Citizenship Application Cost: What to Expect in 2026

USCIS raised the N-400 naturalization fee in an April 2024 rule to $760 for a paper filing, with a modest discount for filing online, up from $640 a few years before. That number moves whenever the agency issues a new fee rule, so treat it as a figure worth double-checking rather than a fixed price. Applicants at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines can skip it entirely by filing Form I-912 for a fee waiver. Because this is a one-time filing rather than a recurring bill, the estimate here sizes the fee against a few months of your budget instead of a single paycheck.

These key factors affect citizenship application affordability

USCIS filing fee structure

The N-400 fee is set by federal rule and has climbed several times over the past decade, most recently in that April 2024 rule that pushed paper filing to $760. Filing online still carries a small discount, and the biometrics charge that used to appear as its own line item has been folded into the base fee for most applicants rather than billed separately.

Biometrics and supporting document costs

Beyond the fee itself, applicants often need certified copies of a birth certificate, marriage certificate, or divorce decree, and any document not already in English requires a certified translation. Each of those can run anywhere from $20 to well over $100 depending on the document and the issuing country. None of it shows up on the USCIS fee schedule, but it's real money spent before the application even gets mailed in.

Fee waivers and reduced fees

An applicant at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines can file Form I-912 and pay nothing, and someone between 150% and 200% of the guidelines can ask for a reduced fee instead of the full amount. Receiving a means-tested benefit like SNAP or Medicaid, or documenting genuine financial hardship, can also support a waiver request. For a lot of applicants, the published fee is closer to a ceiling than a floor.

How to use your results

Check the current USCIS fee schedule before budgeting, since naturalization fees are adjusted periodically and the number here is a starting point.
If you qualify for a fee waiver or reduced fee, factor that in rather than assuming you owe the full published amount.
Set the total aside in a lump sum before filing, since USCIS will reject an application with an incorrect or missing fee.

Ways to make a citizenship application more affordable

Apply for the fee waiver using Form I-912 if your household income and circumstances qualify.
Gather your own supporting documents and translations where allowed, rather than paying a preparer to do it.
Avoid paying for unnecessary expedited services from third-party preparers, since USCIS processing times aren't sped up by them.
Time your application around a stable stretch in your budget so the one-time fee doesn't collide with other large expenses.

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Peer comparison data

Bureau of Labor Statistics (median income by age), Experian (credit score by age)

Used by the “how you compare” figures in the sidebar, not by the costs on this page.

Every figure on this site, with its source and the date it was last verified