Required documents for Social Security Card (Adult application) – Simple Doc Filings

Documents you will need to get a Social Security Card (Original - Adult Application) U.S. Born Citizens/Foreign Born U.S. Citizens/Non Citizens

U.S. Born Citizens

You must present original documents or copies certified by the agency that issued them. Social Security cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies. All documents must be current (not expired). They also cannot accept a receipt showing customers applied for the document.

What original documents do I need?

Citizenship

Social Security accepts only certain documents as proof of U.S. citizenship. These include a U.S. birth certificate or a U.S. passport.

Age

You must present your birth certificate. If one exists, you must submit it. If a birth certificate does not exist, they may be able to accept your:

Religious record made before the age of five showing your date of birth;
U.S. hospital record of your birth.
U.S. passport.

Anyone age 12 or older requesting an original Social Security number (SSN) must appear in person for an interview. The local office will ask for evidence to show you do not have an SSN. Here are examples of documents you can use to prove an SSN was never assigned:

If you lived outside the United States for an extended period, a current or previous passport, school and/or employment records, and any other record that would show long-term residence outside the United States could be used to show you do not have an SSN.
If you have lived in the United States and you are applying for an original SSN, they may ask you for information about the schools you attended or they may ask you to provide copies of tax records that would show you were never assigned an SSN.

Identity

Your Social Security Office can accept only certain documents as proof of identity. An acceptable document must be current (not expired) and show your name, identifying information (date of birth or age) and preferably a recent photograph. For example, as proof of identity they must see your:

U.S. driver's license.
State-issued non-driver identification card.
U.S. passport.

If you do not have one of these specific documents or you cannot get a replacement for one of them within 10 days, they will ask to see other documents. Any documents submitted, including the following, must be current (not expired) and show your name, identifying information (date of birth or age) and preferably a recent photograph:

Employee identification card.
School identification card.
Health insurance card (not a Medicare card).
U.S. military identification card.

Social Security Office may use one document for two purposes. For example, they may use your U.S. passport as proof of both citizenship and identity. However, customers must provide at least two separate documents.

Foreign Born U.S. Citizen Adult

You must present original documents or copies certified by the agency that issued them. Social Security cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies. All documents must be current (not expired). We cannot accept a receipt showing you applied for the document.

What original documents do I need?

Citizenship

Social Security Office can accept only certain documents as proof of U.S. citizenship. These include:

U.S. passport;
Certificate of Naturalization (N-550/N-570);
Certificate of Citizenship (N-560/N-561);
Certificate of Report of Birth (DS-1350);
Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240, CRBA).

Age

You must present your foreign birth certificate if you have it or can get it within 10 days. If not, they will consider other documents such as your passport or a document issued by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as evidence of your age.

Anyone age 12 or older requesting an original Social Security number must appear in person for an interview. Your local office will ask for evidence to show you do not have a Social Security number. Here are examples of documents you can use to prove a Social Security number was never assigned:

If you lived outside the United States for an extended period, a current or previous passport, school and/or employment records, and any other record that would show long-term residence outside the United States could be used to show you do not have a Social Security number.
If you have lived in the United States and you are applying for an original Social Security number, we may ask you for information about the schools you attended or we may ask you to provide copies of tax records that would show you were never assigned a Social Security number.

Identity

Social Security can accept only certain documents as proof of identity. An acceptable document must be current (not expired) and show your name, identifying information (date of birth or age) and preferably a recent photograph. For example, as proof of identity Social Security must see your:

U.S. driver's license;
State-issued non-driver identification card; or
U.S. passport.

Employee identification card;
School identification card;
Health insurance card (not a Medicare card); or
U.S. military identification card.

Social Security office may use one document for two purposes. For example, they may use your U.S. passport as proof of both citizenship and identity. However, you must provide at least two separate documents.

