Applying for U.S. citizenship costs $710 if you file Form N-400 online or $760 if you file it on paper, and that fee already includes biometrics. Once you add the things the filing fee doesn’t cover — document translations, an optional attorney, and the first U.S. passport most new citizens buy after their oath — a typical applicant spends somewhere between about $875 and $3,400 all in. Military applicants pay nothing to file, and low-income applicants can qualify for a reduced fee of $380 or a full waiver.
The N-400 Filing Fee
Form N-400 is the only form you file to apply for naturalization. USCIS updated its fee schedule on April 1, 2024, and the current amounts are $710 for online filing, $760 for paper filing, and $0 for service members and certain veterans filing under the military naturalization provisions. The $50 difference is meant to push applicants toward electronic filing, and both amounts already include fingerprinting and photos, so no separate biometrics bill arrives later.1USCIS. Fact Sheet: Form N-400, Application for Naturalization Filing Fees
One boundary on the military exemption: it applies to the service member or veteran only. Spouses and children pay the standard fee.2USCIS Policy Manual. Chapter 9 – Spouses, Children, and Surviving Family Benefits
Filing fees are not refundable. If your application is denied and you want to try again, you pay the full fee a second time.
Fee Waivers and Reduced Fees
If the full fee is out of reach, USCIS offers two forms of relief. A full waiver drops the cost to zero. A reduced fee cuts it to $380.
You qualify for a full waiver if any one of these is true: you or a qualifying household member currently receives a means-tested benefit such as Medicaid, SNAP, Supplemental Security Income, or TANF; your household income is at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines; or you can show that paying would cause serious financial hardship even at a higher income. You request the waiver by filing Form I-912 along with your N-400, with supporting documents like benefit letters, tax returns, pay stubs, medical bills, or proof of unemployment.3U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Form I-912, Instructions for Request for Fee Waiver
If your household income falls between 150% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, you may not qualify for a full waiver but can request the $380 reduced fee. That request is built into the N-400 itself, in Part 10, rather than a separate form.4U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Additional Information on Filing a Reduced Fee Request
Important limit: if you’re requesting a waiver or a reduced fee, you cannot file online. You have to submit a paper application.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-400, Application for Naturalization
How to Pay USCIS
USCIS overhauled its payment rules in late 2025, and older instructions on many websites are now out of date. As of October 28, 2025, USCIS no longer accepts personal checks, money orders, or cashier’s checks for paper-filed forms unless you obtain a specific exemption.6U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Transition to Electronic Payments – Policy Alert
For paper filings, you have two options. You can pay by credit, debit, or prepaid card using Form G-1450, Authorization for Credit Card Transactions, placed on top of your application package; USCIS accepts Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. Or you can authorize a direct bank withdrawal using Form G-1650 for an ACH transaction from a U.S. bank account at no extra charge. If your bank has a debit block, you’ll need to contact them and whitelist USCIS before filing.7U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. G-1650, Authorization for ACH Transactions
If you have no card and no U.S. bank account, you can request a paper payment exemption by filing Form G-1651. If approved, you can then pay by check or money order made out to “U.S. Department of Homeland Security.”8U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Filing Fees For online filings, the system walks you through card or bank payment when you submit through your USCIS account.
Other Costs Beyond the Filing Fee
Several expenses come up during the process that USCIS doesn’t charge but you’ll likely pay someone else.
Document Translations
USCIS requires certified English translations for any foreign-language document you submit, including birth certificates, marriage certificates, divorce decrees, and military records. Professional translators typically charge $18 to $40 per page depending on the language. Anyone can translate as long as they certify in writing that the translation is complete and accurate and that they’re competent to translate, but officers scrutinize amateur translations more closely, and a rejection means delays.
Passport Photos
Most applicants inside the United States don’t send physical photos with the N-400 because USCIS captures a photo at biometrics. USCIS may still request passport-style photos during processing, and applicants living outside the United States must include two with their application.5U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. N-400, Application for Naturalization Pharmacies and shipping stores charge roughly $10 to $20.
Tax Records
USCIS evaluates good moral character, and tax compliance is part of that review. You’ll want tax returns or IRS transcripts covering the past three to five years. IRS transcripts, including tax return transcripts and tax account transcripts, are free through the IRS website or by mail.9Internal Revenue Service. Transcript Types for Individuals and Ways to Order Them Resolving outstanding tax issues before applying is worth the effort, because USCIS places significant weight on tax compliance in its moral character review.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Restoring a Rigorous, Holistic, and Comprehensive Good Moral Character Evaluation Standard for Aliens Applying for Naturalization
Your First U.S. Passport
Naturalization doesn’t come with a passport. You apply separately after your oath. An adult first-time passport book runs $130 for the application fee plus a $35 acceptance fee at the facility where you submit it, for a total of $165.11Travel.State.Gov. Passport Fees Not a USCIS cost, but one most new citizens pay within weeks of the ceremony.
Do You Need an Attorney?
You don’t need a lawyer to apply. The N-400 is one of the more approachable immigration forms, and USCIS publishes free study materials and instructions. An attorney becomes worth considering if you have a criminal record, prior immigration violations, long absences from the United States, or a previous denial.
Most immigration attorneys charge a flat fee for a naturalization case. A straightforward application typically runs $1,000 to $2,500 on top of the USCIS fee. Cases with complications can climb to $2,000 to $5,000 or more. These fees generally cover form preparation, document review, and representation at the interview.
If a private attorney isn’t realistic, legal aid organizations and Department of Justice–accredited representatives offer low-cost or free help, and many nonprofits run citizenship workshops where volunteers help applicants complete the N-400 at no charge.
What the Filing Fee Already Covers
After USCIS processes your application and collects biometrics, you’ll be scheduled for the naturalization interview. There’s no separate charge; the interview, the English test, and the civics test are all covered by the filing fee.
If you fail the English or civics test on the first try, USCIS reschedules you for a re-examination in 60 to 90 days at no additional cost.12USCIS Policy Manual. Chapter 4 – Results of the Naturalization Examination Only if you fail the second time is the application denied, and only then would you need a new N-400 and a new fee. The oath ceremony itself is also free.13U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Naturalization Ceremonies Study materials for the civics and English tests are free on the USCIS Citizenship Resource Center.14U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Citizenship Resource Center
Total Cost by Scenario
Pulling the pieces together:
- N-400 filing fee: $710 online, $760 paper, $380 reduced, or $0 with a full waiver or military filing
- Document translations: $18 to $40 per page, if you have foreign-language records
- Passport photos: $10 to $20, if requested or if you live abroad
- IRS tax transcripts: free
- Immigration attorney: $1,000 to $2,500 for a straightforward case, optional
- First U.S. passport book: $165
A typical applicant filing online without a lawyer spends roughly $875 to $925 all in, including the passport. Add an attorney for a straightforward case and the total lands somewhere around $1,900 to $3,400. Qualify for a full waiver and skip the attorney, and your only real costs are translations, photos, and the passport when you’re ready to travel.