Service Around the World

Welcome to Social Security’s Office of Earnings & International Operations (OEIO) home page. The purpose of this site is to assist our customers who live outside the United States or plan to leave the country.

OEIO manages the Social Security program outside the U.S. and implements the benefit provisions of international agreements. There are no Social Security offices outside the U.S., so OEIO  receives assistance from the Department of State's embassies and consulates around the world.

Foreign Countries Served by Social Security

If you live outside of the United States, there are American embassies and consulates with trained personnel to assist you in seeking Social Security services (Canadian residents are served by domestic Social Security border offices). You can access information to contact our Social Security and consular staff by locating your country in the link below: 

Country and Region Office Contact Information

Notice Regarding Forms SSA-7161 and SSA-7162

In most countries, the postal service disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have been resolved. We resumed mailing the "Report To The United States Social Security Administration, " forms ( Form SSA-7161 and Form SSA-7162 ) in late June 2022. Forms will be mailed according to the schedule that was in effect prior to the pandemic (i.e. if you were expecting a form in 2020, you will receive it in 2022; 2021 in 2023). Please complete and return the forms promptly to avoid suspension of benefits.

Instruction for Form SSA-7161

Instruction for Form SSA-7162

Contact Us by Mail

If you are not receiving benefits and would like to inquire about benefits eligibility, you may contact your servicing Social Security office (resident of Canada) or Federal Benefits Unit. You can also contact us by mail at  (please be sure to include your Social Security Number):

Social Security Administration
Office of Earnings & International Operations
P.O. Box 17775
Baltimore, Maryland  21235-7775

If you or any family member are already receiving Social Security benefits and you would like to report a change in status, such as, a death, marriage, or divorce, you may use the following contact address (please be sure to include your Social Security Number):

Social Security Administration
Office of Earnings & International Operations
P.O. Box 17769
Baltimore, Maryland  21235-7769

Contact Us by Phone

You may also contact us by phone if you speak English.  You can call our office 410-965-0160.  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.  If you call, please do so between 9:00am and 4:00pm Eastern U.S time. 

Contact Us by Fax

You may send letters to us by fax at 877-385-0645.

Contact Us Electronically

Click here to send us a message. Please include your Name, Date of Birth (MM/DD/YYYY), full telephone number, and your reason for contacting us. 
Note: Sending multiple messages may cause delays in viewing your message.

Online Services

Until now, you needed a U.S. mailing address to access Social Security's my Social Security account and use our online services. Now, many people without a U.S. mailing address can create a personal  my Social Security account and use the online services with an ID.me credential. If you don't already have an ID.me credential. 

1. Go to  www.ssa.gov/myaccount.

2. On the my Social Security page, select the "Create an Account" button and then select "Sign in with ID.me."

3. Select the 'Create an ID.me account" link and follow the instructions.

4. On ID.me's "Verify Your Identity" screen, select the "I don't live in the United States" link at the bottom of the page and follow the instructions to complete the registration- process.

5. Once you create your credential, you will be returned to the my Social Security webpage for the next steps.

If you already have an ID.me credential, select "Sign In" from the my Social Security page and then sign in to ID.me. You will be redetected to your my Social Security  account.

Note: if you had a my Social Security  account prior to moving overseas, you will need to create an ID.me credential to use it from an international address.

Once you have created your personal my Social Security account, you will be able to:

• Check your earnings.
• Get your benefit estimates.
• Check the status of your application or appeal.
• View, print, or save a benefit verification letter (Social Security is unable to mail to a foreign address).
• Change Special Notice Options (SNO Notices).
• Access some representative payee services.
• View, Print, or save replacement SSA-1099/1042S tax statement (Social Security is unable to mail replacement statements to a foreign address).
• Access online notices.
• Request a replacement Medicare Card.
• Change your address (US Citizen only)

You  Can Apply Online For:

• Retirement Benefits
• Disability Benefits

Other Services:

• Payment Outside the United States informational resources.

Some services are not available outside of the United States.

• Changing your address (if you are not a US Citizen).
• Changing your direct deposit.
• Requesting a replacement Social Security card.

Forms for Foreign Applicants and Beneficiaries

You can use the following links to access forms for foreign applicants and beneficiaries.

• Supplement to Claim of Person Outside the United States (SSA-21)
• Disability Report Form (SSA-3368)
• Application For a Social Security Card (Form SS-5-FS)
• Application for Special Benefits for World War II Veterans (SSA-2000)
• Forms:  Multilanguage Gateway
• Other SSA Forms

Note:  To read and print these forms, you will need the Adobe Reader software (version 5.0 or higher is recommended).  If you do not have this free software, please visit the Adobe web site.

Other Information

We do not use email to discuss confidential topics about claims or Social Security numbers because it is not a secure method for transmitting private information.

If you are planning to leave the U.S., you should read our publication, your payments while you are outside The United States, Publication No. 05-10137 (English, & Spanish PDF).

Visit our Instructions for a Beneficiary Leaving the U.S. page for more information about your responsibilities if you are a beneficiary leaving the US.

Social Security's Office of Data Exchange, Policy Publications,  and International Negotiations (ODEPPIN) offers information on International Social Security ("Totalization") Agreements and other international aspects of the Social Security program.