Whether you're dreaming of visiting family overseas, taking a vacation, or considering a longer stay abroad, it's important to know how leaving the United States affects your SSI benefits. The rules are strict, and a trip that goes even slightly too long could cost you your monthly payment.
In this article, we'll cover:
- How SSA defines "outside the United States" for SSI
- The 30-day rule and when your benefits stop
- How to get your SSI back after returning
- Exceptions for certain countries and situations
- The difference between SSI and SSDI travel rules
- Tips for traveling without putting your benefits at risk
The 30-Day Rule
SSI benefits stop if you are outside the United States for a full calendar month (30 consecutive days or more). This means if you leave the country and are gone for an entire month—from the first day through the last day without setting foot on U.S. soil—your SSI payment for that month will not be issued.
SSA counts U.S. territories (like Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands) as being in the United States for SSI purposes. So traveling to those territories won't trigger the rule.
What Happens If You're Gone Too Long
If you're outside the U.S. for 30 consecutive days or more, your SSI payments stop. To restart your benefits, you must return to the United States and remain in the country for at least 30 consecutive days. Simply stepping back into the country briefly doesn't reset the clock—you need a full 30-day period back on U.S. soil.
If you're outside the U.S. for more than 12 consecutive months, your SSI eligibility may be terminated entirely. At that point, you'd have to reapply for SSI from scratch, which means going through the entire application process again—including proving your disability and meeting current financial criteria.
How This Differs From SSDI
SSDI has much more generous travel rules. In most cases, SSDI recipients can travel or even live abroad and continue receiving benefits. There are some exceptions for certain countries where the Treasury Department cannot send payments, but for the vast majority of destinations, SSDI continues regardless of where you live.
This is one of the biggest practical differences between the two programs. If you receive both SSI and SSDI, your SSDI would continue during international travel, but your SSI portion would stop under the 30-day rule.
Tips for Traveling on SSI
If you're planning international travel, keep your trip under 30 consecutive days. Be precise with your dates—leave a buffer. It's a good idea to keep proof of your travel dates (boarding passes, passport stamps, hotel receipts) in case SSA ever questions your time outside the country.
Before you go, make sure your resource levels are in order and that your account won't accumulate past the limit while you're away. Set up any necessary auto-payments so your bills stay current, and notify SSA if you expect to be gone for an extended period.
Planning to travel? Make sure your SSI stays protected while you're away. Purple's account tools help SSI recipients stay on top of their benefits—no matter where life takes you.