If you are a Guatemalan who became a US citizen and your Certificate of Naturalization (or a Certificate of Citizenship issued to you) was lost, stolen, destroyed, damaged or issued with a mistake, the US form to replace it is Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document. This page covers that USCIS filing: who qualifies, what it costs, what evidence to send and how Guatemalan civil records fit in. For how holding both nationalities works, see our dual citizenship guide for Guatemala and the USA; this page does not repeat it.
Quick summary: Form N-565 replaces a Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, Declaration of Intention or Repatriation Certificate that was lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated, contains a USCIS typographical or clerical error, needs a new name after marriage, divorce, annulment or court order, or lists a sex that does not reflect your sex at birth. Fee: $505 online, $555 on paper, and $0 when the error is USCIS’s (USCIS G-1055, last reviewed October 7, 2026). You can file online (then mail your original document to the Nebraska Service Center) or on paper to the USCIS Phoenix Lockbox. Every applicant sends a copy of a US Government-issued photo ID. Spanish-language documents need a full certified English translation.
Who can file Form N-565
The N-565 instructions say you may apply for a replacement if you were issued a Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, Declaration of Intention or Repatriation Certificate, and at least one of these applies:
- The document was lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated.
- The document is incorrect due to a typographical or clerical error by USCIS.
- Your name was changed by marriage, divorce, annulment or court order, and you want a document in your new name.
- Your certificate or declaration lists a sex that does not reflect your sex at birth, and you want a document reflecting your sex at birth.
Two further uses:
- New date of birth (Certificate of Citizenship only). You may apply if you obtained a court order or a document issued by the US Government or the government of any US state that changes your date of birth.
- Special certificate of naturalization. A naturalized citizen may file to get a special certificate so a foreign country can recognize them as a US citizen. The instructions note that USCIS regulations require this special certificate when a foreign state requires proof of your citizenship for any legitimate purpose, except for admission to the foreign country or processing its own immigration benefit requests (8 CFR 343b.2). We found nothing in the USCIS sources indicating that Guatemala requires this certificate.
What N-565 cannot fix
The instructions set these limits:
- USCIS will not change your name without evidence such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree or court order, and will not change the date of birth on a Certificate of Citizenship without documentation such as a US court order or state-issued documents.
- USCIS cannot change an incorrect date of birth or name on a Certificate of Naturalization if you provided that incorrect date or name on your Form N-400 and later swore to the facts of your application by signing Part 15 (Signature at Interview).
- USCIS can only change the name on a Certificate of Naturalization if you changed your name after you naturalized.
How much it costs
| Situation | Fee (USCIS G-1055) |
|---|---|
| General filing, online | $505 |
| General filing, paper | $555 |
| Certificate contains incorrect information due to USCIS error | $0 |
| Applicant eligible for a fee waiver (see Form I-912 instructions) | $0 |
The fee schedule is Form G-1055, edition 10/07/26; the USCIS G-1055 page was last reviewed October 7, 2026. The N-565 row does not list a separate biometrics fee. The USCIS Policy Manual (Volume 12, Part K, Chapter 4) confirms the USCIS-error exemption: “No filing fee is required when an application is filed based on a USCIS error.”
How to file: online or by mail
The USCIS N-565 page (last reviewed June 1, 2026; form edition date 02/27/25) gives two options: online or by mail (paper).
Online. You must create a USCIS online account to file online. The account also lets you pay the fee online, check your case status, receive notifications and case updates, respond to requests for evidence, and update your contact information and address. After you file online, you must mail your original document to the Nebraska Service Center; the address appears in the Evidence section of the online application.
By mail. Send the paper form to the USCIS Phoenix Lockbox:
US Postal Service (USPS):
USCIS
Attn: N-565
P.O. Box 20050
Phoenix, AZ 85036-0050
FedEx, UPS and DHL deliveries:
USCIS
Attn: N-565 (Box 20050)
2108 E. Elliot Rd.
Tempe, AZ 85284-1806
USCIS will reject an application that is not signed or does not come with the correct fee, and will send a deficiency notice; you may correct it and resubmit. “An application is not considered properly filed until the date that USCIS accepts it.”
