This information relates to American citizens (any babies born in the U.S. or to an parent who is an American citizen.) Information about social security in Australia, Canada and the UK is at the end of this page.

You will need a U.S. Social Security number (SSN) for each dependent child you plan to claim on your income taxes. You cannot take a deduction for a child who does not have a SSN - so it's wise to get a Social Security number for your baby as soon as he or she is born.

To apply, you need to complete Form SS-5 which is available for download below. In addition to completing the form, you need to furnish identification: documents that show your baby's age, citizenship or lawful alien status, and identification such as the birth certificate. (If your baby was born outside the United States, you may need to show proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful alien status.)

Below you will find the SS-5 Form in both Postscript and Portable Document Format (PDF), downloadable directly from the Social Security. The PDF permits you to print out a duplicate of the original SS-5 form using any graphics printer (i.e., laser, inkjet, dot-matrix) but not on daisy-wheel printers.

To read and print a PDF publication, you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader software installed on your computer. You can download the version suitable for your system by clicking on this button.

Content on this site is not a substitute for professional medical or healthcare advice, diagnosis or treatment, and may not be used for such purposes. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical question or condition. Reliance on information presented on this site is at your own risk. This site contains the opinions and views of other users. Given the interactive nature of this site, we cannot endorse, guarantee, or be responsible for the accuracy, efficacy, or veracity of any content generated by our users.