Children

When you become a U.S. citizen, your children under 18 generally become citizens by operation of law, without having to apply separately. This page explains the requirements, proof of citizenship (a U.S. passport or Form N-600), Form N-600K for children living in Turkey, the status of children born in the United States, and registration in the United States of children born in Turkey after you become a citizen. For Turkish civil registration, see 8.3.

• A child born outside the United States becomes a citizen automatically when all of the following occur before the child turns 18:
  • at least one parent, including an adoptive parent, is a U.S. citizen by birth or naturalization;
  • the child is under 18;
  • the child is a green card holder (lawful permanent resident);
  • the child resides in the United States in the legal and physical custody of the U.S.-citizen parent.
• The order in which the requirements are met does not matter.
• The rule applies to children who were under 18 on or after February 27, 2001.
• Custody:
  • For married parents living together, the U.S.-citizen parent is presumed to have custody.
  • For divorced or separated parents, the question generally is whether a court awarded custody, including joint custody, to the U.S.-citizen parent. A private agreement between the parents is generally insufficient.
  • If the other parent has died, the U.S.-citizen parent with whom the child lives is presumed to have custody.
• Stepchildren cannot become citizens through this process unless they are adopted.

• Your child becomes a citizen on the day the requirements are met. Obtaining a document is not mandatory, but documentation is needed to prove citizenship.
• U.S. passport: Issued by the Department of State. An unexpired U.S. passport is conclusive proof of citizenship.
• Certificate of Citizenship (Form N-600): Obtained from USCIS.
  • Fee: $1,385 (paper) or $1,335 (online). Some applicants may request a fee waiver (Form I-912).
  • For a child under 18, the U.S.-citizen parent with custody files the application.
  • If you live in the United States, a photograph is not required; the child’s photograph is taken at the ASC appointment.
  • USCIS may schedule an interview.
• Main documents required for N-600:
  • the child’s birth certificate (with an English translation of a foreign document);
  • the U.S.-citizen parent’s birth certificate and proof of citizenship (certificate of citizenship or passport);
  • the parents’ marriage records and documents showing that any prior marriages ended;
  • a copy of the child’s green card;
  • if there was a divorce or adoption, documents showing legal custody;
  • proof that the child lives with you: school and medical records, and a tax transcript showing the child as a dependent.
• Paper filing addresses (N-600):
  • Elgin Lockbox (including New York, New Jersey, Florida, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, and states not listed for Phoenix): USPS — USCIS, Attn: NATZ, P.O. Box 4088, Carol Stream, IL 60197-4088 · FedEx, UPS, DHL — USCIS, Attn: NATZ (Box 4088), 2500 Westfield Drive, Elgin, IL 60124-7836
  • Phoenix Lockbox (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, Pacific territories, and outside the United States): USPS — USCIS, Attn: NATZ, P.O. Box 20100, Phoenix, AZ 85036 · FedEx, UPS, DHL — USCIS, Attn: NATZ (Box 20100), 2108 E. Elliot Rd., Tempe, AZ 85284-1806
  • See the N-600 page for the complete list of states.

• For a first passport and for children under 16, apply in person using Form DS-11.
• A child under 16 comes with a parent or legal guardian. If only one parent can appear, one of the following is required:
  • a notarized consent statement from the other parent or Form DS-3053 (no more than 3 months old, with a front-and-back copy of the other parent’s ID);
  • the other parent’s death certificate;
  • a document showing authority to apply alone, such as a sole-custody order.
• Documents to bring when citizenship is based on your citizenship: your citizenship document, your marriage certificate or a document showing that the child is in your legal and physical custody, the child’s foreign birth certificate and official translation, the child’s green card, and proof that the child resides in the United States. If a passport is issued, the child’s green card is sent to USCIS.
• Fees (22 CFR 22.1): passport book for a child under 16: $100 ($20 application fee + $80 security surcharge); passport card for a child under 16: $15; in-person application fee: $35.
• According to USCIS, after you become a citizen, you may apply for a passport for your child who became a citizen automatically.

• A child who regularly lives outside the United States does not become a citizen automatically; the U.S.-citizen parent applies using Form N-600K.
• Requirements:
  • at least one parent is a U.S. citizen;
  • the U.S.-citizen parent must have been physically present in the United States for at least 5 years in total, including at least 2 years after age 14. If the parent does not meet this requirement, it is sufficient for the parent’s U.S.-citizen mother or father (the child’s grandparent) to meet it;
  • the child is under 18 and unmarried, lives outside the United States, and is in the legal and physical custody of the U.S.-citizen parent;
  • when the application is approved, the child must have lawfully entered the United States temporarily and maintain lawful status, for example with a visitor visa.
• The interview and, for children age 14 and older, the oath of allegiance must take place in the United States before the child turns 18.
• Apply at least 90 days before the requested interview date.
• Fee: $1,385 (paper) or $1,335 (online).
• Paper filing address from outside the United States: USCIS, Attn: NATZ, P.O. Box 20100, Phoenix, AZ 85036-0100 (USPS).

• A child who is already over 18 when you become a citizen does not become a citizen automatically. If the child is a green card holder, the child files their own N-400 when eligible. See 4.1 Requirements (N-400).
• A person who met all requirements before turning 18 and was under 18 on February 27, 2001, may request a certificate of citizenship with Form N-600 even if they are an adult today.
• A person who previously filed an N-600 and received a decision cannot file a second N-600.

