(AP) — The U.S. Department of State has dramatically reduced the cost for Americans who want to formally renounce their citizenship, slashing the fee by about 80% to $450.
The change, published Friday in the Federal Register, lowers the price from $2,350, a fee that had been in place for nearly a decade.
Officials said the new amount took effect immediately and restores the cost to the same level first introduced in 2010, when the department began charging applicants to complete the renunciation process.
The decision follows years of legal challenges and advocacy from expatriate groups who argued that the high fee effectively prevented some Americans living abroad from exercising their right to give up citizenship.
Formally renouncing American citizenship involves an extensive procedure overseen by consular officers from the State Department.
Applicants must complete multiple written and verbal confirmations affirming that they understand the consequences of relinquishing citizenship. These attestations take place before a consular official and culminate in a formal oath of renunciation.
The application is then reviewed by the department before final approval is granted.
Officials say the steps are intended to ensure individuals fully understand the legal and personal implications of giving up their citizenship, which include losing the right to vote in U.S. elections and limitations on future travel or residency in the United States.
The State Department sharply raised the renunciation fee in 2015, increasing it from $450 to $2,350.
At the time, the department said the increase was necessary to cover administrative costs associated with processing renunciation applications.
The surge in requests was partly attributed to stricter tax reporting requirements for Americans living overseas, including policies requiring expatriates to disclose foreign bank accounts and financial assets to U.S. authorities.
Those rules drew strong criticism from many expatriates who said they faced complicated tax compliance requirements even while residing permanently outside the United States.
The steep fee increase prompted legal challenges from advocacy organizations representing Americans living abroad.
Among the most vocal groups was the Association of Accidental Americans, a France-based organization that argues many of its members are U.S. citizens only because they were born in the country.
Such individuals, often called “accidental Americans,” may have lived most of their lives overseas and maintain few connections to the United States beyond their birthplace.
The organization filed several lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of the renunciation fee, arguing that it placed an unreasonable barrier on a fundamental right.
One of those cases remains pending and asserts that the process of renouncing citizenship should be free of charge.
Fabien Lehagre welcomed the State Department’s decision to reduce the cost.
“The Association of Accidental Americans welcomes this decision, which acknowledges the necessity of making this fundamental right accessible to all,” Lehagre said in a statement.
He described the reduction as the result of years of legal advocacy and campaigning on behalf of expatriates seeking to relinquish citizenship.
According to court filings from the group, at least 8,755 Americans paid the full $2,350 fee after the State Department announced in 2023 that it intended to lower the cost but had not yet implemented the change.
The State Department has not released updated figures on the total number of Americans who have renounced citizenship in recent years.
The rule change comes amid broader debates in Washington over citizenship and voting laws.
Earlier this week, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed legislation known as the SAVE America Act.
The proposal would require Americans to present documentary proof of citizenship — such as a passport or birth certificate — when registering to vote in federal elections.
Supporters say the measure is designed to prevent noncitizens from voting, while critics warn it could make voting more difficult for millions of Americans who lack immediate access to such documentation.
The bill passed largely along party lines by a 218–213 vote and now faces uncertain prospects in the United States Senate, where legislation generally requires 60 votes to advance past procedural hurdles.
Republican supporters of the bill argue it would strengthen enforcement of existing election laws.
Bryan Steil defended the proposal during committee deliberations, saying stricter verification measures are necessary to safeguard elections.
But Democrats and voting-rights advocates contend the policy could disenfranchise voters who lack readily available documentation proving citizenship.
Some election experts estimate that more than 20 million Americans of voting age do not have proof of citizenship immediately accessible.
Nearly half of Americans also do not hold a valid U.S. passport.
Opponents of the legislation say implementing such rules shortly before upcoming elections could create logistical challenges for state election officials.
Even though Republicans control the Senate, the legislation faces obstacles under the chamber’s procedural rules.
Advancing most bills requires 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, a threshold the measure currently appears unlikely to reach.
Some lawmakers have discussed alternative procedures that could allow extended debate, including the use of a “standing filibuster.”
Supporters say the idea could give the proposal a path forward, though it would likely involve lengthy floor debates.
Lisa Murkowski criticized the legislation, saying federal mandates could interfere with states’ authority to administer elections.
The State Department’s decision to cut the cost of renouncing citizenship highlights how issues surrounding nationality, taxation and political participation remain deeply intertwined in U.S. policy debates.
For Americans living abroad, the renunciation fee had become a symbol of frustration over complex tax regulations and administrative hurdles.
At the same time, discussions in Congress about voter eligibility and citizenship documentation underscore how questions of national identity and political participation continue to shape domestic politics.
While the fee reduction may ease the financial burden for expatriates considering renunciation, the broader conversation about citizenship — who holds it, how it is verified and what rights accompany it — is likely to remain a prominent issue in Washington in the years ahead.
