Overview
If you reside in Ecuador and have questions regarding services provided by the Social Security Administration (SSA), you must contact the SSA Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) located in Santo Domingo. For more information on their services and how to contact them, please visit their webpage at: https://do.usembassy.gov/social-security/ or via e-mail at FBU.Santo.Domingo@ssa.gov.
For comprehensive information on SSA’s services abroad, please visit SSA’s webpage Service Around the World or Social Security Office of Earnings & International Operations (ssa.gov).
Did not receive your February Social Security payment?
If you did not receive your February payment, your benefits have been suspended because we did not receive your Foreign Enforcement Questionnaire.
To reinstate the benefits, you must take the following actions:
- If you receive payments in your own name, complete form SSA – 7162.
- If you receive payments through a representative payee or are a representative payee, complete form SSA – 7161.
- Make sure to include:
- Social Security Number
- Name
- Address (Including City, Province and zip code)
- Signature (Note: we cannot accept digital or electronic signatures)
- Date
The Social Security Administration cannot accept this document by email or fax, you will need to send the original document physically (no copies) to the following address:
US EMBASSY SANTO DOMINGO
Unidad de Beneficios Federales (FBU)
Av. República de Colombia #57
Santo Domingo
República Dominicana
Código postal 10505
Telephone: +1-809-368-7011
The Federal Benefits Unit in Santo Domingo cannot confirm your questionnaire was received and will not respond to inquiries requesting confirmation. You will need to verify the delivery status with the tracking number provided by your shipping company. After we receive your form, benefits will be reinstated in approximately 7 business days.
Information about sending your questionnaire to the Regional Federal Benefits Office
You may send the required documentation using any method or courier service. It is highly recommended that you use a courier service that provides a tracking number. DHL has an agreement with the American Citizen Services section and is aware that there are beneficiaries that need to send documentation.
If you would like to contact DHL about shipping your questionnaire, you can send an e-mail to embassy.doc@dhl.com or via WhatsApp to +593-9-9939-1700.
Do not send a Foreign Enforcement Questionnaire if:
- Your SSN ends 00 to 49, and
- You are under 90 years of age, and
- You are receiving benefits on your own.
- If the above conditions apply to you, a form will be mailed to you between June and July 2024 with different instructions.
If you meet the requirements for a questionnaire, but your official address on record is in the United States, you may disregard this message.
Please visit the Regional Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) page for more information or contact the Federal Benefits Unit directly at FBU.Santo.Domingo@ssa.gov for more information.
Applying for a Social Security Number if you are a U.S. Citizen over 12 years old
If you are over 12 years old and you are uncertain that you ever had a Social Security Number. You need to contact Regional Federal Benefits Office at Santo Domingo (https://do.usembassy.gov/social-security/) first to confirm that you have never been issued a Social Security number.
We can only provide this service if you are:
- a U.S. Citizen,
- Over 12 years old and,
- Never had a Social Security Number (SSN)
You can apply for a Social Security Number at the U.S. Embassy in Quito or the U.S. Consulate in Guayaquil. In order to do this, you need to send an e-mail to the section that you would like to apply on:
- U.S. Embassy in Quito: acsquito@state.gov
- U.S. Consulate in Guayaquil: acsguayaquil@state.gov
You will receive a response with the steps to follow.
If you are trying to request a SSN for someone that is 12 years old or younger, as well as all other inquiries and requests, you need to contact Regional Federal Benefits Office at Santo Domingo at FBU.Santo.Domingo@ssa.gov.
Reporting the death of a beneficiary
In the unfortunate event that a person that received Social Security payments passes away, any survivor can report the death.
If the beneficiary was a U.S. Citizen, please follow the steps posted on our website related to Death of a U.S. Citizen.
If the beneficiary was not a U.S. Citizen, you need to report the death directly to the Regional Federal Benefits Office in Santo Domingo at FBU.Santo.Domingo@ssa.gov.
For all other inquiries and requests, you need to contact Regional Federal Benefits Office at Santo Domingo at FBU.Santo.Domingo@ssa.gov.
Certifying copies to apply for a Social Security Number at the Regional Federal Benefits Office (RFBO)
If you have already contacted the RFBO in Santo Domingo to request your Social Security number and the only requirement that is missing is for you to send notarized copies of the documents:
Please schedule an appointment for a notarial service on our Notarial Services webpage and please don’t forget to print and bring the e-mail that the Social Security (RFBO in Santo Domingo) sent you, so we can waive any fees related to this service.