How do I obtain a SSN (Social Security Number)

The SSN (Social Security Number)/TIN (Tax Identification Number) is needed to be able to file taxes in the US but recently also it is needed for the banks in your country. They will ask you to provide a TIN (which is your SSN) Many people don’t have a Social Security Number or a person might have one but simply doesn’t know. Below are some helpful steps to get you started:

How to obtain a Social Security Number USA

Step 1:

There is the Social Security Administration’s Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) in Dublin which is the starting point for your SSN application. The FBU in Dublin is the main point of contact on all social security-related issues for U.S. Citizens in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

For all other countries: contact your local US embassy for more information about the options in your country here: https://www.usembassy.gov/They will do a check to see if you ever had an SSN. If you never had an SSN they will tell you what papers you need to apply for an SSN. If you did have an SSN the Dublin office (for UK residents: the US Embassy in London) will also tell you what you need to get it reissued. Some information on what to expect can be found on their page with SSN requirements.

You are encouraged to call for assistance and ask them what the required forms you will need to collect for the application. Your initial call can be very brief as staff will take your telephone number and call you back to complete your business.

For U.S. Citizens in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg only:

Federal Benefits Unit, Dublin, Ireland, contact information:

Telephone – MORNINGS ONLY:
Federal Benefits Unit 00-353-1-668-8777, ext. 2112
E-Mail Address: fbu.dublin@ssa.gov

Step 2:

You don’t need to travel to Dublin to deliver the forms. The forms required can be presented in person at your local consulate. Your local consulate will certify the forms and send some documents to FBU-Dublin.

Please note that the Consulate does not send FBU-Dublin documents related to first-time Social Security applicants under the age of 12. Parents of these applicants are responsible for sending their certified true copies, along with any Social Security-required forms.

At the U.S. Consulate, Social Security customers are invited to appear, fully prepared, at the Consulate on a Walk-In Day, offered once a month (please check your local US Embassy website for the latest information on walk-in-days).

Please note that the U.S. Consulate does not make Social Security-related appointments for specific dates/times for individuals.

On a Walk-In Day, a Social Security customer must bring both the original document and a photocopy of each document that requires certification as a true copy, in connection with Social Security service. The Consulate cannot advise on which documents each customer should present. Instead, this is determined by FBU-Dublin.

So, first and most importantly for Dutch, Belgian, and Luxembourg residents: go to the Federal Benefits Unit in Dublin (for all other countries: go to your US Embassy) and make sure you know which forms are required for your application.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to let us know.

While your Social Security application is processed in the U.S., you can already start the filing process.

How do I obtain a SSN (Social Security Number)?

How to obtain a Social Security Number USA

Step 1:

For U.S. Citizens in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg only:

Step 2:

Please note that the U.S. Consulate does not make Social Security-related appointments for specific dates/times for individuals.

Written by Linda Mabelis

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