Do I need to report my 5-week international trips to Social Security? Required or just recommended?

Yes, you actually do need to report those trips! It's part of SSA's regulations. The rule applies to anyone receiving Social Security benefits who leaves the US for more than 30 consecutive days. It doesn't matter if it's just for vacation - the requirement still applies. You can notify them by phone, but I recommend doing it in writing or through your my Social Security account online to have documentation.

me and my wife travel to mexico every winter for about 2 months and we NEVER told social security. been doing it for 6 yrs and never had a problem with our checks. i think they only care if your gone for like a whole year or something

The reporting requirement is definitely real, but it depends on WHERE you're traveling. If you're going to certain countries, benefits can actually be restricted! There's a list of countries where SS payments are restricted or completely prohibited (like Cuba, North Korea, etc.). For most European countries though, there's no restriction on receiving benefits. The real concern is if you stay overseas for 6 consecutive calendar months or more - that's when non-citizens might have their payments suspended. For US citizens, you generally can receive payments no matter how long you stay abroad, but the reporting requirement still applies.

I went through this EXACT situation last year!! I take 5-week trips to Australia annually to visit my grandkids. Called SSA to report it and waited on hold for HOURS just to be told they needed it in writing anyway. SUCH a waste of time! I ended up writing a letter and mailing it to my local office with delivery confirmation. They never even acknowledged receiving it! 🙄

not to get off topic but congrats on retiring!!! i still have 2 more years till i hit my FRA but im counting down the days lol. where in europe do you guys visit? my wife and i want to do italy next year

To answer your earlier question about penalties - they don't typically assess financial penalties for failing to report, but if they discover you've been out of the country without reporting, they could potentially suspend your benefits until you verify your status. It's more about compliance than punishment. The easiest way to report is through your my Social Security account online. There's a section for reporting changes, including foreign travel. You'll need to provide: - Dates of departure and expected return - Countries you'll be visiting - Contact information while abroad Do this before you leave each time and you should be fine!

This is SUCH a stupid rule!!! The government just wants to track our every move!! I've been taking 2-month trips to Canada for YEARS and never once reported it. Why should they care where I am when I EARNED these benefits??? It's MY MONEY that I paid into the system!!! As long as my direct deposit info doesn't change, they shouldn't need to know my location!!

Thanks everyone for the responses! Sounds like I definitely need to report these trips. I tried looking at my online account but couldn't find a specific place to report travel like someone mentioned. Guess I'll try calling, though from what everyone's saying that might be a nightmare. One last question - do I need to report the exact dates right now, or can I just give them a general heads up that I'll be traveling for about 5 weeks in June-July to Spain? Our exact return date isn't 100% finalized yet.

I work at a travel agency that specializes in retiree travel, and we actually remind all our Social Security clients about this requirement. The 30+ day reporting rule is real, but in my experience, SSA is much more concerned about people who might be living abroad permanently than vacationers. Still, better safe than sorry! One thing I recommend to clients is keeping a copy of your return ticket reservation readily available. That way, if there's ever any question, you can prove you intended to return to the US within a specific timeframe.

As someone who just started dealing with Social Security myself, I wanted to add that I found it helpful to create a simple travel log to keep track of all my international trips. I note the departure date, return date, and countries visited - that way I have everything documented if SSA ever asks questions later. It's also useful for tax purposes if you're dealing with foreign income exclusions or anything like that. The whole reporting requirement seemed like a hassle at first, but honestly it only takes a few minutes once you get the hang of it. Better to stay compliant from the start than deal with potential issues down the road!

Just wanted to share my recent experience with this since I went through it last month! I called the SSA number (1-800-772-1213) to report a 6-week trip to Germany and Austria. Yes, the wait time was brutal - about 2 hours on hold - but once I got through, the actual reporting took less than 5 minutes. The agent was really helpful and explained that they just need to know departure date, expected return, and which countries. She also mentioned that if my return gets delayed by more than a few days, I should call to update them. Got a confirmation number which I wrote down just in case. The whole process was way less complicated than I expected once I actually got to talk to someone!

