It is the application for a new naturalization or citizenship certificate when the original was lost, damaged, carries an error, or the name changed. It is signed and mailed to USCIS with the fee.

How much does it cost to prepare the N-565 with Paso Libre?

Filling it out is free. You pay $99 only when you finish your answers and decide to generate your PDF. Full refund within 14 days, and always if the PDF is not technically correct. USCIS fees are paid separately, directly to the government; confirm them in the official calculator.

How long does USCIS take with the N-565?

It depends on the office and the moment. We publish an orientation measure calculated from the times USCIS publishes; it is not an official figure nor a promise about your case.

Does Paso Libre decide whether the N-565 applies to me?

No. We describe the form and fill in your answers. If your question needs a legal opinion, we point you to the official directories of licensed attorneys and DOJ-accredited representatives.

Does losing the certificate mean losing citizenship?

No. The certificate is the proof on paper, not the citizenship. The N-565 replaces the paper. If you have a question about your citizenship itself, that is a legal question.

Does the N-565 replace a lost passport?

No. The passport is issued by the Department of State and is replaced with its own forms. The N-565 covers only the certificates USCIS issues.

What do I get at the end?

A PDF of the N-565 filled with your answers, unsigned. You review it page by page, print it, sign it by hand, and mail it to USCIS.

Who can help me with Form N-565?

You can fill it out yourself: Paso Libre guides you in Spanish, question by question, and generates the unsigned N-565 PDF, which you review, sign, and mail. Form preparation, not legal advice. Evaluating your case is the job of a licensed attorney or a DOJ-accredited representative; USCIS publishes both directories for free. USCIS fees are paid separately, directly to USCIS.

What are the most common problems when filling out Form N-565?

The most common are formatting problems: an outdated edition of the form, required boxes left blank, names or dates written differently than on your documents, a missing signature, and the wrong USCIS fee or mailing address. The list above has the details. Paso Libre's automated checks stop the PDF before it is generated when a required box is empty or a format does not match; you still review every page.

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USCIS formN-565

Replace the citizenship certificate

Form N-565 is the application a citizen uses to ask USCIS for a new naturalization or citizenship certificate because theirs was lost, stolen, carries an error, or their name changed. It replaces the paper; citizenship itself does not change. It is signed by hand and mailed with the fee, or filed online.

Paso Libre editorial team

Reviewed September 3, 2026 · Educational information, not legal advice

Filling is free. You pay $99 only when you finish your answers. USCIS fees are paid separately.

Start with Replace the citizenship certificate

Current edition

May 12, 2026

Reviewed · September 27, 2026

Verify official edition

The edition date USCIS publishes for this form.

USCIS fee

Verify current fee

This fee you pay directly to USCIS.

Reviewed

September 27, 2026

We check daily whether USCIS changed anything.

What is the N-565 for?

The certificate is the proof on paper. Losing it does not take your citizenship away; it leaves you without the document that proves it, and that is what this form is for.

The official instructions list which documents it covers: the naturalization certificate, the certificate of citizenship, the declaration of intention, and the repatriation certificate.

When the reason is a name change or an error, the instructions ask for proof of the correct information: a court order, a marriage certificate, or the document with the error.

Who usually files it?

According to the USCIS instructions: a citizen whose certificate was lost, stolen, or destroyed, for example in a move or a fire.
According to the USCIS instructions: someone who legally changed their name after receiving the certificate and wants one with the new name.
According to the USCIS instructions: a person whose certificate carries a USCIS error, or is so damaged it no longer serves as proof.

These are the situations the official instructions describe. Paso Libre does not decide whether any of them is yours.

Changes

What has changed

No recent changes published for this form.

In plain words

What this means for you

We show only what USCIS already published. We do not guess what will happen.

Paso Libre does not evaluate your case to decide whether you need an attorney.

USCIS fees you pay directly to the government. We never collect them through Paso Libre.

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