What evidence to send
Everyone: a copy of your US Government-issued photo identification. If your marital status has changed since the original document was issued, also send a copy of the document showing the change (such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, annulment decree, or husband’s or wife’s death certificate).
Photos: only applicants who reside outside the United States must send two identical, recent color passport-style photographs (white to off-white background, thin glossy paper, unmounted and unretouched).
Then add the evidence for your reason:
| Reason for filing | What the instructions require |
|---|---|
| Lost, stolen or destroyed | A copy of the document (if available), a police report, and/or a sworn statement explaining what happened to the document and any attempts to retrieve it |
| Mutilated | The mutilated document itself |
| USCIS typographical or clerical error | The original incorrect document, and complete Part 5 of Form N-565 |
| Name change | The original USCIS document, a copy of the original or certified document establishing the name change (such as a marriage certificate, divorce decree, annulment decree or court order), and complete Part 6 |
| Incorrect sex | The original USCIS document, a copy of your birth certificate establishing your biological sex at birth, and complete Part 7 |
| Date of birth legally changed (Certificate of Citizenship only) | The original USCIS document, and a copy of the original or certified document establishing the change, for example a court order or vital record issued by the US Government or the government of any US state |
| Special certificate of naturalization | A copy of your naturalization certificate |
For a date-of-birth change, the instructions describe US Government documents as including a birth certificate, a certificate recognizing foreign birth, a certificate of birth abroad, or similar vital records issued by the US state where you lived when the document was issued. A Guatemalan RENAP record is not among the examples listed.
Guatemalan documents and translations
Guatemalan records come into an N-565 mainly for a name change (marriage, divorce), a change in marital status, or a birth certificate for a sex-marker correction.
- Where to get them. The US State Department’s Guatemala civil-documents page, written for visa applicants, says to request birth certificates and marriage certificates from RENAP (National Registry of Persons) and not from your city, town or municipality, and the same for death certificates.
- Online RENAP certificates. A RENAP bulletin says its portal handles 19 services, including birth, death, marriage and divorce certifications.
- Through RENAP services for Guatemalans. A separate RENAP notice says connacionales can process their DPI (first issue, replacement or renewal), registry amendments and annotations, and the issuance of birth certifications.
- Translation. Both the translations rule in 8 CFR 103.2 and the N-565 instructions require a full English translation of any foreign-language document. The translator must certify that the translation is complete and accurate and that they are competent to translate from the foreign language into English; the N-565 instructions add that the certification must include the translator’s signature, printed name, signature date and contact information.
- Apostille. The USCIS sources we reviewed do not establish an apostille requirement for this form. We could not read the MINEX apostille pages on 15 October 2026, so we make no claim about it either way.
Filing while living in Guatemala
If you have moved back, the instructions cover three points: you must include the two passport-style photos (only applicants residing outside the US do); if biometrics are needed, your notice will tell you to contact a US Embassy, US Consulate or USCIS office outside the United States to schedule; and if you give a foreign mailing address, USCIS sends an approved document to the nearest US Embassy, US Consulate or USCIS field office and tells you by mail where to pick it up. The sources we read do not describe a Guatemala-specific procedure or say whether the online option is available from abroad.
Biometrics and the decision
USCIS may require an interview or biometrics (fingerprints, photograph and/or signature) at any time, including for FBI criminal-history checks. If an appointment is needed, you receive a notice with the date, time and location. At the appointment you sign an oath reaffirming that you provided or authorized all the information, reviewed and understood it, and that it was complete, true and correct when filed. “If you do not attend your biometric services appointment, we may deny your application.”
If you establish eligibility, USCIS approves the application and issues the document. Where appropriate, USCIS forwards a special Certificate of Naturalization to the US Department of State for delivery to a foreign government official. A denial is notified in writing.
What we could not confirm
- Processing time: the USCIS processing-times tool returned an error on 15 October 2026; no estimate is published here.
- Deadline or expiry: none of the sources we read sets a deadline after a loss or an expiry date for certificates.
- Guatemala-only rules: none found in the USCIS form page, instructions, fee schedule or Policy Manual chapter.
