Social Security Benefits U.S. Citizens Outside the United States
Reading Time: 2 MinutesLast Updated: March 17, 2021
Over 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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Tags: Disability, retirement, Social Security benefits, SSI
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Doug Walker, Deputy Commissioner, Communications
Deputy Commissioner, Office of Communications
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ken
Hello. I’ve been living in Philippines for 6 months now and on disability, social security has not corresponded to me since I moved in oct 2016, before moving I went to social security office and gave them all the info including new mailing address in the philippines so they could stop the medicare and not my payment. Its been six months and I have sent them 2 letters and still heard nothing from them they are also garnishing medicare premiums from my check after I closed the insurance in the U.S. before I left. The social security office in the embassy you can’t never get through to them. What the hell do I do? Are they gonna cut my benefits off as now I paid 1,650 peso for fed x to mail the 3rd letter, im so worried that my own gov is gonna leave me hanging by not doing their job and my benefits be in trouble. Please help me here, this is stressful not knowing what the hell going on and why they have not responded.
R.F.
We apologize for the inconvenience Ken. In your situation you should still contact the U.S. Embassy in Manila, which services the area where you are living. This link includes the U.S. Embassy email address. Also, our Office of International Operations home page provides more contact information to assist our customers living abroad. We hope this information helps!
Mike
There is a good chance you can contact the SSA in Manila bynusing email. I don’t recall the address, but they do respond, although using your SSAN is not recommended. Also, I have used philpost registered mail rather than fedex and it works. Slow, but does get to the address
Rhodora C.
My father who was an american citizen died more than 2 years ago. My mother (who is a non US-citizen) receives her monthly sss survivor benefits.
Per advise of the US Embassy, she is required to enter the US territory every 6 months so that her benefits will not be stopped.
She is turning 67 years old this July 2017 and it is possible that because of her health it will not be very convenient for her to go to the US every 6 months.
Is there a way that she can continue receiving her benefits without going to the US every 6 months? Is it possible for her just to physically report to the US Embassy here in Manila, Phils. instead.
I hope you can kindly reply to this query. Thank you.
R.F.
In most cases, we stop payments to non-citizens after they are outside the United States for six calendar months in a row. For assistance with your Social Security benefits, please continue working with the U.S. Embassy in Manila. Also, our Office of International Operations home page provides more information to assist our customers living abroad. To learn more about the law regarding payments outside the U.S. for Social Security beneficiaries please click here.
luis a.
Dear sirs, i have resided outside the U.S. no for 17 years. I live in Mexico now, my parents needed of a third party to care for them. Now that this part of my life is over, i ask, how do i apply for ssn benefits now that i will be oving in Mexico. Is it possible?? Please help with information, i am totally lost in this subject.
R.F.
When living abroad please contact your local U.S. embassy or consulate for any assistance related to your Social Security benefits.
Harry M.
I live legally in Canada and have my ss check direct deposited. It is never late. Except today. Can someone please tell me the correct phone number to call to see what has happened? I live in Nova Scotia.
Harry
R.F.
Hi Harry. This directory provides the Social Security Administration’s Resident Office for those beneficiaries and claimants residing in Canada.
NP
Hello,
If I have lived in USA for 10+ years, but have not accumulated 40 credits, and I am living outside the USA (country from list 4), can I get SS benefits after retirement or disability? Or can my family get survival benefits?
Thanks
R.F.
In the United States you will generally need to have 40 “credits”, or 10 years of paying Social Security taxes to qualify for any type of Social Security benefit. Workers who have divided their careers between the United States and a foreign country sometimes fail to qualify for retirement, survivors or disability insurance benefits (pensions) from one or both countries because they have not worked long enough or recently enough to meet minimum eligibility requirements. Under a “Totalization Agreement”, such workers may qualify for partial U.S. or foreign benefits based on combined, or “totalized,” coverage credits from both countries. Please visit our International Programs webpage to learn more.
celinda
if I recently moved to Mexico can I still claim my ss benefits from texas.?
R.F.
Thank you for your question Celinda. You may still be eligible to continue to receive your Title II Social Security payments outside the United States. Please keep in mind that if you receive benefits from Social Security, you have a legal obligation to report changes, which could affect your eligibility for disability, retirement, and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. If you reside abroad, there may also be times when contact with your local American embassy or consulate is required. Please visit our Payments Abroad Screening Tool web page to find out if you can continue to receive your payments in Mexico. . Also, our Office of International Operations home page provides more information to assist our customers living abroad. We hope this information helps!
Jose's g.
If the person 80 years old they could go to Venezuela and receipt her pension are there?
R.F.
Thank you for your question Jose. You may still be eligible to continue to receive your Title II Social Security payments outside the United States. Please visit our Payments Abroad Screening Tool web page to find out if you can continue to receive your payments in Venezuela.
Matthew S.
My mother passed away recently and was a beneficiary living outside the US, I cannot find and email or phone number to call from abroad to report her death. Help would be appreciated!
R.F.
We are sorry to hear about your loss Matthew. To report the death, you can contact the nearest U.S. Embassy in the area. You may also contact us by phone, but you will need to pay for the call because we do not currently have a toll-free service for calls from outside the U.S. Also, our Office of International Operations home page provides more information to assist our customers living abroad. Keep in mind that to be eligible for a Social Security benefit payment, a person has to live throughout the entire month. Social Security benefits are paid the month after they are due. For example, if the person dies in January, you must return the benefit paid in February. Although, some of the deceased’s family members may be eligible to receive survivor’s benefits. We hope this information helps.
Carlos
I have lived outside US for nearly 8 years. When i left i was a resident not a citizen but i didnt file taxes the last year i was there (2009). How do i get in contact with Social Security to see if i could claim whatever money i have? and how will the process be if live in south america now. Thanks!
A.C.
Hi Carlos. Generally, you will need to have 40 “credits”, or 10 years of paying Social security taxes to qualify for any type of Social Security benefit. Credits are the “building blocks” we use to find out whether you have the minimum amount of covered work to qualify for each type of Social Security benefits. If you stop working before you have enough credits to qualify for benefits, your credits will stay on your record. If you return to work later on, you can add more credits so that you can qualify. No benefits can be paid if you do not have enough credits. Please visit our Frequently Asked Questions web page to learn more about Social Security benefits and non-citizens. We recommend that individuals living outside the United States contact their local U.S. embassy or consulate for any assistance related to Social Security programs and benefits. Thanks.
Darren J.
Hello,
I emigrated to the US in 1985 and returned to the UK in 2012. I never naturalized and remained a Alien Resident until my return to the UK in 2012
Based on my work history which is over 20 years paying into Social Security will I ever be eligible for retirement benefits even though I am now back in the UK. And how would I proceed to follow up this to make a claim if I do qualify.
Thank you for you assistance.
K.O.
Hello Darren. Thank you for your question. Generally, to be eligible for Social Security benefits, an individual must be either: a U.S. citizen, or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence. However, in some cases, we may pay benefits to non-citizens outside of the United States if they meet certain conditions. For payments to non-citizens living outside the United States, go to our Frequently Asked Questions web page. Additionally, we urge you to contact the U.S. Embassy in UK, for further assistance. Here is our Office of International Operations home page which provides more information for individuals living abroad. We hope this information helps.