The usefulness of the card with the Social Security number is very large in the territory of the United States. Thanks to this Social Security card we can get our retirement checks, for example. And that is not all, besides this we can also enjoy Medicare and other very useful services.
Any citizen of the United States can receive one of these Social Security numbers. So if you are thinking about getting one, you have to keep in mind that you will need to submit some mandatory documents for it.
Anyway, these documents are not difficult to get, as they are very common documents for all Americans. Still, they are mandatory to get a Social Security number, so we have to submit them if we want to get an SSA card.
Documents needed to obtain a Social Security number
Proving the identity of a U.S. citizen in order to grant a Social Security number requires several documents. These are the documents we will need:
- Citizenship. In order to prove U.S. citizenship, a United States birth certificate or passport is required.
- Age. Regarding age, a birth certificate is required. In case the citizen does not have a birth certificate, the citizen can prove age with the following documents:
- Religious document stating the date of birth.
- Official document from a U.S. hospital.
- A U.S. passport.
- If you are over 12 years of age, you must also prove that you do not already have a Social Security number assigned to you.
- Identity. Not all documents work as proof of identity. In order to be accepted in this area you must show your name, identifying information and recent photograph. In addition, the document must be current (not expired). A United States driver’s license or a U.S. passport, for example, are valid documents.
In general, the citizen will only need 3 documents to authenticate their information, although it is common for the SSA to request additional documents.
Always use original and official documents
When applying for a Social Security number we must always use original and official documents. The SSA will never accept any document that is a copy of another document, regardless of whether it has any legal value.
So if you want to obtain a Social Security number you must use all official documents. In this way, the Administration will be able to corroborate that you are of that age, have the identity that you are entitled to and U.S. citizenship.
If you do not currently have some of the official documents, wait until you obtain them before you begin the process of obtaining a Social Security number.