General, Retirement, SSI

Social Security Benefits U.S. Citizens Outside the United States

August 8, 2016 • By

Reading Time: 2 Minutes

Last Updated: March 17, 2021

Benefits-outside-the-USOver half a million people who live outside the United States receive some kind of Social Security benefit, including retired and disabled workers, as well as spouses, widows, widowers, and children.

If you’re a U.S. citizen, you may receive your Social Security payments outside the United States as long as you are eligible. When we say you are “outside the United States,” we mean you’re not in one of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, or American Samoa. Once you’ve been outside the United States for at least 30 days in a row, we consider you to be outside the country.

If you are traveling outside the U.S. for an extended amount of time, it’s important that you tell Social Security the date you plan to leave and the date you plan to come back, no matter how long you expect your travel to last. Then we can let you know whether your Supplemental Security Income (SSI) will be affected.

You can use this online tool to find out if you can continue to receive your Social Security benefits if you are outside the United States or are planning to go outside the United States at www.socialsecurity.gov/international/payments_outsideUS.html.

This tool will help you find out if your retirement, disability, or survivor’s payments will continue as long as you are eligible, stop after six consecutive calendar months, or if certain country specific restrictions apply.

When you live outside the United States, periodically we’ll send you a questionnaire. Your answers will help us figure out if you still are eligible for benefits. Return the questionnaire to the office that sent it as soon as possible. If you don’t, your payments will stop. In addition to responding to the questionnaire, notify us promptly about changes that could affect your payments.

You can also read the publication titled Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs.

Social Security is with you through life’s journey, even if that journey takes you outside the United States.

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About the Author

Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications

Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications

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Comments

  1. Sue B.

    Am having difficulty understanding what I can do for when I retire and move to Pakistan with my husband. I’ve got the time in, but am 2 years away from 62. Is there a link? Phone number?

    • R.F.

      Hello Sue. Our publication, “Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States”, explains how being outside the United States may affect your Social Security payments.
      You may use our Payments Abroad Screening Tool to see if your benefits will continue indefinitely, stop after six consecutive months or if certain country specific restrictions apply.
      We hope this information helps!

  2. James a.

    what day in August will direct deposit
    be received in living in Philippines since
    the 5th falls on a Sunday?

    • R.F.

      Thank you for using our blog to contact us, James. If your regularly scheduled payment date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal public holiday, benefits will be paid the business day before your due date. We recommend that individuals living outside the United States contact their nearest Federal Benefits Unit or local U.S. Embassy for assistance with their Social Security benefits.

  3. Izumi g.

    If I am a citizen can I receive my benefits outside the united states

    • R.F.

      Hello Izumi. Our publication, “Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States”, explains how being outside the United States may affect your Social Security payments.
      If you are a U.S. citizen, you may continue to receive payments outside the United States as long as you are eligible for payment and you are in a country where we can send payments.
      You may use our Payments Abroad Screening Tool to see if your benefits will continue or if specific restrictions apply in certain countries.
      We also recommend that individuals planning to leave the United States visit our Office of International Operations home page, which provides additional information for our customers living abroad.
      A reminder, if you do move, you are required to report your change of address to Social Security, even if we are sending your payments to a bank or other financial institution. We hope this information helps!

  4. Thomas M.

    I have regular social security. I want to retire permanently to India. Will India tax my social security please? Thanks

    • V.V.

      Hi Thomas, thanks for your question. We cannot answer your question regarding India’s taxation policies. However, if you do move, you are required to report your change of address to Social Security, even if we are sending your payments to a bank or other financial institution.

      Our publication, “Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States”, explains how being outside the United States may affect your Social Security payments.
      If you are a U.S. citizen, you may continue to receive payments outside the United States as long as you are eligible for payment and you are in a country where we can send payments. If you aren’t a U.S. citizen, you must meet one of the conditions for payment described in this publication.
      You may use our Payments Abroad Screening Tool to see if your benefits will continue indefinitely, stop after six consecutive months or if certain country specific restrictions apply.

      We also recommend that individuals planning to leave the United States visit our Office of International Operations home page, which provides additional information for our customers living abroad. We hope this information helps!

  5. Laurel G.

    Hello, I need to speak to someone by telephone regarding receiving my SS benefits. I live in Canada and the 1-800 numbers are not available to me.
    Please contact me at 1-905-771-1168 Home
    Laurel Sommers Goldberg

    • V.V.

      Thank you for using our blog to communicate with us, Laurel. Please use the Canadian Service Area Directory to determine which Resident Office is near you http://www.socialsecurity.gov/foreign/canada.htm.
      Also, our Office of International Operations home page provides more information to assist our customers living abroad. 
      We hope this helps!

  6. Jeff

    Hi, I just received notices (7-12-2018) for myself and my wife (form ssa-7162-ocr-sm . I am collecting Disability payments while living outside the USA . My wife collects spousal benefits from my working(we live together) . I did notify SS that I was moving out of the USA and gave the new address (before I moved) so I can follow the requirements and posted here and in the SSA booklets .
    My issue is the form that was sent, is dated June 1 2018 , And that , it, must be returned within 60 days or My payments (both of our payments ) will stop .
    I will send both forms back tomorrow ( 7-13-2018)the next day) But I doubt it will arrive before the 60 day time line . It took ~ 6 weeks for the SSA letter to reach me . The Mail is very slow in Brazil and I will return these forms using a mail service that is as fast as possible .
    How can a make sure my payments aren’t stopped ? Who should I call ? if anyone .

  7. Brad B.

    Thanks for a great and easy to understand website. God bless all of you from top op’ to the important man with a mop.

  8. Brian

    My father lives outside the United States and they always send him the letter with the questionnaire to resend it, but the post offices in the country have been in trouble for a long time and the letter does not arrive. Can I send this questionnaire in another way?

  9. Stephen H.

    Hello ! … My name is Stephen and am 56 years old – and am American but was raised in brazil – I moved to Colorado and worked there for 7 summers (1979-1985) so should have 7 quarters of taxes paid out of the 40 required by law. In 1986 moved back to Brazil and have been here since….I worked here for companies for 8 years and since 1994 started my own business (Events place – weddings, birthdays etc. and since I have my own business here I am paying monthly a sum to the Brazian Social Security for retirement – Is there a way for me to pay my US Social Security taxes in order to get retirement benefits – I know that in Europe and in some other countries there is

  10. George a.

    If i leave the usa and go to Ecuador with my disability/ compsnsation cor 8 monfhs, am i entiltled to ssn.

Comments are closed.