The United States has reduced the fee required for Americans to formally renounce their citizenship by about 80 percent, lowering the cost from $2,350 to $450.
The change was announced by the US Department of State in a final rule published in the Federal Register on Friday.
The new fee took effect immediately and returns the cost of renouncing US citizenship to the level first introduced when the department began charging the fee in 2010.
Renouncing US citizenship remains a complex and lengthy process. Applicants must repeatedly confirm, both in writing and verbally before a consular officer, that they fully understand the legal consequences of the decision before they are allowed to take the formal oath of renunciation. The State Department must then review and approve the request.
The fee was raised from $450 to $2,350 in 2015 to cover administrative costs amid a growing number of Americans seeking to give up their citizenship.
The increase was partly linked to stricter US tax reporting requirements for Americans living abroad, which prompted frustration among some expatriates.
The higher fee faced strong criticism from advocacy groups, including Association of Accidental Americans, which represents people who hold US citizenship primarily because they were born in the US but live overseas.
The group has filed several legal challenges arguing the fee is unconstitutional, including an ongoing case asserting that there should be no cost at all for renouncing citizenship.
Follow the latest news on Google News
