When you move within the USA and do not yet have an American passport, it is important to remember that you will need to notify various government agencies and private companies about your move. In the USA, many things rely on address verification—from document processing to confirming your credit history. Companies often require ZIP code confirmation to authorize certain operations.
When to Change Your Address
If you are moving from one Airbnb to another without staying anywhere for a long time, changing your address might not always be the right move, as your mail might not reach you and forwarding may not work. Change your address when you have secured a lease for a few months and are confident that you can receive mail at that address.
Government Agencies
Let’s start with the government agencies where you need to update your address when you move.
| Government Agency | Why change your address |
| USCIS | This is the central immigration agency, and you are required to report your movements to them. There is a form AR-11 for changing your address, which can be easily done online. |
| USPS | The post office allows you to set up mail forwarding for a year from your old address to your new one for free. If necessary, forwarding can be extended. Use the Change-of-Address tab. |
| DMV | The Department of Motor Vehicles. You will need to notify them of your address change and renew your driver’s license. |
| IRS | The tax authority. If you forget to notify them of your address change, you might miss out on tax deductions. |
These are the general agencies where everyone needs to update their address. Also, remember to change your address if you have a registered legal entity, licenses, and other attributes.
Private Organizations
| Private Organizations | Why change your address |
| Banks and Credit Institutions | Banks verify you by your address and also send new cards to your new address. |
| Health Insurance Companies | Insurance rates can be calculated based on your address, and failure to notify them of your move can result in reduced coverage or denial of insurance subsidies. |
| Vehicle, Home, and Other Insurances | It’s essential to update your address for accurate coverage. |
| Work Organization | If you work as a contractor, you will also need to update your address with your employer (even, for example, with Uber Eats). |
| Mobile Phone and Internet Providers | This can be useful for address verification. |
I recommend creating a Google Docs table with all the organizations where you need to update your addresses. During your move, refer to the table and spend a couple of hours updating all the data.
It might also be helpful to write the names of the residents inside the mailbox, as sometimes the mail carrier may refuse to deliver letters to an address without identifying the residents (especially important for government mail).
