Title 22Foreign Relations and IntercourseRelease 119-73

§2705 Documentation of citizenship

Title 22 › Chapter CHAPTER 38— - DEPARTMENT OF STATE › § 2705

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

A valid U.S. passport (when issued for the longest period the law allows) and a "Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States" can be used in the same way as a naturalization or citizenship certificate to prove U.S. citizenship. The report documents a person born overseas as a U.S. citizen. Consular officer — a U.S. citizen State Department employee who is authorized to decide nationality matters abroad.

Full Legal Text

Title 22, §2705

Foreign Relations and Intercourse — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

The following documents shall have the same force and effect as proof of United States citizenship as certificates of naturalization or of citizenship issued by the Attorney General or by a court having naturalization jurisdiction:
(1)A passport, during its period of validity (if such period is the maximum period authorized by law), issued by the Secretary of State to a citizen of the United States.
(2)The report, designated as a “Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States”, issued by a consular officer to document a citizen born abroad. For purposes of this paragraph, the term “consular officer” includes any United States citizen employee of the Department of State who is designated by the Secretary of State to adjudicate nationality abroad pursuant to such regulations as the Secretary may prescribe.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 33 of act Aug. 1, 1956, was renumbered section 34 by section 117 of Pub. L. 97–241, and subsequently renumbered, and set out as a

Short Title

of 1956 Amendment note under section 2651 of this title, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 102–138, title I, § 111(1), Oct. 28, 1991, 105 Stat. 654.

Amendments

1998—Par. (2). Pub. L. 105–277 inserted at end “For purposes of this paragraph, the term ‘consular officer’ includes any United States citizen employee of the Department of State who is designated by the Secretary of State to adjudicate nationality abroad pursuant to such

Regulations

as the Secretary may prescribe.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Record of Place of Birth for Taiwanese-Americans Pub. L. 103–236, title I, § 132, Apr. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 395, as amended by Pub. L. 103–415, § 1(r), Oct. 25, 1994, 108 Stat. 4302, provided that: “For purposes of the registration of birth or certification of nationality or issuance of a passport of a United States citizen born in Taiwan, the Secretary of State shall permit the place of birth to be recorded as Taiwan.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

22 U.S.C. § 2705

Title 22Foreign Relations and Intercourse

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73