Social Security Abroad: What You Keep, What You Lose, and How to Claim from Overseas

Introduction: Social Security is more portable than you think

Of all the financial concerns Americans have about living abroad, Social Security is among the most misunderstood. The misconception that benefits stop at the border is widespread — and wrong. The Social Security Administration pays benefits to US citizens in virtually every country on earth. In December 2023, 703,865 beneficiaries lived in foreign countries, including retirees, disabled workers, and survivors (Table 5.J11). Source: SSA Annual Statistical Supplement, 2024.

The good news is that your Social Security retirement benefit is yours. You earned it through decades of payroll tax contributions, and moving to Portugal, Japan, or Mexico does not forfeit it. The bad news — and the reason this guide exists — is that several adjacent issues create significant financial planning complexity: Medicare does not work abroad, the Windfall Elimination Provision used to reduce your benefit if you earned a foreign pension (repealed in 2025 — covered below), certain countries are restricted, non-citizen spouses face additional rules, and the interaction between Social Security and foreign tax obligations requires careful planning.

This guide covers each of these issues in detail, with specific references to SSA publications, IRC sections, and bilateral agreements.

Portability rules for US citizens

If you are a US citizen, your Social Security retirement, disability, and survivor benefits are payable in almost every country in the world. The rules are straightforward:

• No benefit reduction for living abroad. Your monthly benefit amount is the same whether you live in Des Moines or Dubai. There is no foreign residence penalty.
• Direct deposit to a US bank from anywhere. The simplest payment method: maintain a US bank account and have SSA deposit your benefit monthly. You access the funds via ATM, transfer, or online banking from abroad. Schwab's checking account (with worldwide ATM reimbursement) is a popular choice — see our US Accounts Abroad guide.
• International Direct Deposit (IDD). SSA offers direct deposit to banks in many countries through the IDD program. Payments are converted to local currency at Treasury exchange rates. SSA's current IDD list names more than 150 countries and territories. Check the SSA international payments page for your country.
• Annual proof-of-life verification. SSA requires periodic verification that you are alive and eligible to continue receiving benefits. For beneficiaries outside the US, this is typically handled through the Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) at your nearest US embassy or consulate, or by returning a questionnaire mailed to your address of record. Failure to respond can result in suspended payments.

Non-citizen beneficiaries: additional restrictions

If you are not a US citizen, the rules are more restrictive. Non-citizen beneficiaries must generally meet one of several criteria to continue receiving benefits while outside the US, including: being a citizen of a country with a totalization agreement, having the worker who earned the benefit be a US citizen or have lived in the US for at least 10 years, or qualifying under one of several other exceptions detailed in SSA Publication No. 05-10137. After six consecutive months outside the US, payments may be withheld until the beneficiary returns to the US for at least 30 consecutive days.

31 totalization agreement countries

Totalization agreements (also called bilateral Social Security agreements) serve two critical purposes: they prevent double taxation of Social Security contributions, and they allow workers to combine work credits from both countries to qualify for benefits they might not otherwise be eligible for.

How totalization prevents double taxation

Without a totalization agreement, a US citizen working in France would owe Social Security taxes to both countries on the same earnings — FICA to the US and cotisations sociales to France. A totalization agreement eliminates this: generally, you pay into only one country's system, based on where you are working and the expected duration of the assignment. Workers on temporary assignments (typically under five years) remain covered by their home country's system. Workers on permanent assignments in the foreign country transfer to the foreign system.

How totalization helps you qualify

To qualify for US Social Security retirement benefits, you need 40 credits (approximately 10 years of work). If you spent part of your career working abroad in a totalization agreement country, your work credits in that country can be combined with your US credits to meet the 40-credit threshold. You would then receive a partial US benefit (prorated based on your US earnings) plus a partial benefit from the foreign country (based on your foreign earnings).

For example: if you worked 25 years in the US (100 credits) and 10 years in Germany, you easily qualify for US benefits on your own. But if you worked only 7 years in the US (28 credits) and 15 years in Germany, totalization lets you combine the German credits to reach the 40-credit threshold. Your US benefit would be based only on your 7 years of US earnings, but you would receive something rather than nothing.

Complete list of totalization agreement countries (2026)

The US currently has totalization agreements with 31 countries; the newest, with Romania, took effect on 1 September 2026. Each agreement has slightly different provisions, but the core principles (prevent double taxation, combine credits) are consistent:

Notable absences: China, India, Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and most of Southeast Asia and Latin America do not have totalization agreements with the US. If you work in these countries, you may face double Social Security taxation (paying into both systems) and cannot combine work credits.

Source: SSA International Agreements Overview.

