Did the fee to renounce US citizenship really drop to $450?
Yes. The State Department reduced the renunciation fee from $2,350 to $450 effective April 13, 2026, under a final rule published in the Federal Register on March 13, 2026. The fee is paid at the consular appointment and is separate from any tax consequences of expatriating.
What the fee covers, and what it does not
The $450 covers the consular service of documenting your renunciation and issuing the Certificate of Loss of Nationality. It has nothing to do with the tax side: Form 8854, the five-year compliance certification, and any exit tax exposure run on their own track with the IRS.
Why the timing matters
The fee reduction does not change the federal expatriation-tax rules. Form 8854, the five-year compliance certification, and the three covered-expatriate tests remain separate. Streamlined and the Relief Procedures for Certain Former Citizens have different eligibility rules, and neither the $450 fee nor completion of a catch-up procedure guarantees a particular exit-tax result.
Reference information, not legal or tax advice. Figures come from our verified fact base and are checked against superseded values on every site update.