7 Crucial Things To Know About Social Security If You Move Abroad

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There are many great reasons to retire abroad including an affordable cost of living in some countries, access to new and exciting cultures and environments, and an opportunity to enjoy your golden years in a truly original way.

However, if you’re receiving or expecting to receive Social Security benefits, it might not be quite as simple as you hope to keep collecting those benefits while living abroad.

Here are some key things you need to know about your Social Security benefits if you plan to retire outside of the United States.

There Are Some Exceptions to ‘Abroad’

Remember that there are some territories of the U.S. that are not considered abroad, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa. If you retire there, you should have no problem getting your Social Security benefits.

You Can’t Receive Payments If You Live in 2 Countries 

If you’re keen on living in either Cuba or North Korea, however unlikely the latter may be, you can forget about receiving any benefits due to sanctions — the U.S. Department of the Treasury does not make payments to any U.S. citizens in those countries. However, your payments will be withheld for you to receive once you leave those countries or return to the U.S.

You Also Might Not Get Payments in These Countries, With Exceptions

There are further general restrictions on receiving Social Security payments if you are living in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. However, there are some exceptions you might be able to qualify for that would allow you restricted payments. If you plan to retire in any of these countries, you can visit The Payments Abroad Screening Tool to see if you’re eligible to receive your benefits.

Seek Countries That Have a Social Security Agreement With the US

If you are a resident of a country that has a U.S. Social Security agreement, you will be able to receive your U.S. Social Security payments with relative ease. These countries include:

• Australia
• Austria
• Belgium
• Brazil
• Canada
• Chile
• Czech Republic
• Denmark
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Greece
• Hungary
• Iceland
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Korea (South)
• Luxembourg
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Slovak Republic
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden
• Switzerland
• United Kingdom
• Uruguay

Things You Must Report To Stay Eligible

No matter which country you end up living in, if you are eligible to receive your benefits, you must keep the Social Security Administration (SSA) apprised of the following information:

• Change of address
• Work outside of the United States
• Change in disability (such as your disability improves or you return to work)
• Marriage, divorce or annulment
• Changes in parental circumstances, such as adoption of a child; a dependent child nearing age 18 becomes a full-time student or has a disability; or a former dependent is no longer
• Death
• If you have any kind of inability to access or manage your funds
• Deportation or removal from the United States
• You become eligible for a pension from work not covered by Social Security

If You Live Abroad Temporarily

You have six months to reside in another country without a Social Security Agreement as a temporary resident before the SSA will stop your benefits. 

It starts to count the calendar months of absence once you’ve been outside of the U.S. for 30 days in a row. However, if you return to the U.S. before 30 days, it will stop counting you as absent.

If you live abroad for longer than 30 days, but less than six months, you will continue to receive benefits. After six months, however, you will need to return to the U.S. for a full calendar year to reinstate your benefits.

Consider a Country Where You Can Receive Direct Deposit

Since SSA pays Social Security benefits through direct deposit, you’ll want to be sure that you have access to a financial institution that has an international direct deposit agreement with the U.S. 

Additionally, be sure to fill out the questionnaire the SSA sends out every one to two years that determines your Social Security eligibility; if you don’t fill it out, you may stop receiving benefits.

While an overseas retirement can be fulfilling, make sure it doesn’t threaten your ability to pay for it.

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