US Social Security Payments While Living Abroad (2026)
Key takeaways
- SSA treats you as “outside the United States” once you have been outside the 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa for at least 30 days in a row.
- US citizens can receive benefits in virtually any country indefinitely; the only countries the SSA cannot send payments to are Cuba and North Korea (US Treasury restrictions).
- Non-US citizens are subject to the six-month rule — payments stop after six full calendar months abroad unless you qualify for an exception, most commonly by being a citizen of a country with a US social security (totalization) agreement.
- You can usually have benefits paid by international direct deposit into a local bank account in dozens of countries, or into a US account.
- You must keep the SSA informed of address and status changes and return the periodic foreign enforcement questionnaire (Form SSA-7162), or payments can be suspended.
- The Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) were repealed by the Social Security Fairness Act, effective for benefits payable from January 2024 — good news for people who also earned a foreign or non-covered pension.
- Medicare does not cover healthcare received outside the United States, so budget for local or international health cover.
Who can keep receiving benefits abroad
US citizens entitled to retirement, survivors or disability benefits generally continue to receive them no matter where they live, with two exceptions where the US Treasury prohibits payment: Cuba and North Korea. If you are a US citizen living in one of those countries, your payments are held and released once you move to a country where the Treasury can send money and you meet the other requirements. The SSA sets out the full framework in its booklet “Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States” (Publication No. 05-10137).
Because eligibility depends on your citizenship, the type of benefit and the country you move to, the SSA provides an official Payments Abroad Screening Tool. Answer a short set of questions and it tells you whether payments can continue without restriction, will stop after six months, or are barred. Run it for every person on the record — a spouse or dependant may be treated differently from you.
The six-month rule for non-citizens
If you are not a US citizen, the general rule is that your benefits stop after you have been outside the United States for six consecutive calendar months. Once stopped, payments do not resume until you return and are lawfully present in the US for a full calendar month. Many people, however, qualify for an exception and can be paid abroad indefinitely.
The most common exception is citizenship of a country on the SSA’s Country List 1 — countries that have a social security (totalization) agreement with the United States or that pay US citizens residing there. This list includes the United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, the Nordic countries, Australia, Japan and many others. Additional exceptions apply for certain benefit types and for citizens of countries with broad social-insurance systems (Country List 2), subject to conditions. If none of the exceptions applies, the six-month clock runs.
How you get paid: direct deposit and questionnaires
The SSA can pay benefits by international direct deposit (IDD) into a local bank account in a large and growing list of countries, or into a US bank account you keep open. Where IDD is not available, you may be paid by cheque, though electronic payment is strongly preferred. Set this up through your my Social Security account or the nearest US Federal Benefits Unit at a US embassy or consulate.
Living abroad also brings extra reporting duties. You must tell the SSA promptly if you change address, change the country where you live, marry or divorce, start work, or if a beneficiary dies. Periodically the SSA mails a foreign enforcement questionnaire (Form SSA-7162 or SSA-7161) to confirm you remain eligible; if you do not complete and return it, payments can be suspended until you do.
WEP and GPO have been repealed
Historically, the Windfall Elimination Provision could reduce the US benefit of someone who also received a pension from work not covered by US Social Security (including many foreign pensions), and the Government Pension Offset could reduce spousal or survivor benefits on the same basis. The Social Security Fairness Act, signed on 5 January 2025, repealed both provisions with effect from benefits payable for January 2024. If your benefit was previously reduced because of a foreign or other non-covered pension, the SSA has been adjusting payments and issuing back pay.
Totalization agreements: avoiding gaps and double contributions
The US has bilateral totalization agreements with around 30 countries. These agreements do two things: they stop you and your employer paying social security taxes to both countries on the same earnings, and they let you combine (“totalize”) credits earned in each country so you can qualify for a benefit you might otherwise fall short of. If you will work abroad, ask your employer for a certificate of coverage so contributions go to the correct system.
Disability (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
The rules differ sharply by benefit type. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) follows the same payments-abroad framework as retirement benefits: US citizens can generally receive it overseas, and continuing disability reviews still apply. Supplemental Security Income (SSI), by contrast, is a means-tested payment that is not payable outside the United States at all — the SSA treats you as ineligible for SSI once you have been outside the country for a full calendar month, and it does not resume until you have been back for 30 consecutive days. If SSI is part of your income, factor this into any decision to relocate. The SSA sets out the distinction in Publication 05-10137.
Tax and healthcare while abroad
Social Security benefits remain potentially taxable when you live overseas. For US citizens and resident aliens, up to 85% of benefits can be included in taxable income depending on your total income; see IRS Publication 915. Non-resident aliens are generally subject to a flat 30% withholding on 85% of their benefits (an effective 25.5% rate) unless a tax treaty reduces it. Separately, remember that Medicare almost never pays for care outside the US, so keeping Medicare Part B while abroad may or may not make sense depending on whether you will return; plan private or local health cover accordingly.
How Flyto can help
Flyto moves households from the US to Europe and worldwide, door-to-door, so you can settle into your new country with less friction. While the paperwork above is yours to file, we handle the physical move end to end — packing, shipping, customs and delivery; get a quote.
Frequently asked questions
Can a US citizen collect Social Security while living in Europe?
Yes. US citizens can receive retirement, survivors or disability benefits in almost every country, including all of Europe, with no six-month cut-off. The only prohibited destinations are Cuba and North Korea. Confirm your case with the Payments Abroad Screening Tool.
Will my payments stop after six months abroad?
Only if you are not a US citizen and do not qualify for an exception. US citizens are not subject to the six-month rule. Many non-citizens qualify for an exception, especially citizens of countries on Country List 1.
How do I get my benefit paid into a foreign bank account?
Use international direct deposit, set up through your my Social Security account or a US embassy Federal Benefits Unit. You may also keep payments going to a US account.
Do I still pay US tax on Social Security abroad?
Possibly. US citizens may have up to 85% of benefits taxed depending on total income; non-resident aliens face 30% withholding on 85% unless a treaty reduces it. See IRS Publication 915.
Was the WEP reduction really removed?
Yes. The Social Security Fairness Act repealed the Windfall Elimination Provision and Government Pension Offset for benefits payable from January 2024, and the SSA has been paying adjustments.
What happens if I ignore the SSA questionnaire?
The periodic foreign enforcement questionnaire (Form SSA-7162) confirms continued eligibility. If you do not return it, the SSA can suspend your payments until you respond, as explained in Publication 05-10137.
Sources
- SSA — Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States (Pub. 05-10137)
- SSA — Payments Abroad Screening Tool
- SSA — Country List 1 (International Programs)
- SSA — Totalization Agreements Overview
- SSA — Social Security Fairness Act (WEP/GPO repeal)
- SSA — Federal Benefits Units (service abroad)
- SSA — my Social Security online account
- IRS — Publication 915, Taxation of Social Security Benefits
- Medicare.gov — Travel and coverage outside the US
- SSA — Can noncitizens receive Social Security benefits?