The text on this page relates to documentation required when requesting a Social Security Number (SSN) for yourself or your child over the age of 12 years.
It is very rare for someone who was born in the U.S. not to have been assigned a Social Security Number. The most common reason for such an occurrence is a child born in the U.S. who moved abroad while very young.
You must submit documentation to prove your allegation of absence from the U.S. as the reason a Social Security Number was never assigned. The documentation must be comprehensive and date from the time the person departed the U.S. to the present. Proof for each year is not required, but the documentation must provide sufficient evidence of absence from the U.S. (i.e., foreign residency). We will not accept a Social Security Number application if there is insufficient evidence of foreign residency.
The documentation can include:
- school records such as report cards or a letter from the school confirming dates of attendance.
- travel documents such as current or canceled passports (U.S. or other)
- employment records
- medical records
- If you reside in The Netherlands or Belgium, you can obtain confirmation of your registration and historical addresses from your Town Hall as proof of your Foreign Residency.
All evidence submitted must be original documents, photocopies are not acceptable.