I'm in a similar situation - just started receiving Social Security benefits and have annual international trips planned. This thread has been incredibly helpful! Reading through everyone's experiences, it sounds like the reporting requirement is definitely legitimate even though it's a bit of a hassle. I appreciate everyone sharing their actual experiences with calling SSA and the wait times involved. The idea about keeping a travel log and getting confirmation numbers is really smart. It's frustrating that there isn't a simpler online option for reporting travel, but at least now I know what to expect when I need to make that call. Thanks to everyone who shared their real-world experiences - it makes navigating this requirement much less intimidating!

I went through this exact same confusion when I first started receiving benefits! The 30-day reporting rule is definitely real and applies to all international travel, even vacations. What helped me was setting up a simple reminder system - I put a note in my calendar about 2 weeks before each trip to call SSA. One tip that saved me time: try calling early in the morning (around 8 AM EST) or later in the evening. The wait times seem to be shorter then. Also, have all your information ready - departure date, return date, and list of countries. The agent will ask for a contact number where you can be reached while abroad too. I've been reporting my annual trips for 3 years now and while it's annoying, it's become routine. Better to stay compliant than risk any issues with your benefits later!

As a new Social Security recipient myself, I really appreciate everyone sharing their real experiences with this reporting requirement! I had no idea about the 30-day rule until I saw this thread. It's reassuring to know I'm not the only one who found this confusing at first. The practical tips about calling early morning, keeping a travel log, and getting confirmation numbers are incredibly helpful. I'm planning a 6-week trip to visit family in Europe next year, so this information is perfect timing for me. It sounds like the actual reporting process isn't too complicated once you get through to someone, even though the wait times are frustrating. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their actual experiences rather than just the official rules - it makes navigating this so much easier for those of us just starting out with Social Security!

Just wanted to chime in as someone who's been dealing with this for about 6 months now. I take regular 4-6 week trips to visit my daughter in New Zealand, and I've found that being proactive about reporting makes everything smoother. One thing I discovered is that if you're a frequent international traveler, you can actually mention this pattern to the SSA agent when you call. They made a note in my file that I take these regular extended trips, which seems to make future calls go faster since they have context. Also, for what it's worth, I've never had any issues with my benefit payments continuing while abroad, even for 6+ week trips. The reporting requirement seems to be more about compliance and record-keeping than actually restricting your benefits (at least for US citizens traveling to standard destinations like Europe). The key is just staying on top of the reporting - I set phone reminders 3 weeks before each trip so I have plenty of time to deal with those long hold times!

As someone who just started receiving Social Security benefits last month, this thread has been incredibly valuable! I had completely missed the 30-day reporting requirement in all the paperwork - honestly, there's so much information when you first sign up that it's easy to overlook these details. I'm planning a 5-week Mediterranean cruise this fall, so I'll definitely need to follow this process. Based on everyone's experiences here, I'm going to start with calling that 1-800-772-1213 number early in the morning about 3 weeks before my departure. The idea of keeping a travel log and getting a confirmation number sounds essential too. One question for those who've been through this - do cruise itineraries count differently since you're technically on a US-flagged ship part of the time, or do they just care about the countries you'll be visiting during port stops? I assume I need to report all the Mediterranean countries we'll be stopping in, but wasn't sure if being on the ship changes anything. Thanks again to everyone for sharing your real experiences - it makes this whole process way less intimidating for us newbies!

