State Pension if you retire abroad

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1. Claim State Pension abroad

You can claim State Pension abroad if you’ve paid enough UK National Insurance contributions to qualify.

Get a State Pension forecast if you need to find out how much State Pension you may get.

Make a claim

You must be within 4 months of your State Pension age to claim.

To claim your pension, you can either:

If you live part of the year abroad

You must choose which country you want your pension to be paid in. You cannot be paid in one country for part of the year and another for the rest of the year.

Bank accounts your pension can be paid into

Your State Pension can be paid into:

  • a bank in the country you’re living in
  • a bank or building society in the UK

You can use:

  • an account in your name
  • a joint account
  • someone else’s account - if you have their permission and keep to the terms and conditions of the account

You’ll need the international bank account number (IBAN) and bank identification code (BIC) numbers if you have an overseas account.

You’ll be paid in local currency - the amount you get may change due to exchange rates.

When you’ll get paid

You can choose to be paid every 4 or 13 weeks.

If your State Pension is under £5 per week, you’ll be paid once a year in December.

Delays to payments around US federal holidays

If you live abroad and your payment is due in the same week as a US federal holiday, it could arrive one day late. This is because a US company processes these payments.

2. How your pension is affected

Your State Pension will only increase each year if you live in:

You will not get yearly increases if you live outside these countries.

Your pension will go up to the current rate if you return to live in the UK.

Get advice

Contact the International Pension Centre if you want advice on how your pension might be affected if you’ve already retired and are thinking of moving abroad.

3. Paying tax

How much tax you’ll pay and where you pay it depends on where you’re considered to be a resident.

UK residents

You may have to pay UK tax on your State Pension if you live abroad but are classed as a UK resident for tax purposes. The amount you pay depends on your income.

Overseas residents

You may be taxed on your State Pension by the UK and the country where you live. If you pay tax twice, you can usually claim tax relief to get all or some of it back.

If the country you live in has a ‘double taxation agreement’ with the UK, you’ll only pay tax on your pension once. This may be to the UK or the country where you live, depending on that country’s tax agreement.

4. Report a change in your circumstances

Report changes (such as a change of address or bank details) to the International Pension Centre by phone or in writing - do not send changes by email.

If you’re asked to fill in a ‘life certificate’

You may get a ‘life certificate’ form from the Department for Work and Pensions to check you’re still eligible for the State Pension.

You need to get the form signed by a witness. The instructions are on the form.

Your witness does not have to live in the UK or have a passport from any specific country.

The people who can sign the form are the same as those who can ‘countersign’ a passport photo.

Your payments may be suspended if you do not send the form back.

Returning to the UK

Contact the Pension Service - you need your return date and contact details, both abroad and in the UK.

Call HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to say you’re returning to the UK.