Restricted countries and payment withholding

While Social Security is payable in most countries, a small number of countries are restricted. No payment is made while you are in one of them, however short your stay (SSA Publication No. 05-10137):

• Cuba and North Korea: payments are barred by Treasury Department regulations. US citizens can generally receive the withheld payments once they leave for an unrestricted country; non-citizens face stricter limitations.
• Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan: SSA restricts payments, with exceptions only through a special procedure for some beneficiaries.

Separately, non-citizens can lose benefits after six consecutive months outside the US; that rule depends on citizenship, not on the country you are in.

Important: Payments that are withheld due to residing in a restricted country are not lost permanently (for US citizens). They accumulate and can be paid once you relocate to an unrestricted country. But the loss of monthly income during your time in the restricted country is a real financial consequence.

SSA uses your address of record and annual foreign residence questionnaires to determine your location. Source: SSA Publication No. 05-10137, “Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States.”

The Medicare gap: the single biggest financial planning issue for expats

This is the section that matters most for Americans considering retirement abroad. While Social Security benefits follow you overseas, Medicare does not. This single fact — that the US government's health insurance program for retirees has essentially zero coverage outside US borders — is the largest financial planning challenge for American expats and retirees abroad.

What Medicare covers outside the US

Almost nothing. Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance) generally do not pay for healthcare services received outside the United States. The exceptions are narrow and specific:

• Emergency care at a Canadian or Mexican hospital when the foreign hospital is closer to your location than the nearest US hospital (applies primarily to border residents)
• Emergency care on a Canadian hospital while traveling the most direct route between Alaska and another US state
• Certain situations aboard cruise ships within six hours of a US port
• Care in a foreign hospital when you live in the US and that hospital is closer to your home than the nearest US hospital that can treat your condition, whether or not it is an emergency

That is the complete list. A heart attack in Paris, a broken hip in Bangkok, cancer treatment in Melbourne — none of these are covered by Medicare, regardless of how many years of Medicare taxes you paid. Source: Medicare.gov, “Medicare Coverage Outside the United States”.

Healthcare options for Americans abroad

Without Medicare, American retirees abroad must arrange alternative coverage. The main options:

• Private international health insurance. Companies like Cigna Global, Aetna International, and Allianz Care offer comprehensive plans for expats. Premiums vary enormously based on age, health status, and coverage area — expect $3,000–$12,000 per year for a retiree in their 60s with reasonable coverage. Pre-existing condition exclusions are common.
• Local country healthcare systems. Many countries offer public or subsidized healthcare that expats can access through residency programs. Portugal's SNS, Spain's public healthcare, Thailand's government hospitals, and Malaysia's public system are all examples. Quality, access, and cost vary significantly. Some countries (France, Germany, Japan) have excellent systems that are far cheaper than US healthcare even at full self-pay rates.
• Self-funding (medical tourism model). Some expats in countries with affordable healthcare (Thailand, Mexico, Malaysia, Colombia) simply pay out of pocket for routine and even major medical care. Hip replacement in Thailand: $12,000–$17,000. Same procedure in the US: $30,000–$75,000. This strategy works well in low-cost countries but carries catastrophic risk without some form of major medical coverage.
• Maintaining Medicare Part B for US visits. If you plan to spend time in the US regularly (visiting family, for example), keeping Medicare Part B active ($202.90/month in 2026, plus IRMAA surcharges for higher incomes) provides coverage during US stays. Dropping Part B and re-enrolling later incurs a permanent 10% penalty per year of non-enrollment (Social Security Act § 1839(b)).

Pre-Medicare retirees (under 65)

Americans who retire abroad before age 65 face the same gap domestically — they are not yet eligible for Medicare. The difference is that domestic early retirees can use ACA marketplace plans, while expats abroad generally cannot (ACA plans require US residency). International health insurance becomes the primary option.

WEP repeal: foreign pensions and the Social Security Fairness Act

For most of the last four decades, a foreign pension could quietly shrink your US Social Security benefit through the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP). That is no longer the case. The Social Security Fairness Act (P.L. 118-273), signed into law on January 5, 2025, repealed both the WEP and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) — the most significant change to Social Security benefit calculations in decades.

What the WEP was (historical context)

The old rule still matters — both for reading older guidance you may come across and for checking that any back payment you are owed looks right. The WEP was a formula that reduced the US Social Security benefit of someone who also received a pension from employment not covered by US Social Security. That included most foreign pensions: if you worked for a foreign employer and paid into their country's pension system instead of FICA, that pension triggered WEP.

• Maximum reduction (2024): up to $587 per month, for workers with 20 or fewer years of substantial US earnings.
• Phase-out: 30 or more years of substantial US earnings exempted you entirely; between 21 and 29 years the reduction tapered.
• Guarantee provision: the reduction could never exceed 50% of the foreign pension itself — so a $400/month foreign pension capped the reduction at $200, not the full $587.

The Government Pension Offset (GPO) worked similarly but hit spousal and survivor benefits, reducing them by two-thirds of a non-covered pension. Both are now gone.

