Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document, is filed with USCIS to replace a Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, Declaration of Intention, or Repatriation Certificate that was lost, stolen, destroyed, mutilated, or contains an error. It also covers requests tied to a legal name change, date of birth correction, or sex listed on the document. A special version of the certificate can also be requested for recognition by a foreign government.
Applicants must have previously been issued one of the covered certificates or declarations, since N-565 replaces an existing document rather than establishing citizenship for the first time. The correct supporting evidence depends on the reason for the request, whether that’s a police report for a lost certificate, a marriage certificate for a name change, or a court order for a legal date of birth or sex correction. USCIS rejects incomplete applications missing required fields like name, date of birth, or mailing address.
Selecting the wrong basis for the request, or attaching the wrong supporting evidence, is a common reason N-565 applications stall or get rejected outright. Immigration Professional Association identifies the correct filing basis, assembles the right documentation, and confirms every required field is complete before submission to Immigration Professional Association’s applicant guidance minimizes avoidable delay.
If your certificate contains a typographical or clerical error caused by USCIS itself, no filing fee is required, unlike other correction reasons on this form. Confirming whether the error genuinely originated with USCIS, rather than incorrect information the applicant originally submitted, can mean the difference between a free correction and a full $555 filing fee.
A valid, unexpired U.S. passport can often serve as proof of citizenship for most purposes without needing to replace the underlying certificate at all. Before filing N-565 and paying the fee, it's worth confirming whether a passport already on hand, or one that could be obtained instead, would meet the specific need driving the replacement request.
Depending on the basis for the application, whether lost, mutilated, incorrect, or tied to a name or date of birth change, USCIS requires different original documents and evidence attached to different parts of the form. Filing under the wrong basis, or attaching evidence to the wrong section, is a common cause of rejected or delayed applications.
Before submitting your application, always confirm that you are using the most recent edition of the form available from USCIS.gov. Filing outdated forms may result in rejection.
An assessment of which replacement basis applies and what supporting evidence and original documents USCIS will require. Average budget: $0–$300.
Complete preparation and filing of Form N-565 with the correct basis selected and all required fields completed. Average budget: $500–$1,200.
Assistance gathering police reports, sworn statements, or other evidence required to support a lost or destroyed certificate claim. Average budget: $300–$700.
Preparation of the application and required court order or vital records evidence for name or date of birth corrections. Average budget: $500–$1,000.
Review and filing of a fee-exempt correction request for a typographical or clerical error caused by USCIS on the original certificate. Average budget: $200–$500.
Preparation of a special certificate of naturalization application for recognition of U.S. citizenship by a foreign government. Average budget: $600–$1,500.
Evaluation of eligibility for a fee waiver via Form I-912 and preparation of that waiver request alongside the N-565 filing. Average budget: $200–$500.
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