Sources
- USCIS, Form N-565 page: https://www.uscis.gov/n-565 (last reviewed 06/01/2026)
- USCIS, Form N-565 instructions: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/n-565instr.pdf
- USCIS, Form G-1055 fee schedule: https://www.uscis.gov/g-1055 (last reviewed 10/07/2026) and https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/forms/g-1055.pdf
- USCIS Policy Manual, Volume 12, Part K, Chapter 4: https://www.uscis.gov/policy-manual/volume-12-part-k-chapter-4
- 8 CFR 103.2: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-8/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-103/subpart-A/section-103.2
- US State Department, Guatemala civil documents: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Visa-Reciprocity-and-Civil-Documents-by-Country/Guatemala.html
- RENAP bulletin on online certificates: https://www.renap.gob.gt/sites/default/files/Comunicacion-Social/pdf/inforenap_242_-_0202022_-_certificados_en_linea_legitimos_para_cualquier_tramite.pdf
- RENAP notice on services for connacionales: https://ns1.renap.gob.gt/node/2323
All sources fetched 15 October 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
I lost my US naturalization certificate. Which form do I file?
Form N-565, Application for Replacement Naturalization/Citizenship Document. The USCIS instructions say you may apply if you were issued a Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of Citizenship, Declaration of Intention or Repatriation Certificate and the document was lost, stolen, destroyed or mutilated. Other grounds are a USCIS typographical or clerical error, a name change by marriage, divorce, annulment or court order, and a sex listed on the document that does not reflect your sex at birth.
How much does Form N-565 cost?
Per the USCIS fee schedule (Form G-1055, page last reviewed October 7, 2026): $505 if filed online and $555 if filed on paper. It is $0 if you are filing because your certificate contains incorrect information due to USCIS error, and the G-1055 fee schedule says certain applicants may be eligible for a fee waiver using Form I-912. The N-565 row does not list a separate biometrics fee.
Can N-565 fix a wrong date of birth or name on my Certificate of Naturalization?
Not if the wrong date or name came from you. The instructions say USCIS cannot change an incorrect date of birth or name on a Certificate of Naturalization if you provided it on your Form N-400 and then swore to the facts of your application by signing Part 15. USCIS can only change the name on a Certificate of Naturalization if you changed your name after you naturalized. A date-of-birth change is available only for a Certificate of Citizenship.
I married in Guatemala after I naturalized. Can I get a certificate in my new name?
The instructions allow a replacement when your name was changed by marriage, divorce, annulment or court order. You must submit the original USCIS document, a copy of the original or certified document establishing the name change (such as a marriage certificate), and complete Part 6 of Form N-565. The State Department’s Guatemala civil-documents guidance (written for visa applicants) says to request marriage certificates from RENAP and not from the municipality. Because a Guatemalan record is in Spanish, USCIS requires a full English translation certified by the translator.
Do Guatemalan documents need an apostille for Form N-565?
The USCIS sources we reviewed (the N-565 page, the N-565 instructions, the fee schedule and the Policy Manual chapter) require a full certified English translation of foreign-language documents. They do not establish an apostille requirement for this filing. We could not read the MINEX apostille pages on 15 October 2026, so we make no claim about Guatemalan legalization services.
How long does an N-565 take, and is there a deadline after losing the certificate?
None of the USCIS sources we read states a filing deadline after a loss, an expiry date for certificates or a fixed processing period. The USCIS processing-times tool could not be loaded on 15 October 2026, so we do not publish a processing estimate.
I moved back to Guatemala. Can I still file Form N-565?
The instructions address applicants outside the United States: only applicants who reside outside the US must send two identical color passport-style photos; if biometrics are required, the notice will tell you to contact a US Embassy, US Consulate or USCIS office outside the US; and if you give a foreign mailing address, USCIS sends the approved document to the nearest US Embassy, US Consulate or USCIS field office and notifies you by mail where to pick it up.
Does replacing my US certificate affect my Guatemalan nationality?
That is a question of Guatemalan law, covered in our dual citizenship guide for Guatemala and the USA. This page covers only the US replacement document.