Noncitizen Adult

In general, only noncitizens who have permission to work from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) can apply for a Social Security number (SSN). If you do not have permission to work but need an SSN for other purposes, see "if you do not have permission to work" below for further information.

You must present original documents or copies certified by the agency that issued them. Social Security cannot accept photocopies or notarized copies. All documents must be current (not expired). We cannot accept a receipt showing you applied for the document.

What original documents do I need?

Immigration status

To prove your U.S. immigration status, you must show your current U.S. immigration document, such as:

Form I-551 (Lawful Permanent Resident Card, Machine Readable Immigrant Visa) with your unexpired foreign passport.
I-766 EAD or "work permit".
I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) or admission stamp in the unexpired foreign passport.

If you are an F-1 or M-1 student, you also must show us your I-20 (Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status).

If you are a J-1 or J-2 exchange visitor, you must show us your DS-2019 (Certificate of Eligibility for Exchange Visitor Status).

Work eligibility

In general, only noncitizens who have permission to work from DHS can apply for a Social Security number. If you are a foreign worker, we only need to see your I-94 (Arrival/Departure Record) or admission stamp in the unexpired foreign passport showing a class of admission permitting work. Some foreign workers must show their I-766 EAD or "work permit" from DHS.

Student: If you are an F-1 student and eligible to work on campus, you must provide a letter from your designated school official that:

Identifies you.
Confirms your current school status.
Identifies your employer and the type of work you are, or will be, doing.

Social Security also need to see evidence of that employment, such as a recent pay slip or a letter from your employer. Your supervisor must sign and date the letter. The letter must describe:

Your job.
Your employment start date.
The number of hours you are, or will be, working.
Your supervisor's name and telephone number.

If you are an F-1 student authorized to work in curricular practical training (CPT), you must provide us your Form I-20 with the employment page completed and signed by your designated school official.

If you are an F-1 student and have a work permit (I-766) from DHS, you must present it.

If you are a J-1 student, student intern or international visitor, you must provide a letter from your sponsor. The letter should be on sponsor letterhead with an original signature that authorizes your employment.

If you do not have permission to work: Lawfully admitted noncitizens can get many benefits and services without an SSN. You do not need a number to conduct business with a bank, register for school, apply for educational tests, obtain private health insurance, apply for school lunch programs or apply for subsidized housing. You cannot get an SSN for the sole purpose of obtaining a driver's license.

Government benefits or services: If you do not have permission to work, you may apply for an SSN only if:

A federal law requires you to provide your SSN to get a particular benefit or service; or
A state or local law requires you to provide your SSN to get general assistance benefits for which you already have qualified.

If you need a number to meet these state or local requirements, you must submit a letter from the government agency. It must be on letterhead stationery (no form letters or photocopies) and:

Specifically identify you as the applicant.
Cite the law requiring you to have an SSN.
Indicate that you meet all the agency's requirements, except having the number.
Contain an agency contact name and telephone number.

Taxes: If you need a number for tax purposes and you are not authorized to work in the United States, you can apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Visit IRS in person or call the IRS toll-free number, 1-800-TAXFORM (1-800-829-3676), and request Form W-7 (Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number).

If you are assigned a number for non-work purposes, you cannot use it to work. If you use it to work, we will inform DHS.

Age

You must present your foreign birth certificate if you have it or can get it within 10 days. If not, we will consider other documents such as your passport or a document issued by DHS as evidence of your age.

Social Security will interview anyone age 12 or older requesting an original SSN. They will ask for evidence to show you do not have an SSN. If you lived outside the United States for an extended period, a current or previous passport, school and/or employment records, and any other record that would show long-term residence outside the United States could be used to show you do not have an SSN.

Identity

Social Security will ask to see a current DHS document. Acceptable documents include:

I-551 Permanent Resident Card.
I-94 Arrival/Departure Record with unexpired foreign passport or admission stamp in the unexpired foreign passport.
I-766 EAD or "work permit" from DHS.

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