This guide covers the four things every European newcomer must sort in the first weeks after arriving in the United States: a Social Security Number, a US bank account, health insurance, and your new tax obligations. It is written for residents relocating to the USA (and those moving back to Europe afterwards). Every figure, form name and rule below is drawn from official US government sources — the Social Security Administration, IRS, FinCEN, Healthcare.gov — and linked inline so you can verify the current detail before you act.

Freshness note: thresholds, fees, dollar amounts and eligibility rules change. Rules and numbers here reflect official 2025–2026 guidance; always confirm the specific figure that applies to your situation on the linked government page before relying on it.

Key takeaways

• Most work-authorised newcomers can apply for a Social Security Number using Form SS-5 and original documents proving age, identity and immigration status (SSA).
• US banks must verify your identity under the Customer Identification Program created by the USA PATRIOT Act; a passport plus a US taxpayer number or other government ID is typically accepted (FinCEN).
• The USA has no universal healthcare; lawfully present immigrants can buy coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace and may qualify for savings — though from 1 January 2026 premium tax credits generally require income at or above 100% of the federal poverty level (Healthcare.gov).
• Once you become a resident alien — by green card or the Substantial Presence Test — the US taxes your worldwide income, the same as a US citizen (IRS).
• If your foreign accounts together exceed $10,000 at any point in the year, you must file an FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) through the BSA E-Filing System, separately from your tax return (IRS).
• Larger foreign holdings may also trigger FATCA reporting on Form 8938, filed with your tax return once you cross the applicable threshold (IRS).

1. Getting a Social Security Number (SSN)

Your SSN is the master key to American life: it is needed for payroll, credit, many bank products and most government dealings. In general, only noncitizens with permission to work from the Department of Homeland Security can get an SSN for work; if you are not work-authorised, the SSA will issue a number only for a valid non-work reason required by law, and the card is marked accordingly (SSA — Social Security Numbers for Noncitizens).

You apply on Form SS-5, the Application for a Social Security Card (SSA Form SS-5). Bring original documents (not photocopies) proving:

• Age and identity — your passport is normally sufficient;
• Immigration status and work authorisation — for example your visa, the I-94 admission record, or the relevant USCIS document (SSA — documents you need).

Practical points that trip up newcomers:

• Wait roughly ten days after arrival before applying, so the SSA can verify your DHS records online — this speeds the process (SSA).
• An original SSN application for a noncitizen is generally handled in person at a Social Security office (some immigrants can instead request the number as part of the visa/green card application abroad).
• There is no fee for a Social Security card.

If you are not eligible for an SSN but still have a US tax-filing obligation, you use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) instead — a nine-digit number beginning with "9", available to certain resident and nonresident aliens and their dependents who cannot get an SSN. You apply on Form W-7, and you cannot hold both an ITIN and an SSN (IRS — Taxpayer Identification Numbers).

2. Opening a US bank account

Since 2003, US banks have been required to run a Customer Identification Program (CIP) under Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act — they must form a reasonable belief that you are who you say you are before opening an account (FinCEN — USA PATRIOT Act).

In practice the bank collects your name, date of birth, a residential US address and an identifying number. For a US person that number is usually an SSN; for a newcomer it can be an ITIN, and many banks will accept a foreign passport number together with proof of address if you do not yet have a US taxpayer number. Because CIP sets the standard but leaves banks flexibility in how they satisfy it, policies differ between institutions — so if one bank turns you away for lacking an SSN, another may open the account on a passport and visa.

Tips for a smooth opening:

• Carry your passport, US visa, I-94 and proof of a US address (a lease or utility bill).
• If your SSN is still pending, ask specifically whether the bank opens accounts on a passport/ITIN — some do, some insist on the SSN.
• Building a US credit history takes time; a secured card or a bank that reports newcomer accounts to the credit bureaus is a common first step. Your European credit record does not transfer.

3. Healthcare and insurance basics

There is no national health service in the United States and no universal coverage — you must arrange your own insurance, usually through an employer or the government-run marketplace. Being uninsured is financially dangerous: a single hospital stay can run to tens of thousands of dollars.

If you have a job, employer-sponsored insurance is the most common route, and the employer typically pays a large share of the premium.

If you do not, lawfully present immigrants can buy a plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace at Healthcare.gov. To use the Marketplace you must live in the US, be a US citizen, national or lawfully present, and not be incarcerated (Healthcare.gov — eligibility). Lawfully present immigrants may qualify for premium tax credits that lower the monthly cost, and — importantly for newcomers — may use the Marketplace during the five-year waiting period that applies to Medicaid (Healthcare.gov).

2026 change to worth noting: as of 1 January 2026, a statutory change (H.R.1) narrowed who can receive premium tax credits. Lawfully present immigrants must now generally have income at or above 100% of the federal poverty level to qualify for credits. Immigrants with income below 100% FPL who are barred from Medicaid solely because of their immigration status — a group previously able to receive credits during the Medicaid waiting period — may no longer qualify for that financial help. Confirm your current eligibility and the FPL dollar figures that apply to your household on Healthcare.gov — lawfully present immigrants before you enrol.

Two public programmes to understand:

• Medicaid / CHIP (low-income coverage): many qualified immigrants must complete a five-year waiting period after gaining qualified status before they are eligible, though refugees, asylees and some others are exempt, and many states waive the wait for children and pregnant people (Healthcare.gov).
• Medicare (age 65+ and certain disabilities): generally tied to a work/residency history, so recent arrivals are usually not immediately eligible.

Arrange at least interim/travel health cover for the gap between arrival and your first US policy taking effect.

