Citizen Services
Federal Benefits
Social Security Administration
The Social Security Administration website contains information about benefits, payments and international services, i.e. for U.S. citizens who are residing outside of the U.S.
Social Security claims for South Africa are handled by the Regional Social Security Office in Frankfurt, Germany, therefore we are limited in the information we can provide regarding Social Security.
Social Security Regional District Office for the Southern Africa Region:
AMERICAN EMBASSY
FEDERAL BENEFITS
24 GROSVENOR SQUARE
LONDON, W1A 2LQ
ENGLAND.
TEL: + 44 20 7499 9000
EMAIL: FBU.London@ssa.gov
If you would like to apply for retirement, survivors or disability benefits we can provide you with a questionnaire, which you need to complete and forward to the Regional Social Security Office in Frankfurt, Germany.
To receive this information packet call the nearest US Consulate.
Applications for Social Security Numbers may be made at one of the consulates. Your application and supporting documents are forwarded to the Social Security Administration who assign a number. The Social Security Number will be mailed directly to you, though the process takes several months.
Before a Social Security number is issued, Social Security will contact the office that issued your birth record to make sure the record you provide is valid.
The Social Security Administration publication Protecting Social Security Numbers (pdf) details the changes in the way Social Security Numbers and cards are issued.
Questions about the change are answered in Social Security Administration (SSA) Protects Social Security Numbers (pdf) publication.
Information about Windfall Elimination Provision can be found in the following publication: There's Something About Social Security Benefits (pdf).
If you have not received your Social Security Number within 6 months, please contact the Social Security Regional Office in Frankfurt, Germany, Phone: 49-69-7535-2496.
If you are 18 years or older and applying for a Social Security number for the first time, you will need to appear in person, either at a U.S. consular office abroad or at a Social Security office in the U.S.
Department of Veterans Affairs
The Department of Veterans Affairs website offers the Federal Benefits Manual for Veterans and Dependants (1997), details of benefits available, and downloadable benefits forms.