Citizen Services
Federal Benefits
Federal Benefits Unit
United States Embassy
4 avenue Gabriel
75382 Paris Cedex 08
Office hours: Federal Benefits Unit public hours are Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. except on French and American holidays.
Your local Social Security Office
Although it has been a part of the Embassy in Paris for more than 30 years, it comes as a surprise to many that we have our own Social Security office. The Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) does not immediately suggest retirement pensions. But retirement pensions are what the FBU handles, among many other duties, from dealing with first-time Social Security number applications for newborn infants, to claims for retirement, survivor, and disability benefits: the FBU is, in effect, a Social Security office.
The FBU can advise you on the intricacies of the U.S. Social Security agreement with France. This agreement helps individuals who have worked for brief periods in the U.S. or in France when they would not normally be entitled to benefits. For those already receiving pensions, the FBU can arrange for payments to be made directly into a bank account in France in Euros, thus avoiding hefty conversion charges. If you have worked in the U.S., even for a brief period of time, and you are nearing retirement age (for Social Security purposes this could be as early as age 62), it would be worth your while to contact the FBU.
You may also want to consult the Social Security Internet site at: www.ssa.gov.
How to contact us:
Federal Benefits Unit
United States Embassy
4 avenue Gabriel
75382 Paris Cedex 08
Office hours:
Federal Benefits Unit public hours are Monday through Friday from
9:30 a.m. -12:30 p.m. except on French and American holidays.
To contact your social security case worker, please dial phone numbers that correspond to the first letter your last name. Calls will be taken weekdays from 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. except on French and American holidays.
If your last name begins with:
B, C or D: please dial 01-43-12-24-42
E to K: please dial 01-43-12-27-39
L to Q: please dial 01-43-12-23-73
R to Z and A: please dial 01-43-12-27-92
Important Note
If you reside in South East of France including Monaco and "les départements" : Alpes-Maritimes, Alpes de Haute Provence, Aude, Bouches du Rhône, Corse, Gard, Hautes-Alpes, Hérault, Pyrénées-orientales, Tarn, Var et Vaucluse , you should contact the American Consular Agency in Nice directly which serves the area: Tel: 04-93-88-89-55.
For further information, please contact the Federal Benefits Unit at 01 43 12 27 05 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Our office also deals with the other federal agencies (e.g. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Personnel Management or Railroad Retirement Board).
Please Note: Department of Defense retirees must deal directly with their Defense Finance and Accounting Service Center office in the United States.
For information in French on French Social Security Benefits, please address your inquiry to:
Les Renseignements de la Sécurité Sociale
69, bis rue de Dunkerque
75453 Paris Cedex 09
Tel: 0810.75.33.75
General Information on Issuance of U.S. Social Security Numbers
Social Security numbers are issued only to United States citizens and legally admitted resident aliens (green card holders). Immigrating aliens generally secure a number after lawful admission to the U.S. Typical processing time for applications filed in the United States is approximately 5-10 days.
To secure a Social Security number, an application Form SS-5 must be completed. A passport or green card and a certified copy of a birth record established before age 5 must be presented. Cards should be received from the Social Security Administration in Baltimore within three months of completing the application process. For first time applicants age 12 or over who were born in the United States, the Social Security Administration is required to verify the birth certificate presented in evidence with the Registrar of the State of birth. This delays issuance of cards for six months or more.
U.S. citizens registering a child as a citizen through the Consular Report of Birth Abroad may also file a Social Security number for that child. If a card is not received within four months, contact the Federal Benefits Unit.
Parents filing an application for a child’s number are required to provide their own Social Security numbers if they have one. The parent signing the applications must also provide identification such as their passport or green card.
Non-resident aliens requiring a number for purposes of filing a U.S. tax return must file a Form W-7 Application for IRS Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) with the Internal Revenue Service.
Individual States may require a Social Security number for record keeping purposes. Aliens may not have a Social Security number issued for these purposes unless required by State or local law, which conforms with Federal law.
Aliens not otherwise entitled to a number and planning on attending school in the United States may be asked for a Social Security number by the school. This is for record keeping purposes and is not authorized by Federal law. The school should be asked to assign its own internal number.
If a Social Security number is required to conduct business with a U.S. bank or financial institution and Federal law does not otherwise allow the issuance of a number, ask the Internal Revenue Service for a Form W-8, Certificate of Foreign Status.