What to do if you were affected

If you were subject to WEP or GPO before 2024, you generally do not need to take any action — SSA recalculated benefits and paid the back payments automatically, finishing in July 2025. But it is worth verifying: contact SSA, or the Federal Benefits Unit at your nearest US embassy, to confirm your benefit has been updated and that any back payment matches what you expect. Make sure SSA has your current mailing address and direct-deposit details, since that is how adjustments are delivered. Source: SSA, “Social Security Fairness Act” and SSA Publication No. 05-10045.

Survivor benefits abroad

Social Security survivor benefits — the benefit paid to a surviving spouse (or other qualifying family members) after a worker dies — are generally payable abroad, but the rules differ depending on the survivor's citizenship and country of residence.

US citizen surviving spouse

If you are a US citizen, you can receive survivor benefits while living in any unrestricted country. The rules are the same as domestic: the surviving spouse can claim a benefit equal to 100% of the deceased worker's benefit (if claimed at the survivor's full retirement age), or a reduced amount if claimed earlier. The surviving spouse can claim as early as age 60 (50 if disabled). Remarriage before age 60 generally terminates survivor benefits; remarriage at 60 or later does not.

Non-citizen surviving spouse

Non-citizen surviving spouses face additional requirements to receive benefits while outside the US:

• 5-year US residency requirement: The non-citizen surviving spouse must have lived in the US for at least five years during which the marital relationship existed (for non-citizen spouses of US workers). There are several exceptions. For example, the requirement does not apply if you live in a country that has a social security agreement with the US (other than Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Sweden or Switzerland). See SSA Publication No. 05-10137 for the full list.
• Country-specific rules: Whether a non-citizen spouse can receive benefits depends on a complex matrix of the spouse's citizenship, country of residence, and the deceased worker's citizenship and work history. SSA Publication No. 05-10137 provides country-by-country tables.
• 6-month rule: Non-citizen beneficiaries who leave the US for six or more consecutive months may have payments suspended until they return to the US for at least 30 consecutive days. Residents of countries that have a social security agreement with the US (other than Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Sweden or Switzerland) keep receiving payments, and SSA Publication No. 05-10137 lists other exceptions.

Planning implication for married expats: If you are a US citizen married to a non-citizen and living abroad, review the specific rules for your spouse's country of citizenship. The difference between your spouse being eligible for $2,500/month in survivor benefits versus $0 is a retirement-altering amount that should influence your claiming strategy, life insurance needs, and overall financial plan.

How to claim Social Security from abroad

The process of claiming Social Security benefits from outside the US is well-established and does not require returning to the United States. There are three primary channels:

1. Online at ssa.gov

The same online application available to domestic applicants works for Americans abroad. Visit ssa.gov/benefits/retirement and follow the standard application process. You will need your Social Security number, date of birth, citizenship information, bank account details for direct deposit, and information about your earnings history. The application typically takes 15–30 minutes.

Practical tip: The ssa.gov website works from most countries without issues. If you encounter access problems (some countries or VPNs may be blocked), try accessing from a different network or use the phone/embassy options below.

2. Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) at US embassies and consulates

Federal Benefits Units are staffed by Social Security representatives at US embassies and consulates worldwide. They can help you apply for benefits, resolve issues with existing claims, update your information, and process proof-of-life verifications. Not every embassy has an FBU — check the SSA international office locator for your nearest FBU.

FBU appointments are typically scheduled in advance. Processing times may be longer than domestic SSA offices, so plan ahead — ideally begin the application process three to four months before your desired benefit start date.

3. Phone: Office of Earnings and International Operations

Contact SSA's Office of Earnings and International Operations by phone at 1-855-522-6936 (7am to 5pm Eastern Time), by fax at 1-877-385-0645, or by email at oio.net.post@ssa.gov. This office handles international Social Security matters.

Setting up direct deposit

You have two options for receiving payments:

• US bank direct deposit: The simplest and most reliable method. Maintain a US bank account (even from abroad) and have SSA deposit benefits monthly. See our US Accounts Abroad guide for keeping a US bank account from overseas.
• International Direct Deposit (IDD): Available in more than 150 countries and territories. SSA deposits your benefit in local currency at the Treasury exchange rate. Convenient if you prefer local currency and do not maintain a US bank account. Processing time is typically 2–3 business days after the US payment date.

Strategies for maximizing Social Security abroad

The fundamental Social Security optimization strategies that apply domestically also apply abroad — the math does not change with your zip code. But living abroad introduces some additional considerations.

Delay to 70: the same math, bigger stakes

Delaying Social Security from 62 to 70 increases your monthly benefit by approximately 77% if your full retirement age is 67 (a little less if it is earlier). This “delay bonus” — 8% per year of delayed retirement credits from FRA to 70, plus the avoidance of early claiming reductions — is the single most powerful lever in Social Security planning.

For expats, the case for delay may be even stronger:

• Without Medicare, you need more income. Since Medicare does not cover healthcare abroad, your out-of-pocket health costs in retirement are higher. A larger Social Security check provides more cushion.
• COLA compounds on a bigger base. Cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are applied as a percentage of your benefit. A 3% COLA on a $2,640/month benefit (delayed to 70) adds $79/month. The same 3% on a $1,500/month benefit (claimed at 62 equivalent) adds only $45/month. Over 20 years, the compounding difference is substantial.
• Currency advantage in some countries. If you are living in a country with a weaker currency, the purchasing power of a larger US-dollar-denominated SS benefit can be significant. A $1,000/month difference in SS benefit may translate to a dramatically different quality of life in Thailand, Mexico, or Portugal.

Use the Social Security Calculator to model your specific claiming age trade-offs.

FEIE and FTC interaction with Social Security benefits

Social Security benefits may be partially taxable at the federal level — up to 85% of benefits can be included in taxable income (IRC § 86). The taxation depends on your “provisional income” (AGI + tax-exempt interest + 50% of SS benefits). For single filers, benefits become partially taxable above $25,000 provisional income, and up to 85% taxable above $34,000. These thresholds have not been adjusted for inflation since 1983/1993.

Excluding earned income under the FEIE does not lower your provisional income: IRC § 86(b)(2)(A) adds FEIE-excluded income back when working out how much of your Social Security is taxable. So the FEIE and the FTC give the same result on this question.

The FEIE versus FTC choice turns on other things instead: the FEIE removes the excluded income from IRA contribution eligibility, while the FTC keeps it. This interaction is one of many reasons cross-border tax planning requires professional help.

Tax treaties and Social Security

Some US tax treaties change who taxes Social Security. According to IRS Publication 915, US citizens who live in Canada, Egypt, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy (if also an Italian citizen), Romania or the United Kingdom are exempt from US tax on their benefits; the country you live in taxes them instead. Elsewhere, the US taxes your benefits as usual.

Working abroad: impact on the 35-year earnings record

Social Security benefits are based on your 35 highest-earning years of US-covered employment. If you work abroad for a foreign employer and do not pay FICA taxes, those years show as $0 in your SSA earnings record. If you have fewer than 35 years of US earnings, those zero years are included in the average and reduce your benefit.

Strategy: If you have already accumulated 35 years of strong US earnings, additional years abroad (with zero US earnings) do not reduce your benefit — SSA uses only the top 35. But if you have 28 years of US earnings and plan to work abroad for 10 more years, you will have 7 zero years dragging down your average. In that case, consider whether any of your foreign employment might be covered by a totalization agreement that prevents the zero-year problem. There is no voluntary way to pay in as an employee of a foreign employer. If you are self-employed abroad, you pay US self-employment tax on net earnings of $400 or more anyway (even on income excluded under the FEIE), and those earnings count toward your record.

Frequently asked questions

Can I collect Social Security while living abroad?

Yes, if you are a US citizen. Benefits are payable in most countries via direct deposit to a US bank or through the International Direct Deposit program. No payments are sent while you are in Cuba and North Korea (barred by Treasury regulations) and Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (restricted by SSA). Non-citizens face additional requirements. Source: SSA Publication No. 05-10137.

Does Medicare work overseas?

No. Medicare has almost no coverage outside the US (narrow exceptions near the Canadian and Mexican borders only). American retirees abroad must arrange private international health insurance, use local country healthcare systems, or self-fund. This is the single biggest financial planning issue for expats. See the Medicare gap section above.

What countries have totalization agreements?

The US has totalization agreements with 31 countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and Uruguay. See the totalization section for details.

Will working abroad reduce my Social Security?

It can, but in only one way now. Years of foreign employment with zero US Social Security contributions can produce zero-earning years in your 35-year average, which drags down your benefit. The second historical route — the Windfall Elimination Provision reducing benefits for those with a foreign pension — no longer applies: the Social Security Fairness Act repealed the WEP for benefits payable after December 2023. See the WEP repeal section above.

Can my foreign spouse collect Social Security?

It depends on their citizenship, country of residence, and whether they meet SSA's requirements — including generally having lived in the US for at least five years during the marriage, or being a citizen of a totalization agreement country. The rules are complex and country-specific. Contact the Federal Benefits Unit at your nearest US embassy for guidance specific to your spouse's situation.

How do I claim from abroad?

Three options: apply online at ssa.gov (works from most countries), visit the Federal Benefits Unit at a US embassy or consulate, or contact SSA's international office on 1-855-522-6936 or oio.net.post@ssa.gov. Start the process 3–4 months before your desired benefit start date. See the claiming section above.