Certification of U.S. Saving Bonds
Redeeming bonds from abroad: U.S. Savings Bonds cannot be presented for immediate payment while the owner is abroad. The owner must execute a request for payment in the presence of a qualified witnessing official and then mail the bonds to an appropriate authority in the United States. A dollar check will then be mailed to the owner of the bonds. For more information on U.S. Savings Bonds, please read at www.savingsbonds.gov
You can execute a request for payment at the U.S. Embassy Brussels by appointment only.
You must present a passport as proof of identification. If the name in your passport differs from that on the bond, you must present evidence of a name change, such as a marriage certificate.
Do not sign the document!
After your signature has been witnessed, the bonds should be forwarded for payment to the United States. It can take up to three months for receipt of payment. Send the signed and certified bonds to:
Treasury Retail Securities Services
P.O. Box 9150
Minneapolis, MN 55480-9150
Tax information
If you are a U.S. citizen, you should prepare a signed statement to be sent to the United States with the bonds. This statement should include your passport number, date and place of birth, country of residence, and the name and address of the authority to which taxes are paid.
If you are a citizen of a country with a tax treaty with the United States (such as Belgium), you should complete IRS FORM W-8 form to claim exemption from the U.S. tax on the bond(s) interest. Submit this form along with the bonds.
