Bringing the right documents to your naturalization interview prevents delays and “continued” cases. Use this checklist.
Always bring
- Your appointment notice (Form I-797C)
- Your Permanent Resident Card (green card)
- A valid state-issued ID or driver’s license
- Your passport(s) and any travel documents (current and expired)
Bring if they apply to you
- Marriage certificate, and divorce decrees from any prior marriages
- If applying through marriage to a U.S. citizen: proof you still live together (lease, joint accounts, children’s birth certificates)
- Tax records or transcripts for recent years
- Court or police records for any arrests or citations, even if dismissed
- Selective Service registration information (for applicable male applicants)
- Documentation for any name change
Tips
- Bring originals when possible, plus copies.
- Organize documents in a folder so you can find them quickly.
- If a document is not in English, bring a certified translation.
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Documents everyone must bring
- Your interview notice (Form I-797C). Some offices will not admit you without it.
- Your permanent resident card (green card), even if expired, plus the I-90 receipt if a renewal is pending.
- All passports and travel documents you have used since becoming a permanent resident, including expired ones. The officer uses the stamps to verify your trips.
- A state-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license.
Bring these if they apply to you
- Applying under the 3-year marriage rule: your marriage certificate; proof your spouse is a U.S. citizen (birth certificate, naturalization certificate, or passport); proof you live together (joint lease or mortgage, joint bank statements, joint tax returns, children’s birth certificates); and divorce decrees or death certificates ending any prior marriages for both of you.
- Taxes: IRS tax transcripts for the last five years (three under the 3-year rule). If you owe taxes, bring the IRS or state payment plan agreement and proof of payments.
- Trips of six months or more: evidence you kept your U.S. residence, such as pay stubs, a lease, and tax returns for that period.
- Selective Service: your registration number, or a status information letter and a written explanation if you did not register before age 26.
- Arrests, citations, or convictions: certified court dispositions for every incident, even if dismissed, expunged, or committed outside the United States. If no record exists, bring a letter from the court saying so.
- Child support: proof of payments, the court order, or a letter from the custodial parent.
- Name change: a court order or marriage certificate if your current name differs from your green card.
- Disability exemption: the original Form N-648 completed by your doctor, if you did not already submit it.
- Fee waiver or reduced fee: proof of income or benefits if the officer asks to verify.
Bring your own copy of the application
Print or download the N-400 you filed and read it the night before. The officer will ask you about the same answers, and a mismatch between what you say and what you wrote is the most common cause of a continued case. If anything has changed (a new address, job, trip, or marital status), bring documentation and tell the officer at the start.
Do not bring
Weapons of any kind, including pocket knives and pepper spray, are not allowed through security. Do not bring children unless you have no alternative; they cannot attend the interview with you. Cell phones are usually allowed in the building but must be silenced.
Organize it the easy way
Put originals in one folder in the order above and a set of photocopies in a second folder. Officers keep copies, not originals, so having copies ready shortens the interview. Bring a pen; you may be asked to sign or update parts of your application.
Last reviewed and expanded by the USCitizenTestPractice Editorial Team in September 2026, based on the USCIS Policy Manual, the official 2025 civics test materials, and current USCIS fee and form instructions. This is an independent study resource, not legal advice.
