The State Department has advised SSA that all contact with individuals in Iran must be made through the American Interests Section of the Swiss Embassy in Tehran.

All correspondence, including responses to inquiries and development requests, must be sent to the U.S. Embassy in Bern which gives the material to Swiss Foreign Ministry for their Embassy in Tehran. Do not contact individuals in Iran directly.

Use the following address to send material to the U.S. Embassy in Bern:

•  

  Consular Section

  American Embassy, Bern

  Department of State

  Washington, D.C. 20521-5110

  Attention: Federal Benefits Unit

Make sure the request is clear and complete. Do not use technical terms or abbreviations since the Swiss are not trained in U.S. Social Security matters and terms.

Attach all the necessary forms to the development request. Specify that original documents must be submitted. (The Swiss do not have the authority to certify evidence for Social Security purposes.)

Diary development requests for 120 days, with followups as explained in GN 00904.245.

To ensure that all notices, including those which are computer-generated, are routed through the U.S. Embassy in Bern, give all beneficiaries in Iran the following address:

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  c/o American Embassy, Bern

  Department of State

  Washington, D.C. 20520 833

Show the “20520” ZIP code as the last item of the address. Do not input it as the ZIP code.

Input the consular code for Iran (833) as the ZIP code. Use the geographic code for Iran (55270).

Flag the left side of the folder with the beneficiary's residence or mailing address.

Request incomplete notices when processing actions through EAM and MADCAP.

Send the original notice and one copy by OF-41 to the U.S. Embassy in Bern as explained in GN 00905.210C. Show the beneficiary's address and “For transmission to the addressee” on the OF-41.