How to Renounce U.S. Citizenship

To renounce U.S. citizenship, you must appear in person before a U.S. consular or diplomatic officer at a U.S. embassy or consulate outside the United States, sign an oath of renunciation, and pay a State Department processing fee. If the Department of State approves your case, it issues a Certificate of Loss of Nationality (CLN) confirming that you are no longer a U.S. citizen or national. This step is treated as final and irrevocable. It does not erase tax debts, child support obligations, or criminal liability, and it can trigger tax consequences under U.S. law. This article explains the process and the major things to think through first; it is general information, not legal or tax advice.

Who this applies to

This process is for people who already are U.S. citizens (by birth or naturalization) and want to voluntarily and formally give that up. It is different from:

• Losing citizenship through other "expatriating acts," such as naturalizing in a foreign country or serving in a foreign government, done with the specific intent to give up U.S. nationality. That is a separate legal pathway with its own evidentiary standards under 8 U.S.C. § 1481.
• Deportation or removal, which applies to noncitizens and does not involve giving up U.S. citizenship, because the person removed was never a U.S. citizen.
• Denaturalization, a rare, government-initiated court process to strip citizenship obtained through fraud or ineligibility. That is not something you can request for yourself.

The legal basis for voluntary renunciation abroad is Immigration and Nationality Act § 349(a)(5) (8 U.S.C. § 1481(a)(5)). It requires the oath to be made before a U.S. diplomatic or consular officer in a foreign country, in the form the Secretary of State prescribes.

The formal process, step by step

1. Think it through, ideally with professional help. Before you schedule anything, most people benefit from talking to a qualified immigration attorney about the immigration consequences and a tax attorney or CPA experienced in expatriation about the tax consequences. This decision is permanent, so get advice before you act, not after.
2. Secure another citizenship first, if you don't already have one. U.S. law does not legally require you to hold another nationality before renouncing, but doing so without one leaves you stateless, which creates serious, lasting practical problems (see below). Almost everyone who renounces already has, or has just obtained, citizenship elsewhere.
3. Contact the U.S. embassy or consulate that handles renunciations for the country where you live. Each post has its own appointment system and posts current instructions online; not every embassy or consulate processes renunciations, so check first.
4. Complete the required paperwork the post gives you. This typically includes a questionnaire about your citizenship history (Form DS-4079) and the renunciation forms themselves. Fill out only what the instructions tell you to complete in advance, and do not sign the oath or renunciation forms beforehand — those must be signed in person, in front of the consular officer, at your appointment. Follow your specific post's current instructions, since forms and procedures can vary and change.
5. Attend an initial interview. A consular officer will confirm your identity, explain the legal and practical consequences of renunciation, and make sure you understand what you are giving up and that you are acting voluntarily, without coercion, and while mentally competent.
6. Attend the final interview and take the oath. You sign the oath of renunciation before the consular or diplomatic officer and pay the processing fee. As of April 2026, that fee is $450, reduced from a prior $2,350 fee; it is non-refundable and non-waivable even if the case is later denied. Confirm the current fee before your appointment at travel.state.gov, since consular fees change.
7. Wait for Washington to review and approve your case. The embassy or consulate forwards your file to the Department of State, which determines whether there is a legal basis to approve it. Processing takes time — often several months — and the post can give you a current estimate; the case is not complete until the Department approves it. If approved, you receive an approved Certificate of Loss of Nationality — the official document proving you are no longer a U.S. citizen.

A parent cannot renounce citizenship on behalf of a minor child, and no one can renounce by mail, by proxy, or on someone else's behalf. You must act for yourself, and posts typically require the person to demonstrate a mature, considered understanding of the decision.

It is essentially permanent

Once your renunciation is approved and a Certificate of Loss of Nationality is issued, the decision is final. There is no formal process to simply "change your mind" and get citizenship back. Regaining U.S. citizenship after renouncing would generally mean starting over through the ordinary immigration and naturalization system available to any other noncitizen, if you qualify at all, and prior renunciation can complicate future visa eligibility (see the Reed Amendment note below). Because of this, consular officers are required to make sure you understand the consequences before you take the oath, and there is no expedited path if you regret the decision afterward.

Tax and exit considerations (talk to a tax professional)

Giving up citizenship does not erase your U.S. tax history. Key things to know at a high level:

• Tax compliance certification. You are generally required to certify five years of U.S. federal tax compliance and file a final expatriation statement, IRS Form 8854, with the IRS.
• Possible "exit tax." Under Internal Revenue Code § 877A, people who meet certain thresholds — based on average annual net income tax liability, net worth, or tax compliance history — are treated as "covered expatriates" and may owe a one-time tax as if most of their worldwide property were sold the day before expatriation. These dollar thresholds are adjusted for inflation, so don't rely on last year's numbers; check the current figures in the IRS Instructions for Form 8854 and the IRS's expatriation tax guidance at irs.gov.
• Existing debts survive. Renouncing does not discharge back taxes, unpaid child support, civil judgments, or criminal liability. Those obligations follow you regardless of citizenship status.
• The Reed Amendment. Federal law (8 U.S.C. § 1182(a)(10)(E)) makes a former citizen inadmissible to the United States if a consular or immigration officer determines the person renounced citizenship to avoid U.S. taxation. Enforcement history is limited, but it exists on the books and is worth knowing about.

You generally can't do this casually to make yourself "stateless"

U.S. law does not flatly forbid becoming stateless by renouncing, but it also does not treat it lightly. Consular officers are required to walk every applicant through the real-world consequences of having no nationality at all: difficulty establishing legal residence anywhere, trouble traveling because no country is obligated to issue you a passport or admit you, and potential barriers to working, owning property, marrying, getting medical care, or attending school. Statelessness is disfavored under international law precisely because it strips away the basic protections a nationality provides. In practice, almost no one renounces without already holding, or having just secured, another country's citizenship — and posts will make sure you understand what you're risking if you haven't.

What renouncing actually changes

After an approved renunciation, you are no longer a U.S. citizen or national. That generally means:

• You lose the right to live and work in the United States without a visa, and you may need a visa or other authorization to visit in the future.
• You lose your U.S. passport, the right to vote in U.S. elections, and U.S. consular protection abroad as a citizen.
• You can no longer petition to sponsor family members for U.S. immigration benefits as a citizen.
• You remain subject to any existing U.S. legal obligations that arose before you renounced.

Beware of scams and unauthorized "consultants"

Some companies market "guaranteed" second citizenships, aggressive tax-avoidance schemes tied to renunciation, or renunciation "packages" with promises no legitimate practitioner can make. Only a licensed attorney, a DOJ-accredited representative (for immigration matters), or a licensed CPA or tax attorney (for the tax side) should be advising you on a decision this consequential. Be especially wary of notarios or unlicensed "immigration consultants" — in the United States, a notario público is not a lawyer and cannot represent you in immigration matters.

This article is general information, not legal or tax advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship. Consult a qualified immigration attorney and a tax professional experienced in expatriation before you take any action toward renouncing your U.S. citizenship.