• A person born in the United States and subject to its jurisdiction is a U.S. citizen at birth (the 14th Amendment to the Constitution).
• In its Trump v. Barbara decision issued on June 30, 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court held that children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or temporarily present in the United States are also citizens at birth. The decision concerned Executive Order 14160, which rejected this principle.
• Exceptions:
  • children of foreign diplomats;
  • according to USCIS, for children born on or after September 4, 2026, if neither parent is a U.S. citizen and one parent is a “foreign government employee” (for example, a citizen of that country working at its embassy or consulate, or a government employee present on official duty), the child is not a citizen at birth.
  • A court issued a preliminary injunction in a lawsuit against this new rule. USCIS is temporarily not applying the rule to people in the group covered by the injunction. If this applies to you, consult an immigration attorney.
• After birth: obtain the state birth certificate, Social Security number, and U.S. passport. For details, see 8.1 Birth in the United States.

• A child born outside the United States to a U.S.-citizen parent is a U.S. citizen at birth if the parent meets the required physical-presence condition.
  • If one parent is a U.S. citizen and the other is not: the U.S.-citizen parent must have been physically present in the United States for at least 5 years in total before the child’s birth, including at least 2 years after age 14.
• This citizenship is documented at the U.S. embassy or consulate with a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA).

Application steps in Turkey:

1. Create a Login.gov account through the MyTravelGov portal.
2. Complete the application online (eCRBA), upload the documents, and pay the fee. Paper applications are not accepted.
3. If you wish, also prepare the first passport application; the passport fee is paid in advance through pay.gov.
4. Schedule an appointment at least 5 business days after payment.
5. Attend the interview with the child and the original documents.
6. The CRBA must be completed before the child turns 18. The embassy recommends applying as soon as possible after birth.
7. The CRBA application fee is $100 (22 CFR 22.1).
8. U.S. Citizen Services: U.S. Embassy Ankara, U.S. Consulate General Istanbul, and the Consular Agency in Izmir.
   • Ankara: Çukurambar Mahallesi, 1480 Sokak No: 1, 06530 Çankaya / Ankara · +90 312 294 00 00
   • Istanbul: Poligon Mahallesi, Sarıyer Caddesi No: 75, 34460 İstinye / İstanbul · +90 212 335 90 00
   • The Consular Agency in Izmir serves by appointment only.

• A child with a Turkish mother or father is also a Turkish citizen, even if the child is a U.S. citizen. Register the birth in the Turkish civil registry. See 8.3 Registering a child in the Turkish civil registry and identity card/passport procedures (consulate).
• For a child who later became a U.S. citizen with you, report multiple citizenship in the child section of your own VAT-12 form. See 4.5 Dual citizenship: procedures on the Turkish side.
• For military service obligations of male children in Turkey and Selective Service registration in the United States, see 8.5 Male children.

• USCIS Contact Center — N-600 and N-600K questions
  • Phone: +1 800 375 5283 (TTY +1 800 767 1833); from outside the United States +1 212 620 3418
  • Live assistance: Monday–Friday, 08:00–20:00 (U.S. Eastern Time)
• National Passport Information Center (NPIC) — child passports
  • Phone: +1 877 487 2778 (TDD/TTY +1 888 874 7793); email NPIC@state.gov
• U.S. Embassy Ankara and Consulate General Istanbul — CRBA and passports from Turkey
  • Ankara: +90 312 294 00 00 · Istanbul: +90 212 335 90 00
  • Web: tr.usembassy.gov/birth

• Assuming that a child living in the United States with an F-1 or H-4 visa, or without status, automatically becomes a citizen with the parent.
• Failing to document the custody order for divorced parents.
• Thinking that a stepchild becomes a citizen without adoption.
• Filing an N-600 for a child living in Turkey; the correct form is N-600K.
• Failing to complete the N-600K interview and oath before the child turns 18.
• Waiting until after age 18 to register the CRBA of a child born in Turkey.
• Forgetting the child’s Turkish civil registration and multiple-citizenship notification.

• I became a citizen. Does my 12-year-old child with a green card need to apply separately? No. If the child lives with you, they become a citizen automatically on the day you take the oath. You may apply for a U.S. passport or N-600 as proof.
• Passport or N-600? Both prove citizenship. A passport is also a travel document and is less expensive; N-600 is the certificate of citizenship issued by USCIS.
• My child turned 18 two months ago. What happens? If all requirements were not met before age 18, the child does not become a citizen automatically and files their own N-400 when eligible.
• I divorced my spouse; the child lives with the other parent, who is not a citizen. For automatic citizenship, the child must live in the legal and physical custody of the U.S.-citizen parent. Review your custody order with an immigration attorney.
• My child lives in Turkey. Can the child become a U.S. citizen? The child may do so through N-600K if the parent or grandparent meets the physical-presence requirement. The interview and oath take place in the United States before age 18.
• Is my child born while I was in the United States on a tourist visa a citizen? Under the Supreme Court’s June 30, 2026 decision, children born in the United States to parents temporarily present there are also citizens at birth. See the exception above for children of foreign government employees.
• Is my child born in Turkey a U.S. citizen? If you were a U.S. citizen before the birth and meet the physical-presence requirement, the child is a citizen at birth. Document it with a CRBA.

• Form N-600 (PDF) · Instructions (PDF)
• Form N-600K (PDF) · Instructions (PDF)
• Form DS-11 passport application and instructions (PDF)
• Form I-912 fee waiver (PDF)
• USCIS Fee Schedule G-1055 (PDF) · Fee calculator
• USCIS – Child of a U.S. citizen
• USCIS Policy Manual – INA 320
• U.S. Embassy in Turkey – CRBA and first passport
• VAT-12 Multiple Citizenship Notification Form (PDF)
• Related: 8.1 Birth in the United States · 8.4 Dual-citizen child · 4.4 Oath ceremony and afterward