US To Slash Fee For Renouncing Citizenship

The United States (US) government has announced a sharp reduction in the fee required for citizens seeking to formally renounce their nationality, lowering the cost by more than 80 percent.

According to a notice published in the Federal Register, the official journal of the US government, the consular fee will drop from $2,350 to $450 starting April 13.

The reduction reverses a price increase introduced in 2015 and restores the fee to the level it was when the renunciation charge was first implemented in 2010.

Authorities said the decision followed concerns raised by Americans living abroad, particularly over tax-related obligations tied to their citizenship.

The notice stated that the change was made after considering “the not insignificant anecdotal evidence regarding tax-related difficulties many U.S. nationals residing abroad encounter.”

The move has been welcomed by the Association of Accidental Americans (AAA), a Paris-based non-profit organisation advocating for individuals who unknowingly acquired US citizenship through birth or parentage.

Reacting to the development, the group described the reduction as a significant breakthrough following years of advocacy and legal action.

“The U.S. Department of State today filed a final rule, effective March 13, 2026, reducing the fee for renouncing U.S. citizenship (Certificate of Loss of Nationality) from $2,350 to $450. The Association des Américains Accidentels (AAA) welcomes this decision, which acknowledges the necessity of making this fundamental right accessible to all. This victory is the direct result of six years of relentless legal action and advocacy.

“As Thomas Jefferson stated in 1779, voluntary renunciation of one’s nationality is a natural right inherent to all men. The U.S. administration is not above its own Constitution. This fee reduction is a concrete first victory — but our fight to have the right to renounce recognized as a fundamental constitutional right continues,” said Fabien Lehagre, founder and president of the organisation, in a statement posted on X.

Unlike many countries that tax residents based on where they live, the United States taxes citizens based on nationality, a system that has drawn criticism from advocacy groups representing Americans abroad.

Under regulations such as the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), US citizens must disclose detailed information about foreign bank accounts when filing their annual tax returns requirements.