State Department Slashes Fee to Renounce US Citizenship by 80% to $450

The new $450 fee is the same as it was when the State Department first started charging Americans to formally renounce their citizenship in 2010.

Mar. 14, 2026 at 12:06am

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The U.S. State Department has reduced the fee to formally renounce American citizenship from $2,350 to $450, an 80% decrease. This change comes after years of legal battles with groups representing Americans who want to give up their U.S. citizenship, particularly those living abroad who acquired citizenship solely by being born in the United States.

Why it matters

The high $2,350 fee had drawn significant opposition, with groups arguing it made the process of renouncing citizenship inaccessible. The reduced fee aims to make this fundamental right more accessible, especially for Americans living abroad who face complex tax reporting requirements that have led many to want to give up their U.S. citizenship.

The details

The new $450 fee took effect on Friday, March 14, 2026, after being promised in 2023 but never implemented until now. Renouncing U.S. citizenship is an intensive process that requires applicants to repeatedly confirm in writing and verbally to a State Department consular officer that they understand the implications before taking a formal oath of renunciation.

  • The State Department first started charging Americans $450 to formally renounce their citizenship in 2010.
  • The fee was raised from $450 to $2,350 in 2015 to cover administrative expenses as the number of people wanting to renounce their citizenship surged.
  • In 2023, the State Department announced it would reduce the fee, but the change was not implemented until March 14, 2026.

The players

Association of Accidental Americans

A France-based group that represents people mainly living abroad whose U.S. citizenship is due solely to having been born in the United States. The group filed several lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the $2,350 fee.

Fabien Lehagre

The president of the Association of Accidental Americans, who welcomed the decision to reduce the fee as a "victory" resulting from "six years of relentless legal action and advocacy."

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What they’re saying

“The Association of Accidental Americans welcomes this decision, which acknowledges the necessity of making this fundamental right accessible to all.”

— Fabien Lehagre, President, Association of Accidental Americans (Association of Accidental Americans)

What’s next

The State Department did not provide numbers for the total number of Americans who have renounced their citizenship, but the Association of Accidental Americans said that since the 2023 announcement that the fee would be reduced, at least 8,755 Americans had paid the full $2,350 to renounce their citizenship.

The takeaway

This fee reduction aims to make the process of renouncing U.S. citizenship more accessible, especially for Americans living abroad who face complex tax reporting requirements that have led many to want to give up their citizenship. The change comes after years of legal challenges by advocacy groups representing these 'accidental Americans' who acquired citizenship solely by being born in the United States.