4. Your US tax obligations as a newcomer

This is where a European move to the USA differs most sharply from moving within Europe. The US taxes residents on worldwide income, and it layers foreign-account reporting on top.

Are you a US tax resident?

You are a US resident for tax purposes if you meet either the green card test or the Substantial Presence Test for the calendar year (1 January – 31 December) (IRS — determining tax residency).

The Substantial Presence Test counts your days physically present in the US. You meet it if you were present at least 31 days in the current year and 183 days over the three-year period made up of: all the days this year, one-third of last year’s days, and one-sixth of the days from the year before that (IRS — Substantial Presence Test).

What resident status means

A resident alien is generally taxed the same way as a US citizen: you report all income — wages, interest, dividends, rental income, royalties and more — whether earned inside or outside the United States, on Form 1040 (IRS — Taxation of US Residents). This means your European salary, rental flat, pension growth or investment income can fall within the US net. Nonresident aliens, by contrast, are generally taxed only on US-source income and file Form 1040-NR.

Tax treaties between the US and your home country, the foreign tax credit, and provisions in the IRS’s guide for aliens (Publication 519) exist to reduce double taxation — but they do not remove the filing obligation (IRS Publication 519). Get advice before your first US filing season.

Reporting foreign bank accounts — FBAR

Separate from your tax return, if you are a US person and the aggregate value of your foreign financial accounts exceeded $10,000 at any time during the calendar year, you must file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) on FinCEN Form 114 (IRS — FBAR). The threshold is aggregate: several modest accounts can add up past $10,000. It is filed electronically through FinCEN’s BSA E-Filing System (FinCEN BSA E-Filing), not with the IRS, and is due 15 April with an automatic extension to 15 October — no request needed (IRS — FBAR).

FATCA — Form 8938

Under FATCA, if your specified foreign financial assets exceed the applicable threshold you must also file Form 8938 with your tax return. For a single filer living in the US, the threshold is met if those assets are worth more than $50,000 on the last day of the year or more than $75,000 at any time during the year — so a balance that peaked above $75,000 mid-year can trigger the filing even if it dipped below $50,000 by 31 December. The thresholds rise for joint filers and for those living abroad (IRS — Summary of FATCA reporting; About Form 8938). FBAR and Form 8938 overlap but are not the same filing — many newcomers with European accounts must do both.

How Flyto handles this

Flyto runs your household move to or from the USA as a single door-to-door PLATINUM service — overseas moves are Platinum only. That covers export packing at your European home, all customs documentation, sea or air freight, US customs clearance, delivery to your new address and unpacking. One team, one point of contact, both directions: whether you are landing in the USA or heading back to Europe.

The administrative side of settling in — SSN, banking, insurance and tax — sits with you and the relevant US authorities, but Flyto sequences the physical move around it: we plan your shipment timeline so your belongings arrive when your address and paperwork are ready, and we make sure the customs and inventory documents you receive are the ones you’ll need when opening accounts and proving your move. See the https://flytorelocation.com/us/moving-to-and-from-the-usa-2026-complete-relocation-guide/ guide for the full relocation roadmap and the https://flytorelocation.com/usa/ page for corridor-specific detail.

Frequently asked questions

Can I open a US bank account before I have an SSN?
Often yes. Banks must verify your identity under the Customer Identification Program, but an SSN is only one accepted identifier — many banks accept an ITIN or a foreign passport plus proof of address (FinCEN). Policies vary by bank.

How soon after arriving should I apply for an SSN?
The SSA suggests waiting about ten days so it can verify your DHS entry records online, which speeds processing (SSA). You apply on Form SS-5 with original identity and immigration documents.

Will the US really tax my income back in Europe?
Once you are a resident alien, yes — the US taxes residents on worldwide income, the same as citizens (IRS). Treaties and the foreign tax credit can prevent double taxation, but you still must file.

When do I become a US tax resident?
When you meet the green card test or the Substantial Presence Test — broadly, 31 days this year and a weighted 183 days over three years (IRS).

Do I have to report my European bank accounts?
If their combined value tops $10,000 at any point in the year, you file an FBAR (FinCEN Form 114) through the BSA E-Filing System (IRS). Larger holdings may also require Form 8938 with your tax return (IRS).

Is there free or automatic healthcare when I arrive?
No. The US has no universal coverage. Lawfully present immigrants can buy a plan through the Marketplace and may qualify for savings — but from 1 January 2026 premium tax credits generally require income at or above 100% of the federal poverty level, so some low-income immigrants who are barred from Medicaid by immigration status may no longer qualify for that help (Healthcare.gov). Medicaid itself usually carries a five-year waiting period for many immigrants.

What if I can’t get an SSN — how do I file taxes?
Use an ITIN, applied for on Form W-7. It lets you meet US tax obligations, but you cannot hold both an ITIN and an SSN (IRS).

Sources

• SSA — Documents you need to get a Social Security card
• SSA — Form SS-5, Application for a Social Security Card
• SSA — Social Security Numbers for Noncitizens (EN-05-10096)
• FinCEN — USA PATRIOT Act (Customer Identification Program)
• Healthcare.gov — Health coverage for lawfully present immigrants
• Healthcare.gov — Are you eligible to use the Marketplace?
• IRS — Determining an individual’s tax residency status
• IRS — Substantial Presence Test
• IRS — Taxation of U.S. Residents
• IRS — Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITIN)
• IRS — Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR)
• FinCEN — BSA E-Filing System
• IRS — Summary of FATCA reporting for U.S. taxpayers
• IRS — About Form 8938
• IRS — Publication 519, U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens