Travel & Working / Pensions in the EU

Agreements reached at EU level make it possible for UK nationals to retire to the sun or anywhere else in the EU they fancy.

Pensions received in the UK can be paid to you in any other EU member country, so long as you are registered there. This is a simple process, and provided you can prove your income, you should not be refused. After five years of continuous residence, EU citizens are no longer subject to any conditions on residence and can only be deported in exceptional circumstances.

Your pension will be calculated according to your insurance record in each country: the sum you will receive from each of these countries will correspond to the length of your social security coverage there.

Even if you have worked in several countries, you apply for your pension in the country where you live/last worked and let the authorities there know where else you have worked. They will then ensure you receive all your pension entitlements.