The US State Department announced a fee reduction for renouncing US citizenship from $2,350 to $450, according to a final rule published by the agency. The new fee of $450 will apply to appointments on or after April 13, 2026. The fee reduction ends a six-year legal battle by Americans living abroad, who had challenged the previous $2,350 fee as prohibitively expensive.
The fee was previously $450 from 2010 to 2014, then increased to $2,350 in 2014. The State Department said in a statement: "After significant deliberation, taking into account both the affected public's concerns regarding the cost of the fee and the not insignificant anecdotal evidence regarding tax-related difficulties many US nationals residing abroad encounter, including in part because of FATCA, the Department made a policy decision... to propose alleviating the cost burden for those individuals who decide to request CLN services by returning to the below-cost fee of $450." The department added that the action is intended to help alleviate the cost burden for those who decide to request CLN services by returning to the below-cost fee that was in place from 2010 to 2014.
As Thomas Jefferson stated in 1779, voluntary renunciation of one's nationality is a natural right inherent to all men. The U.S. administration is not above its own Constitution. This fee reduction is a concrete first victory — but our fight to have the right to renounce recognised as a fundamental constitutional right continues.
The Association of Accidental Americans (AAA), which had been involved in the legal challenge, welcomed the decision. Fabien Lehagre, founder and president of the AAA, said in a press release: "As Thomas Jefferson stated in 1779, voluntary renunciation of one's nationality is a natural right inherent to all men. The U.S. administration is not above its own Constitution. This fee reduction is a concrete first victory — but our fight to have the right to renounce recognised as a fundamental constitutional right continues."
According to the AAA, since 2023, 8,755 individuals have paid the $2,350 fee, totaling over $20.5 million in revenue. The fee reduction is expected to lower the financial barrier for Americans abroad who wish to renounce their citizenship, though it remains unclear how many will take advantage of the lower fee. The processing time for renunciation applications may also be affected, but no details have been provided.
The fee change comes amid ongoing debates about the US system of citizenship-based taxation, which requires Americans abroad to file US tax returns regardless of where they live. Some advocacy groups continue to push for broader reforms, but no further changes have been announced.