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. MICHAEL W.

    I AM OUT OF THE UNITED STATES AND MY SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFIT IS GOING TO AN ACCOUNT I DONT HAVE ACCESS TO PRESENTLY. CAN I UPDATE MY DIRECT DEPOSIT INFORMATION USING MY DAUGHTERS BANK INFORMATION?

    OR CAN I RECEIVE PAYMENT THROUGH PREPAID CARDS. PLEASE HELP

    • Allan H.

      You can receive payment through prepaid cards Michael.. Mind i put you through ..??

  2. Michael E.

    I receive SSDI and heard horrible stories about the CDR (continuing disability review) mail that does not reach the Philippines A LOT OF TIMES. This is extremely scary because they will stop payments if these forms are not returned on time. The mail system here is corrupt and I need some sort of alternative that will make CDR transition much better. Being stuck in a foreign country with no money is extremely dangerous when one is a foreigner. Any tips?

  3. Ven

    I live outside the USA. Can I sign up for mySocialSecurity? Also is there a way to download form 7162 and submit it online? Last year there was a lot of delay in receiving the form and caused me a lot of anxiety. With everything going online like e-filing by IRS etc why does not SSA also do everything online?

    • R.F.

      We apologize for the inconvenience Ven. If you’re referring to opening or creating a “my Social Security account”, you must have a U. S. mailing address to create or to access your online account. The “my Social Security” authentication system requires address verification as one of the essential criteria for creating an account. People with APO/FPO/DPO addresses can create an account overseas, but our system does not support registration and account creation for users with a foreign address yet. Please contact your local U.S. embassy or consulate for assistance related to Social Security benefits. Also, our Office of International Operations home page provides more information to assist our customers living abroad. We hope this information helps.

  4. Solange S.

    How the Social Security Administration knows when someone receiving SS benefits dies abroad. I had a cousin living in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) that passed away a year ago, he has no family there and his Social Security check was deposited in one of the local banks. I don’t believe any body notify the Social Security Office of his death and I don’t believe the bank was going to do it either.

    • R.F.

      Thank you for your feedback Solange. We are required to periodically verify if individuals living outside the United Sates are still eligible for Social Security benefits. You can call our toll free number at 1-800-772-1213 and speak to one of our agents to provide more information about this case. Representatives are available Monday through Friday, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. Or contact the local Social Security office.

  5. Michael W.

    My query has to do with survivor benefits. As background, I am a retiree receiving SSA benefits and my children also receive benefits through a payee representative. I live overseas. The two children who receive the benefits are presently 13 and 16 years old. I also have an adopted daughter 18 years old, but she is not eligible as she is not a US citizen. My wife is also not a US citizen and also living overseas (our entire family). I am a retired federal employee, receiving a Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) annuity. My question has to do with the survivor benefits my children may be eligible for if I should die and my wife is also gone. I understand that if the children apply for SSA survivor benefits, they may lose eligibility for the federal employee survivor benefit. Can you advise me about this so I can plan ahead for my children.

    • Allan H.

      Hi Michael, You can apply for Fed Grant it’s opportunity life time for our children ..

  6. Droidpile@Mothers D.

    All my wishes came through when I first saw you with my little eyes; I wondered how it is going to be until I figured out that with you by my side I have nothing to worry in this world. Mother is a responsible person and loves us more than her. To read more articles about mothers day, please visit here – https://www.droidpile.com/

  7. P K.

    Just signed up for Medicare A from outside the US. Website said to check my online account or make an online account to see status of the application as well as other benefits.

    Online accounts cannot be setup if an address outside the US was used for registration.

    So, how do I check if the application for Medicare A has gone through?

    • R.F.

      You’re right, you need a U.S. address to register for a my Social Security account. The “my Social Security” authentication system requires address verification as one of the essential criteria for issuing an account. People with APO/FPO/DPO addresses can create an account overseas, but our system does not support registration and account creation for users with a foreign address yet. Please contact the nearest U.S. embassy in your area, for any assistance related to Social Security benefits. Also, our Office of International Operations home page provides more information to assist our customers living abroad. Please remember that you do not need a U.S. address to access our website and obtain general information about our programs. Thanks.

  8. Aly A.

    I did not receive my direct deposit benefits since march 2017 till now for no reason, I made so many calls and emails and the American embassy in cairo , with no responds, please help me, I am 74 yrs , and desperate for my benefits. thank you ! my ss# *** – ** – **** , live in alex. egypt

    • R.F.

      Thank you for using our blog to communicate with us! For security reasons, we do not have access to personal records in this venue. For assistance with your Social Security benefits, please continue working with the nearest U.S. Embassy in your area. Also, our Office of International Operations home page provides more information to assist our customers living abroad. We hope this information helps.

    • Allan H.

      You will need to make a report .. Contact me for more information.

  9. Ken

    Hello,
    My Mom is a US Citizen living in Canada. She has been receiving Social Security checks since about 2010 (I think survivor benefits after my Dad passed away many years ago).

    I drove to Canada last weekend to help my Mom with her income taxes, and found several unopened letters deep in her paperwork stack. There were two form 7162 letters dated in 2015, and a letter saying the SSA was going to stop her benefits since they had not heard from her. On further research, I found that the SSA hasn’t sent her Social Security check since February of 2016!!! And some of her monthly auto-pay bills have been failing due to the money not being in her account.

    To get her checks going again, does she just fill out the 7162 and send it in? Or is there something else she needs to do? Due to health reasons she can no longer travel to the nearest SSA office in the US, but I can probably travel to Canada and take her to the US Consulate near where she lives. Also, will she get the last year’s worth of missing checks?

    Thanks,
    Ken

    • R.F.

      Hi Ken, thank you for using our blog to communicate with us! We are required to periodically verify if individuals living outside the United States are still eligible for Social Security benefits. In your mother’s situation, a face-to-face interview will probably expedite the reinstatement of her Social Security benefits. Taking your mom to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate is a great idea. Also, this directory provides the Social Security Administration’s Resident Office for those beneficiaries residing in Canada. If you are concerned that she may be having problems managing her benefits, ask about the Social Security’s Representative Payment Program. We hope this information helps!

      • Ken

        Thank you for your response, Ray. I am still a little confused on what our next step should be, though.

        Should she send in the 7162 first? Or set up an appointment at the consulate? (I’ve found in other situations, the consulate would not allow family members to attend meetings, and I am afraid my Mom won’t fully understand what she is being asked). Or, should I contact an SSA office local to me here in the US to talk through what should be done?
        – Ken

        • R.F.

          Hi Ken, please contact your local office for guidance. Based on the information you provided earlier and the length of time that your mother’s benefits have been suspended, a face-to-face interview may be required. Thanks!

  10. Eupert

    Can I get help from U.S.A. to buy food in the philippines? If I am a U.S. Citizen.

Comments are closed.