This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that if you click and make a purchase, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Read the full disclosure here.
Are you a U.S. citizen living abroad? I bet you haven’t taken care of all three of these things.
Whether you’re a US expat abroad or you’ve permanently immigrated overseas, take note of these three important things that every American abroad needs to know about. You should complete these tasks every year.
1. Register to Vote From Abroad
Even as an American citizen living abroad, you can vote in U.S. elections. Registering ahead of time is important to ensure that you receive all ballots for which you are eligible. Registering annually protects your vote.
Every January, I register to vote from abroad using the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA). This form allows you to register to vote and request your absentee ballot simultaneously. It’s a straightforward process.
Ok, let’s be honest. Sometimes, I forget to register in January because… life. It’s fine to send in your absentee voter registration later. The best thing to do is to send in your FPCA at least 90 days before the election. Worst-case scenario, you can still vote through the Federal Write-In Absentee Ballot (FWAB).
Don’t let your right to vote fall by the wayside!
🗳️ Guide: Voting From Abroad as an American
2. File U.S. Expat Taxes
The bad news is that, even if you’re living overseas, as a U.S. citizen, you may be required to file a U.S. tax return. All worldwide income needs to be reported. Yes, even if you’re already filing and paying taxes in another country. While most countries only consider place of residence when imposing taxes, the United States is one of few countries to tax based on citizenship. Lucky us!
The good news is that there are ways to avoid double taxation. The majority of Americans living abroad do not need to pay any taxes to the United States when they take advantage of tax treaties as well as other exclusions and tax credits.
U.S. citizens living abroad also benefit from an automatic extension to file taxes, so you’ll have a bit more time to wrap your head around it all.
On a related note, be sure to learn about the FBAR as well. This annual financial report needs to be filed if you have a total of $10,000 or more across foreign bank accounts at any point in the year.
📁 Guide: US Expat Taxes: What Americans Living in France Need to Know
(Pst… If you’re overwhelmed and not sure where to start when it comes to figuring out your tax situation, MyExpatTaxes has an informative blog with tons of info. And their easy-to-use software was created especially for Americans abroad.)
3. Check Your Passport Expiration Date
Some destinations have passport validity requirements. If your passport doesn’t meet the requirements, you could potentially be denied boarding for your flight. Horror!
For example, for travel to France, you need at least three months of validity past the date of your departure from the destination. Before booking your next flight, check the rules and restrictions for your destination country.
As a general rule, the U.S. government recommends a minimum of six months of validity. Personally, I like to err on the side of caution, so this is the rule that I follow.
🛂 As a note for the dual nationals among us, let it be known that as an American citizen, it’s Illegal to enter the United States on a non-U.S. passport. If you’ve been thinking that renewing your American passport isn’t urgent because you’re lucky enough to have another nationality under your belt, think again!
🗓️ Tip! Put your passport expiration date into your calendar as an event and set a reminder to get it renewed. Then you can rest easy knowing that it’ll get taken care of in due time.
How’d you do? Can you confidently mark everything off on your checklist?
