U.S. citizens can generally receive Social Security retirement benefits while living abroad indefinitely in most countries, with payments continuing as long as "proof of life" requirements are met. Non-citizens may face restrictions after six months, and some countries are excluded. Always check the SSA's Payments Abroad Screening Tool for specific country rules.
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.
If you leave the U.S., we will stop your benefits the month after the sixth calendar month in a row that you are outside the country. You can make visits to the United States for specific periods of time, depending on how long you've been outside, to continue receiving your benefits.
This length of residency is termed 'Australian Working Life Residency' (AWLR) and is set at 35 years. This means that if a person has a 35 year AWLR and spends longer than 26 weeks overseas, they will continue to receive the full amount of age pension that they are eligible for.
If you have lived or worked in Canada and in another country, or you are the survivor of someone who has lived or worked in Canada and in another country, you may be eligible for pensions and benefits from Canada and/or from the other country because of a social security agreement.
Yes, you can receive your Canada Pension Plan (CPP) payments while living outside Canada, as long as you meet the eligibility requirements. The CPP is a contributory plan, meaning you must have made sufficient contributions during your working years in Canada to qualify for benefits.
To remain eligible for your Canadian provincial/territorial government health insurance, you cannot travel outside your province/territory of residence for a total of more than 7 months (212 days) within a year, or 6 months (183 days) if you live in Quebec, PEI or Nunavut. This includes travel within Canada.
If you earned Social Security benefits, you can visit or live in most foreign countries and still receive payments. Look up the country on the Payments Abroad Screening Tool to find out if you can collect your Social Security payments or survivor benefits.
If you leave Australia to live in another country permanently, your payment will stop when you depart. This is unless you qualify for Parenting Payment under a social security agreement. If you or your child travel for a short term, you'll get your payment for up to 6 weeks. After 6 weeks your payment will stop.
Latest Age Pension rate changes (from 20 September 2025)
Single: $1,178.70 per fortnight (approximately $30,646 per year) Couple (each): $888.50 per fortnight (approximately $23,101 per year) Couple (combined): $1,777.00 per fortnight (approximately $46,202 per year)
If you're entitled to Universal Credit when you go abroad, you can continue to get it for up to 6 months.
Except in the limited situations described on page 1, Medicare doesn't pay for health care services you get outside the U.S. If your circumstances don't meet these limited situations, you pay the full cost to the health care provider.
Going to live overseas
If you get NZ Super or Veteran's Pension and plan to live overseas, you must apply to keep these payments going. You need to meet certain criteria and how much you get depends on which country you're going to live in.
Yes. The United States taxes its citizens on worldwide income regardless of where they live. You'll need to file a U.S. federal tax return each year, even if all your income comes from foreign pensions or investments.
Yes, transfers can be made from The People's Pension to a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS) at your request. A 25% overseas transfer charge applies to certain transfers from a: registered pension scheme to a Qualifying Recognised Overseas Pension Scheme (QROPS)
If you're eligible, you'll get the Pension Supplement for up to 6 weeks at your current rate. If you travel for more than 6 weeks, your Pension Supplement rate will reduce to the basic amount either: after 6 weeks if your travel is short term.
You'll need to contact the International Pension Centre to move your State Pension abroad. Also, if you're getting Pension Credit, it'll stop if you move abroad permanently. If you're moving abroad to receive medical treatment, you may still be able to receive this benefit for up to 26 weeks.
If you don't have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account you'll need to create them. We may ask you for supporting documents about your travel. If we do, you should give us your evidence supporting documents before you leave Australia. The documents you need to provide depend on your circumstances.
The $1,000 a month rule is a retirement guideline suggesting you need about $240,000 saved for every $1,000 per month in desired income, based on a 5% annual withdrawal rate (5% of $240k is $12k/year, or $1k/month). It's a simple way to set savings goals, but it doesn't account for inflation, taxes, or other income like Social Security, so it's best used as a starting point, not a complete plan.
As a non-resident of Canada, you may be entitled to apply for Canada Pension Plan (CPP) payments and Old Age Security Pension (OAS) payments. Canada also has agreements with a number of other countries that offer comparable pension programs.
For Canadians retiring overseas, knowing how to access their Canada Pension Plan payments while living abroad is crucial. The CPP allows eligible retirees to receive payments in foreign countries, but you still need to ensure proper arrangements are made before leaving Canada.
Canada's 183-day rule is a key factor in determining tax residency: if you stay in Canada for 183 days or more in a calendar year, you're generally considered a resident for tax purposes for that entire year (a "deemed resident"), even if you don't have strong ties, subjecting your worldwide income to Canadian tax. However, this rule works alongside Canada's complex residency tests and tax treaties, meaning you might become a resident sooner with significant ties (like family or property) or avoid it if a treaty designates you a resident of another country.
Because CPP is a "member-contributed plan" it will always be yours, regardless of where you live in the world.