Do I need to submit my birth certificate for Social Security retirement application? No upload option

You're fine! Social Security doesn't let you upload documents with the online application. They'll review your application first, then send you a letter if they need your birth certificate or other documents. Most of the time, they already have your birth information in their system if you were born in the US. I applied last year and never had to submit mine since they already had it on file from my original SS card application decades ago.

thye already have ur info in the system usually. just wait til they contact u

This is exactly how the process works. After you submit your online application, SSA reviews it first. If they need your birth certificate or other documents, they'll send you a letter with instructions. They generally need birth certificates in these situations: 1. You were born outside the US 2. Your birth was registered more than 5 years after you were born 3. They don't already have your birth information in their system 4. There are discrepancies in your information If they request documents, you'll have a few options: - Take originals to your local SSA office (they'll make copies) - Mail certified copies to the address they provide - In some cases, they may accept electronic submissions through their secure system But don't send anything until they request it. Just wait for their communication, which typically comes within 2-3 weeks after your application.

I dealt with this exact issue last month. After submitting my online application, I couldn't stop worrying about the birth certificate thing. Tried calling SSA for days - always busy signals or 3+ hour wait times. Finally found this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an SSA agent in about 20 minutes. The agent confirmed they had my birth info on file already and my application was processing normally. Saved me weeks of anxiety! You can see how it works in their video: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU - basically they hold your place in line and call you when an agent is available.

When I applied for my husband's survivors benefits after he passed, they definitely needed his death certificate even though he had been on SS disability for years. So it depends on what kind of benefits you're applying for. For retirement, they usually don't need as much documentation if you've worked in the US your whole life. But always good to double-check!

I HATE how SSA makes everything so confusing!!! Why can't they just have clear instructions?? The whole system is designed to make people mess up IMO. I applied three times before getting approved because they kept saying I was missing something but never clearly told me what!! So frustrating!!

Just to add to my earlier comment - one more thing to be aware of is that SSA processes applications in the order received. If you're applying for benefits to begin in June, and you submitted in April, you should have plenty of time. They generally need about 2-3 months to process retirement applications. If they need documents, responding quickly will help avoid delays. But don't worry too much at this point - the fact that you received a confirmation page means your application was successfully submitted and is in their queue for processing.