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Sending Money to Overseas Citizens
Services
8AM - 8PM weekdays; 9AM - 3PM
Saturdays
202-647-5225
The following are instructions for sending money to a U.S.
citizen in an emergency financial situation abroad. When you use
this service, a Department of State employee establishes a trust
account in the recipient’s name in order to forward funds overseas.
There is a $30 processing fee, charged annually per fiscal year
(Oct. 1 - Sep. 30) in the case of long-term trust accounts. We do
not accept personal checks. Your money order or cashier’s check must
be made payable to the Department of State. Upon receipt, we send a
telegram to the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate abroad
authorizing next workday disbursement. The recipient must contact
the Embassy or Consulate to arrange receipt. If you fail to provide
the recipient’s name and overseas location, it will delay the
transfer of funds. The Embassy or Consulate normally disburses funds
in the foreign country’s currency and not in U.S. dollars.
WESTERN UNION: If you have a major credit card, you may telephone
Western Union at 1-800-325-6000, 1-800-325-4176 or 1-800-752-6077.
You may also access Western Union on line at http://www.westernunion.com/.
You may also visit your local Western Union agent to purchase a
"money transfer." You cannot do Western Union transactions by phone
or the Internet in Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine,
Massachusetts, New York and Oklahoma.
In all cases, you should make the transfer for the desired
amount, plus $30 (our fee), payable to Overseas Citizens Services.
Western Union also charges a fee based on the amount you are
sending. A message with your name, address, and telephone number, as
well as the name and overseas location of the recipient, must
accompany the money transfer. Western Union offers a variety of
services. To send money via OCS Trust, you should tell Western Union
to make the transfer "quick collect." Note: In addition to an
address, Western Union will ask for a code city, and an account
number: The money transfer and message are sent to: Overseas
Citizens Services (OCS), Department of State, Washington, D.C.
20520. The code city is: "Overseasemergency, DC." The account number
is "0" or your phone number (phone number is preferred).
Funds normally reach our office within several hours. A staff
member is in the office to receive funds during the hours listed at
the top of the page. We will notify the appropriate U.S. Embassy or
Consulate by telegram that it is authorized to disburse funds to the
recipient. However, it is important to understand that the funds are
disbursed only during normal office hours, not on weekends or local
holidays when the Embassy or Consulate is closed.
BANKWIRE: It may take 1 to 7 days to process a bankwire
transaction. If you choose this option, tell your bank that you want
to wire the desired amount plus $42 to Bank of America, Department
of State Branch, 2201 C St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20520 at
202-624-4750 via ABA Number: 114000653; Account Number: 7476363838;
Account Name: PUPID State Department; The transaction should state:
OCS/Trust for benefit of (recipient’s name), US Embassy/Consulate
(city, country); and include your name and telephone number. The
wire instructions must include the recipient’s full name and
overseas location. Bank of America notifies our office when it has
received the funds. The $42 fee includes our $30 fee and Bank of
America’s $12 wire fee.
OVERNIGHT MAIL: Obtain a cashiers check or money order for the
desired amount, plus $30 (our fee), made payable to Overseas
Citizens Services. Attach a letter with your name, address, and
telephone number, as well as the name and location of the overseas
recipient. Mail to: Overseas Citizens Services, Department of State,
SA-29, 4th Floor, 2201 C St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20520. Delivery of
overnight mail to OCS may take 3 to 4 days.
REGULAR MAIL: Regular mail can take 3 to 4 weeks to reach OCS due
to on-going irradiation procedures. We strongly discourage this
method for emergency use.
06/01/04 | 
