Wire Payments to Countries Not Accepting Paper Checks
IM-21-05
INFORMATION MEMORANDUM
IM-21-05
DATE: September 14, 2021
TO: State IV-D Agencies
SUBJECT: Wire Payments to Countries Not Accepting Paper Checks
Several countries have advised the United States that they can no longer accept paper checks for child support payments, or they have requested electronic payments. We are working on a long-term solution to this issue. Meanwhile, to ensure that payments reach families in these countries, states should follow the instructions in incoming applications and, where requested, send wire payments (also known as SWIFT payments) to the bank accounts for the Central Authorities of these countries.
Currently, the following countries no longer accept paper checks for child support payments, or they have requested electronic payments:
- Austria
- Belarus
- Czech Republic
- Hungary
- Latvia
- Portugal
- Romania
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Switzerland
- Ukraine
For future reference on a specific country's payment requirements, please go to the entry for that country on the OCSE International webpage.
How to make payments
Each country has provided payment instructions for its Central Authority. If requested, state SDUs should wire all payments for that country to the identified bank account.
Case data
We recommend states verify that the wire transmittal form used by their banks contains sufficient space to provide the case information required by the receiving Central Authority. If there is insufficient room on the wire transfer to send the case data, contact the Central Authority.
Please note that the Netherlands and Norway have U.S. bank accounts for receiving child support payments and have requested that states send child support payments by domestic ACH payments to those accounts. Further information for Norway and the Netherlands can be found on the OCSE International webpage.
SUPERSEDES: IM-18-11
INQUIRIES: Email ocseinternational@acf.hhs.gov
Linda Boyer
Deputy Commissioner
Office of Child Support Enforcement