Social Security Benefits

U.S. citizens may receive Social Security retirement benefits while residing in Cambodia.  However, exception requirements must be met to receive Social Security benefits in Cambodia.  Social Security Administration (SSA) restrictions prohibit direct deposit of funds to bank accounts in Cambodia, or sending your payments to anybody else while you are in Cambodia.  For more information on receiving benefits while overseas, please visit the SSA website.

If you qualify for an exception, your benefit payments will either be sent to the U.S. Embassy in Phnom Penh or direct deposited into your U.S. bank account.  Benefit checks sent to the Embassy must be picked up by the beneficiary in person; they may not be mailed to you or picked up by anybody else.  Also, to receive benefits in Cambodia, whether via check or direct deposit, the beneficiary must appear in person at the U.S. Embassy each month.  Failure to do so may result in your benefits payments being stopped.

Please come to the Embassy anytime during our appointment hours, Monday-Thursday, 10-11 am and 1-3 pm.  You do not need to make an appointment for this service.

The SSA also deals with claims for disability and survivor benefits, applications for Social Security cards, and all post-entitlement activities affecting beneficiaries under various programs.  Since the U.S. Embassy, Phnom Penh is a non-claim Post, we only accept SSA-related applications and forward them to the SSA Regional Office at the U.S. Embassy Manila, the Philippines for  further actions.

For more information, please visit http://www.ssa.gov/. or contact the SSA Regional Office at the U.S. Embassy Manila at:
Social Security Administration
U.S. Embassy Manila
1201 Roxas Boulevard
Ermita, Manila 0930
Philippines

Tel: 632-301-2000 Ext 9 follow by Ext 2
Fax: 632-708-9723 or 632-708-9714
Email:  FBU.Manila@ssa.gov

Filing for Social Security Benefits

If you would like to file a claim for Social Security Benefits while you are overseas, you must submit an application in person at a U.S. Embassy. Currently, the online application is only for those residing within the United States.

Generally, you can apply for Social Security Benefits up to three months prior to the qualifying age. You may obtain an application form from our office in person. Please note that our office can only file the initial inquiry with SSA Manila on your behalf. After submittal, a case worker from SSA Manila will contact you via phone for additional information.  This process may take up to six months, depending on the complexity of your application.

For more information about 2012 Social Security Changes, please click here.

Updating Your Address with SSA

If you are residing outside of the United States for more than 6 months, you should update your address with the Social Security Administration. Your benefits will be suspended if your address is not updated. If you are updating your U.S. address to an address in Cambodia, you will need to fill out Form SSA-21 and submit it to a U.S. Embassy.  If you are updating an address within Cambodia, please contact SSA Manila directly.

Reporting to SSA

Each year SSA sends a form called “Report to Social Security” to a number of randomly selected beneficiaries. If you have received this form, please complete and return it with the envelope provided to the SSA Office in the United States. If your benefits have been suspended due to failing to submit this form, only then will you be able to obtain and submit the form through our office.

Applying for a Social Security Card

Normally, only U.S. Citizens and non-citizens authorized to work in the United States by the Department of Homeland Security can obtain a Social Security Number. To apply for a Social Security Number, complete Form SS-5 and submit it to a U.S. Embassy. In order to process your application, we will need to see original documents proving:

• U.S. citizenship and identity such as a passport;
• Current age, such as a birth certificate or Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA);
• Parents’ Identification (for minors).

Please note that SSA may contact you for additional documents after your application has been filed.  More information is available on the SSA webpage.

If you would like to apply for a SSN number for IRS tax purposes, you may be eligible to apply for an IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). Please visit  the IRS website for more information.