I just went through this exact process two weeks ago! Called SSA to report a 7-week trip to Italy and Greece. The wait time was about 90 minutes, but once I got through, the agent was super helpful. She explained that for cruise travel, you definitely need to report all the countries where you'll have port stops - the ship's flag doesn't matter, it's about which foreign territories you'll be setting foot on. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple document beforehand with: departure date, return date, all countries I'd be visiting, and my contact info while abroad. The agent appreciated having everything organized and it made the call go much faster. She also gave me a confirmation number and suggested I email myself a summary of what I reported right after the call while it was fresh in my mind. Also wanted to mention - if your cruise itinerary changes after you've reported (like if a port gets cancelled due to weather), you don't necessarily need to call back unless it significantly changes your travel dates or adds new countries. The agent told me they understand that cruise schedules can be fluid and minor changes are normal. Hope your Mediterranean cruise is amazing! The reporting is a hassle but totally worth staying compliant.

As someone who's been receiving Social Security for about 8 months now, I can confirm this reporting requirement is absolutely real and necessary. I learned the hard way when I took a 6-week trip to Japan without reporting it first - got a letter from SSA when I returned asking for clarification on my whereabouts during that period. Thankfully no benefits were suspended, but it was stressful! Now I always call at least 2-3 weeks before any international trip over 30 days. My advice: call the 1-800-772-1213 number right when they open at 7 AM your local time - wait times are much shorter then. Have your passport, travel itinerary, and a pen ready to write down the confirmation number they give you. For your 5-week European trips, you'll definitely need to report each one. Better to spend 2 hours on hold than risk any issues with your benefits later. The agents are generally helpful once you get through, and the actual reporting process is pretty straightforward. Good luck with your travels and congrats on your retirement!

Just wanted to add my perspective as someone who's been dealing with this for about a year now. I do 6-8 week trips to Southeast Asia annually, and I've found that keeping detailed records has been a lifesaver. Beyond just the travel log that others mentioned, I also keep copies of my flight confirmations and hotel bookings as backup documentation. One thing I discovered is that if you're traveling to multiple countries during your trip (like your European tours), you don't need to call every time you cross a border - just report the overall trip duration and list all the countries you plan to visit. The SSA agent told me they care more about the total time out of the US than your exact daily itinerary. Also, pro tip: if you have a smartphone, take a photo of any confirmation numbers or notes from your SSA call. I learned this after I lost a piece of paper with important info from one of my reports! The whole process has become pretty routine for me now, and honestly, it gives me peace of mind knowing I'm staying compliant. Better to deal with the hassle upfront than worry about potential issues later. Safe travels on your European adventures!

I'm in a similar boat as a new Social Security recipient and this whole thread has been incredibly educational! I had no idea about the 30-day reporting requirement either until I stumbled across this discussion. Reading through everyone's real-world experiences has been so much more helpful than trying to decipher the official SSA paperwork. I'm planning my first international trip since starting benefits - a 6-week visit to family in Ireland - and honestly I was dreading having to figure out all these reporting requirements. But seeing everyone's practical tips about calling at 7 AM, keeping travel logs, getting confirmation numbers, and having all your documents ready has made this seem much more manageable. The tip about photographing confirmation numbers on your phone is genius! And I really appreciate everyone who shared their actual wait times and experiences with the SSA phone system. Knowing what to expect makes the whole process way less intimidating for those of us just starting to navigate Social Security. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share their experiences - this community is incredibly helpful for newcomers trying to figure out all these requirements!

Just wanted to jump in as someone who recently went through the whole Social Security application process - this thread has been a goldmine of information! I had completely overlooked the 30-day international travel reporting requirement until reading through everyone's experiences here. It's amazing how much practical detail gets buried in all the official paperwork they send you. I'm planning a 5-week trip to visit relatives in Eastern Europe next summer, so all these tips about calling at 7 AM, keeping detailed travel logs, and photographing confirmation numbers are going straight into my planning notes. The real-world experiences shared here - from wait times to what questions the agents actually ask - are so much more valuable than the generic SSA website information. Special thanks to everyone who mentioned specific timing strategies and documentation tips. It's clear that staying compliant with this requirement isn't optional, but at least now I know exactly what to expect when I need to make that call. This community's willingness to share practical advice makes navigating Social Security requirements so much less overwhelming for newcomers like me!