The U.S. State Department has cut the fee to formally renounce American citizenship by roughly 80%, signaling a major policy shift after years of legal challenges.
Under the new rule, the cost has dropped from $2,350 to $450. The reduction, published in the Federal Register, took immediate effect, returning the fee to its original 2010 level.
Renouncing U.S. citizenship remains a detailed process. Applicants must repeatedly confirm, both in writing and verbally, that they understand the consequences before taking a formal oath before a consular officer. The department then reviews the decision.
The fee was previously raised in 2015 to $2,350 to cover administrative costs amid a surge in applications, partly driven by stricter U.S. tax reporting requirements for Americans living abroad.
The sharp increase drew criticism from advocacy groups, including the Association of Accidental Americans, which represents people who hold U.S. citizenship primarily because they were born in the country but live elsewhere. The group challenged the fee in court, arguing that it made exercising the right to renounce citizenship prohibitively difficult.
The association welcomed the reduction, calling it a major step toward making the process more accessible. Its president, Fabien Lehagre, said the move reflects years of legal action and advocacy.
Court filings show that since the 2023 announcement of a planned fee reduction, at least 8,755 Americans still paid the full $2,350 before the change took effect. The State Department has not released the total number of citizens who have formally renounced their U.S. citizenship.
