Frequently Asked Questions: U.S. Social Security Benefits Abroad
Can I receive Social
Security payments when I am outside the U.S.?
How will the "Foreign
Work Test" affect me?
If I become a citizen
of the country in which I plan to retire, will I continue to
receive Social Security payments?
Will my Social Security
benefits be affected if I am also eligible for a pension from
work not covered by Social Security?
Will I have to pay U.S.
taxes on my Social Security benefits?
Are my Social Security
payments subject to taxation by foreign governments?
Can my Social
Security be deposited directly into a financial
institution?
Will my Social Security
payments be paid in U.S. dollars?
Where do I report my
change of address, work status or other events that may affect
my Social Security payments?
Where can I get
additional information?
Answers to Your Social Security Benefits Abroad Questions
About Social Security: Rules and countries named in the following answers are subject to change from time to time, so you will want to confirm specific items of interest with the United States Social Security Administration (SSA). Their website, www.socialsecurity.gov, is a valuable resource for information about all of Social Security’s programs.
Q: Can I receive Social Security payments
when I am outside the U.S.?
A: Yes. If you are a U.S. citizen, your may receive your Social Security payments as long as you are eligible for them. However, U.S. Treasury Department regulations do not allow us to send payments to you, or to a bank or an individual for you if you are in Cuba or North Korea. You can be paid benefits that were withheld because you were in one of these countries if:
- You are a citizen or national of the United States; and
- You are qualified for those payments; and
- You leave that country and go to one to which we can send payments.
Generally, because of SSA restrictions, we cannot send payments to you, or to a bank or an individual for you, if you are in Cambodia, Vietnam or areas (other than Armenia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Russia) which were in the former Soviet Union. However, we have established a special payment procedure that permits the payment of benefits to certain eligible beneficiaries in these countries. For more information about this procedure, you should contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate. If you cannot be paid under this special procedure, you can be paid benefits for which you were qualified and which were withheld because you were in one of these countries if:
- You are qualified for those payments; and
- You leave that country and go to one where we can send payments.
Q: How will the "Foreign Work Test"
affect me?
A: Under the "Foreign Work Test," a monthly benefit is withheld
for each month in which a beneficiary younger than
full
retirement age works more than 45 hours outside the U.S. in employment
or self-employment that is not subject to U.S. Social Security taxes. It does
not matter how much you earned or how many hours you worked each day.
If your work is subject to U.S. Social Security taxes, the same annual retirement test that applies to people in the U.S. applies to you.
Q: If I become a citizen of the country in
which I plan to retire, will I continue to receive Social
Security payments?
A: Generally, if you become a citizen of another country and keep
your U.S. citizenship (that is, you have dual citizenship), you
can continue to receive benefits outside the U.S. However, if you
do not keep your U.S. citizenship, your benefits could be
affected by a change of citizenship. The publication,
"Social
Security--Your Payments While You Are Outside the United
States," provides more information about this. You may
also contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or
consulate . If you are in the U.S., you may contact your
local
Social Security office.
Q: Will my Social Security benefits be
affected if I am also eligible for a pension from work not
covered by Social Security?
A: If you become entitled to a U.S. Social Security retirement or
disability benefit and you also start to receive a monthly
pension, such as a foreign social security or private pension,
which is based in whole or in part on work not covered by U.S.
Social Security, your U.S. Social Security benefit may be
smaller. A different formula may be used to figure your U.S.
Social Security benefit. For more information, see the factsheet:
The Windfall Elimination Provision or contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate.
Q: Will I have to pay U.S. taxes on my
Social Security benefits?
A: The Social Security benefits paid to a U.S. citizen outside
the U.S. are taxed in the same manner as those paid to a U.S.
citizen living in the U.S.
Q: Are my Social Security payments subject
to taxation by foreign governments?
A: Many foreign governments do tax U.S. Social Security benefits.
U.S. residents planning to live in another country should contact
that country's embassy in Washington, DC
for specific information.
Q: Can my Social Security benefits be
deposited directly into a financial institution?
A: Social Security payments may be deposited directly into your
account at either a U.S. financial institution or financial
institutions in the country where you live. Direct deposit has
several advantages. You never have to worry about your check
being delayed in the mail, lost or stolen. With direct deposit
you receive your payment much faster than if you are paid by
check (usually one to three weeks faster than check deliveries).
You also avoid check cashing and currency conversion fees. Some
countries where direct deposit payments are available can be
found at: www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10137.html#direct.
To determine if direct deposit or other forms of electronic payment are available in the country where you live or plan to live-or to sign up for direct deposit-contact the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate or write to the Social Security Administration, P.O. Box 17769, Baltimore, Maryland, 21235-7769, U.S.A.
If you are in the U.S., you may contact your local Social Security office.
Q: Will my Social Security payments be
paid in U.S. dollars?
A: All Social Security payments are calculated in U.S. dollars.
However, in foreign countries where direct deposit by electronic
fund transfer is available, and the individual chooses this
method of payment, the payments are converted to the currency of
that foreign country before they are deposited.
Q: Where do I report my change of address,
work status or other events that may affect my Social Security
payments? Where can I get additional information?
A: You can report by contacting the Social Security
Administration in person, by mail, or telephone.
If you live in the British Virgin Islands, Canada or Samoa, you can send your report to the nearest U.S. Social Security office. If you live in Mexico, you can send your report to the nearest U. S. Social Security office, Embassy or consulate. If you live in the Philippines, you can send your report to: Veteran Affairs Regional Office, SSA Division, 1131 Roxas Blvd., Manila, Philippines. In all other countries, you can report to the nearest U.S. Embassy or consulate.
If you find it easiest to contact the Social Security Administration by mail, send your report by airmail to: Social Security Administration, P.O. Box 17769, Baltimore, Maryland, 21235-7769, USA. Be sure to include the name of the person(s) about whom the report is being made, what is being reported and the date it happened and the Social Security claim number. If you are in the U.S., you may contact your local Social Security office.
Q: Where can I get additional
information?
A: For more information about how being outside the U.S. may
affect your payments, see SSA’s Publication No. 05-10137,
“Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States at:
www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10137.html.
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