If you live outside the United States, do not start with 1-800-772-1213. SSA's handbook states that this national toll-free number is not accessible from outside the United States. For people abroad, SSA's death-reporting page and US embassy Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) notices publish the International Call Center below, Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Number tables, office rows, and dial buttons live on the SSA from abroad landing page.
Which number matches the task
Use the International Call Center when SSA or an embassy notice names 1-855-522-6936 (for example to complete a Foreign Enforcement Questionnaire by phone, or to report a death from abroad).
Use the Federal Benefits Unit that the SSA foreign directory assigns to your country of residence for local claims work. That directory is the public list. Some offices publish a phone, fax, and email. Others, including Buenos Aires and Athens on the 2026-09-09 capture, list fax and email only. FBU Manila is not fax-only: the directory lists +63 2 5301 6200 plus fax and email.
The Office of Earnings and International Operations (OEIO) page at ssa.gov/foreign still publishes +1 410-965-0160 as an English geographic line, Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and says you pay for that call because OEIO does not currently have a toll-free service for calls from outside the US. That sentence is about this Baltimore number. It is not a reason to hide the separately published 855 International Call Center.
Do not dial +1 410-966-1949. That number is not on the OEIO or directory pages checked for this revision.
Toll-free for SSA is not the same as a free call for you
Embassy FBU pages describe 1-855-522-6936 as a toll-free international number. That is SSA's intended access: SSA does not bill you as the called party the way a premium-rate line would.
Your originating network can still charge, or can fail to connect a US 855 number. A browser-to-phone service is a paid call even when SSA intends the 855 line as toll-free. Listed WorldDial rates checked on 13 September 2026: $0.03/min to US landlines, mobiles, and special-rate numbers. FBU destination landlines on that snapshot: London $0.03/min, Paris and Madrid $0.04/min, Santo Domingo $0.16/min, Manila $0.25/min, in USD. Check the current rate for your number on rates before adding credit.
If your mobile or home plan already includes cheap calls to that destination, use it.
Hours
- ›International Call Center: Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Eastern Time (US embassy FBU notices, including Poland and the 21 July 2026 Eswatini FEQ notice).
- ›OEIO geographic line: 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ssa.gov/foreign).
- ›FBU phones: local windows on the directory. The UK row often shows 10:00-13:00 for +44 20 7499 9000; other countries assigned to London can show a different span (for example 8:30-13:00). Do not treat one window as universal.
Eastern Time is EDT (UTC-4) or EST (UTC-5). Convert on the date you call. A published open hour is not a claim about queue length.
What to have, and what you can do online
SSA's How To Contact Social Security page asks for the claim number on the person's check or SSA letter, the name the report is about, what happened, and the date. Use the notice in front of you.
my Social Security can show benefits and replacement SSA-1099 / SSA-1042S forms when you can sign in. SSA tells people with a foreign mailing address to use ID.me and the overseas steps on ssa.gov/foreign, not to assume Login.gov (described as best for most users in the United States). A call is still required when the notice says the task is not available online.
If benefits stopped after an overseas move, one documented program is the Foreign Enforcement Questionnaire (SSA-7161 / SSA-7162). Embassy notices describe annual or biennial mailings, a response window, and suspension if there is no response. They say do not email the FEQ. Phone and mail options are on the notice. Other causes exist; do not assume the questionnaire is the only one.
Need to call a real phone number?
Open WorldDial, enter the number, and check the live rate before you dial. Pay as you go from your browser. The other person does not need an app.
Pay as you go • No subscription required • Recipient does not need WorldDial
FAQs
What is Social Security's international phone number?
+1 855-522-6936, International Call Center, Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Confirm country routing on ssa.gov/foreign/foreign.htm. OEIO also publishes +1 410-965-0160 as a paid English geographic line.
Can SSA's 1-800 line be dialed from abroad?
SSA's handbook says 1-800-772-1213 is not accessible from outside the United States. Use the International Call Center or the assigned FBU.
Is the 855 number free?
SSA and embassy FBU pages present it as a dedicated or toll-free international line. Your carrier or WorldDial may still charge. OEIO's geographic line is published as a call you pay for.
Is there an online alternative to calling?
Often yes, through my Social Security with an ID.me credential for a foreign address. Follow ssa.gov/foreign. FEQ and some notices still require phone or mail.
Why did benefits stop after a move abroad?
A missed FEQ is one documented reason. Read the notice instead of assuming a single cause.