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Renunciation or Relinquishment of U.S. Citizenship
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23 MINUTE READ

Relinquishment of U.S. citizenship by performing certain statutory expatriating acts, including taking the oath of renunciation, voluntarily and with the intent of relinquishing U.S. citizenship, is a personal right that cannot be exercised on a person’s behalf. For example, under current U.S. law, a person’s parent(s) or legal guardian may not take the oath of renunciation for that person. A Certificate of Loss of Nationality (CLN) approved by the Department of State is the final agency determination of loss of U.S. nationality.

NOTE: Steps 1-4 below outline the process for requesting a CLN under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) Section 349(a)(1)-(5), 8 USC 1481(a)(1)-(5).

Minors, individuals who do not read or write English, individuals with mental health or cognitive disability or impairment and/or guardianship, and those for whom loss of U.S. nationality would result in statelessness are invited to contact U.S. Consulate Vienna before proceeding with their request (please e-mail ConsulateVienna@state.gov and put the code E55 in the subject line of your email).

If you decide that this is the course of action you wish to pursue, there are several steps you must take as described below, including two separate, in-person interviews at U.S. Consulate Vienna. You must demonstrate to the consular officer that you fully understand the nature and consequences of relinquishing your U.S. nationality, that you are not subject to duress or undue influence, and that you are voluntarily and intentionally seeking to relinquish your U.S. nationality.

   

STEP 1: REVIEW THE INFORMATION BELOW 

Please read the information provided by the U.S. Consulate Vienna and available online at the Department of State and Internal Revenue Service links below regarding the legal requirements for and effects of issuance of a CLN. Loss of U.S. nationality is irrevocable, and you should fully understand the effect of issuance of a CLN before beginning the process. 

For questions related to possible U.S. tax implications, please contact the Internal Revenue Service and review the Joint Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) FAQ.

For questions related to Social Security Administration (SSA) or other federal benefits, please contact the Federal Benefits Unit in Warsaw, Poland.

 

STEP 2:  COMPLETE FIRST PART OF FORM DS-4079 AND SCHEDULE AND ATTEND YOUR FIRST INTERVIEW AT U.S. CONSULATE VIENNA 

  • Complete part I of the form DS-4079 (pdf 193 kb) and email the pdf to us at consulatevienna@state.gov. Put the code E55 in the subject line.
    • DO NOT complete part II of the form, this will be completed during your second interview.
    • Part I-A must always be completed.
    • Complete only those sections of I-B through I-F that apply to your case, depending on the type of your request for a Certificate of Loss of U.S. Nationality. If you are planning to renounce your U.S. citizenship, complete only part I-B, Oath of Renunciation.
    • Sections I-C through I-F are used if you wish to request the Certificate of Loss of U.S. Nationality based on a potentially expatriating act you performed in the past. If you would like to apply for this type of request, please carefully review the Department of State website on Relinquishing U.S. Nationality, particularly the sections on Dual Nationality, Public Office in a Foreign State and Service in the Armed Forces of a Foreign State.
  • Schedule an appointment for “Notarial and other services.” No fee is collected at this first interview. 
  • On the day of your appointment, please bring the following documents: 
    • ORIGINAL most recent U.S. passport, 
    • ORIGINAL most recent U.S. passport card (if applicable), 
    • ORIGINAL U.S. birth certificate (issued by your State of birth) or
      ORIGINAL Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certificate of U.S. Citizenship or Certificate of U.S. Naturalization 
    • ORIGINAL most recent Austrian or other second nationality passport or Government-issued ID Card(s) – If you possess multiple nationalities, bring Passport or Government-issued ID for all nationalities 
    • If you do not have a valid Austrian passport yet, please bring the grant of Austrian citizenship (Zusicherungsbescheid) 
    • ORIGINAL proof of any name changes, if applicable (such as marriage certificates, court order, divorce decree, etc.), if applicable.
  • A consular employee will review your documents for completeness. Your case cannot proceed until all required original documentation is provided, including the completed part I of the form DS-4079.
  • If your case is deemed complete and you confirm your intent to proceed, the date for the second and final interview can be scheduled. Due to high demand, we currently have no open appointments for the second interview. Your request will be added to our waiting list, and we will contact you as soon as new appointments become available. The date for the second interview cannot be reserved before completing step 2 of this process.

 

 STEP 3: ATTEND YOUR FINAL INTERVIEW TO RELINQUISH YOUR U.S. CITIZENSHIP WITH ALL REQUIRED ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS AND PAY THE FEE. 

  • Documents: On the day of your appointment, you must bring all the ORIGINAL documents you previously presented.   
    • Your U.S. birth certificate (if applicable) will be returned to you on the day of your renunciation, along with your non-U.S. passport(s) or government-issued ID(s). However, your U.S. passport (if applicable) and other proof of U.S. Citizenship (Consular Report of Birth Abroad or Certificate of Naturalization/Citizenship, as applicable) will be retained by the U.S. Embassy in Vienna while awaiting approval.
    • If your request for a Certificate of Loss of Nationality is approved, the original Certificate of Naturalization/Citizenship (if applicable) will not be returned to you. Your U.S. passport (if applicable) will be canceled, annotated, and returned to you. The Consular Report of Birth Abroad (if applicable) will be annotated and returned to you.
    • If you need to travel to the United States on your U.S. passport after the second interview but before the Certificate of Loss of Nationality has been approved, please inform the U.S. consulate during your second interview.
  • Interview: A Consular Officer will interview you and you will be completing and signing part II of the form DS-4079.
  • Fee: Immediately after the interview, you must pay the non-waivable and non-refundable fee (please click here to see the fee) for processing the request for Certificate of Loss of Nationality. We accept credit cards or, on an exceptional basis if the fee is higher than the credit card limit, also cash (Euros or Dollars). We do NOT accept personal checks or bank debit, ATM or Bankomat cards. This fee is not refundable on the sole basis of denial of your request for a CLN. 

 

 STEP 4: Receive the Certificate of Loss of Nationality if your request is approved by the Department of State 

The Department of State will review each request for a Certificate of Loss of Nationality to determine whether there is a legal basis to approve it. This step may take several months or more. The consulate may contact you for further information before the Department of State decides your case. If your request for a Certificate of Loss of Nationality is approved, we will contact you to pick it up in person at the consular section. Alternatively, you can provide an A4 envelope with 6.60 Euros in stamps according to our instructions (pdf/293kb) to mail the documents to you in Austria. We do not mail certificates outside of Austria. If your request is denied, the consulate will send you an email attaching a denial letter.

 

Requesting a copy of an already issued Certificate of Loss of Nationality

If you need a second Certificate of Loss of Nationality or if you lost your original and need to replace it, you must send a written request to the Office of Records Management. Please follow the instructions on this website: Get Copies from the Office of Records Management.

Consular Affairs, Messages For U.S. Citizens, U.S. Citizen Services