopy will be rejected.

What the Department of State will authenticate is a USCIS-issued certified copy — one carrying USCIS certification language and seal, not one from you, a copy shop, or a notary.

Why it must be authenticated federally, not by a state

Apostille authority in the U.S. is split between state Secretaries of State and the U.S. Department of State, based on who issued the document. Because USCIS is a federal agency, a Certificate of Citizenship can only be authenticated federally — a state apostille placed on it is invalid and will be rejected abroad.

Document preparation requirements

• Submit the certified copy exactly as USCIS issued it — no edits, additions, or annotations.
• Do not send the original certificate — it will be returned unprocessed.
• Do not notarize it. Notarizing a federal record invalidates it for authentication.
• Do not laminate it — lamination blocks the seal and prevents the apostille being affixed.
• Do not staple, hole-punch, fold across the seal, highlight, or write on the document.

The step-by-step process

1. We confirm your route

   Tell us what you hold and where it's going. We confirm whether you need Form N-565 or a records request, and whether the destination is Hague or non-Hague — before you spend anything.

2. You obtain the USCIS certified copy

   You file with USCIS and receive the certified copy. This is the long part (6–12 months for N-565), so we start the clock with you.

3. Order & document review

   You place your order and send us the certified copy. We verify it's in a form the Department of State will accept.

4. Department of State submission

   We hand-deliver your document to the Office of Authentications in Washington, D.C., with the federal authentication request and fee.

5. Apostille or authentication issued

   The Department of State issues an apostille (Hague) or authentication certificate (non-Hague), affixed to your certified copy.

6. Embassy legalization & translation, if required

   For non-Hague destinations we handle embassy legalization, and arrange certified translation where required.

Common rejection reasons — and how to avoid them

Common uses

• Dual citizenship registration — claiming or registering citizenship in a parent's country of origin.
• Foreign passport issuance — many countries require proof of U.S. citizenship status.
• Residency or citizenship by descent — establishing your status for a family-based claim abroad.
• Marriage registration overseas — civil registries often require federally authenticated proof of citizenship.
• Foreign property and inheritance — where property or succession rules turn on citizenship.

Hague vs. non-Hague countries

Pick your destination below, or see all countries we serve.

Official references: USCIS Form N-565 · USCIS — Citizenship Through Parents · U.S. Department of State — Authenticate Your Document. Government fees are set by these agencies and are separate from our service fee.