WASHINGTON, D.C.: The fee for Americans to formally renounce their U.S. citizenship has now been slashed by about 80 percent from US$2,350 to $450.

After years of legal battles with several groups representing Americans seeking to renounce their citizenship, the State Department on March 13 published a final rule in the Federal Register that reduces the cost to $450.

The promise to implement the new fee was made in 2023, but it never really took off. Now, it costs the same as it did in 2010 when the State Department began charging Americans to formally renounce their citizenship.

Giving up U.S. citizenship is a complicated and time-consuming process. People who want to do it must confirm several times, both in writing and in person, to a State Department consular officer that they understand the consequences. After they take a formal oath to give up their citizenship, the State Department must review the case.

In 2015, the fee for renouncing citizenship increased from $450 to $2,350. Officials said the higher cost was needed to cover administrative work because more people were giving up their citizenship. The increase partly happened after new U.S. tax reporting rules for Americans living abroad made many expatriates unhappy.

The sharp rise in the fee faced strong criticism from groups such as the Association of Accidental Americans in France. The group represents people living abroad who are considered U.S. citizens mainly because they were born in the United States.

The organization filed several lawsuits challenging the fee, arguing it was unconstitutional. One ongoing case says there should be no fee at all to give up citizenship.

In a statement, the group's president, Fabien Lehagre, said the organization welcomed the decision because it recognized the need to make this basic right available to everyone. He added that the result came after six years of continuous legal action and advocacy.

In court filings, the group said that since the 2023 announcement that the fee would be reduced, at least 8,755 Americans had already paid the full $2,350 to give up their citizenship. The State Department has not released the total number of Americans who have renounced their citizenship.