Expat pension tracing: adviser-led vs identification-only vs DIY

People who have worked in several countries usually have three ways to look for pensions they left behind: do it themselves, use an identification service, or work with an adviser. They differ mainly in cost, in who does the work, and in how the provider is paid. This page sets out each model factually, so you can choose the one that fits. Every fact about another company below was read on 16 October 2026 on the page we link where we use it.

Model 1: Do it yourself through official routes

Most countries run an official route for checking your record, and several are free. Our comparison of every option lists the route for all 41 countries we cover. Our free pension check shows which countries may hold a pension in your name.

• UK: the Pension Tracing Service on GOV.UK, a free service that gives provider contact details. It needs an employer or provider name.
• Germany: Deutsche Rentenversicherung Baden-Württemberg says it sends information by post at no charge (its press release).
• Switzerland: the Central Office for 2nd pillar pensions (Zentralstelle 2. Säule) takes search requests, and the request is free.
• Australia: lost super is checked through ATO online services in myGov (ATO). If you have left Australia, the departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP) is an application to be paid your super, not a search, and the ATO says it is free of charge.
• United States: the Department of Labor's Retirement Savings Lost and Found database is free, and the DOL says it does not charge a fee.
• Netherlands: mijnpensioenoverzicht.nl shows AOW and Dutch employer pensions, with DigiD or an EU login, as the Dutch government's Netherlands Worldwide site explains.
• Hong Kong: the eMPF Platform is the route now, since the MPFA's old enquiry service ceased on 5 October 2026.

Cost: often free. Work: you do it all, country by country, sometimes in another language and with a local login. Fits best: one or two countries, known employer names, and the time to follow up.

Model 2: Identification only

An identification service works out what may exist for your work history and where to ask, and you take it from there. This is what we do.

We identify pensions you may have left in the countries you worked in, across 41 countries, using official sources. Every report puts the free official route first, as our sample report shows. We identify only. You contact the funds yourself, so we never hold your money, we take no commission and we take no percentage of anyone's pension. We do not give financial advice.

We charge a flat fee. The Country Pension Identification Report is $99 for one country. The Enhanced Pension Identification Report is $129 for two countries, with a ready-to-send information request for every fund we find. The Global Pension Identification Report is $149 for three or more countries, full coverage across the countries we cover. Covering three or more countries? The Global report is $149 for every country we cover. If our report finds nothing material, you get a full refund. The refund terms are on our pricing page.

How we are paid: only by that fee. No commission and no share of any pension. Advice: none. We identify, we do not advise. Fits best: several countries, uncertain employer names, or no time to research each system. See our pricing and our directory of official pension portals.

Model 3: Adviser-led tracing

Some advice firms offer expat pension tracing. Titan Wealth International, for example, publishes a guide to expat pension tracing.

Advice fee models vary across the market, so ask any adviser for the full fee in writing before you start. Titan Wealth International also publishes a general note on what advisers charge to transfer a pension. It is about the market, not a statement of Titan's own fee.

Advice: yes. A regulated adviser can recommend whether to transfer or consolidate, which an identification service cannot. Fits best: people who already expect to want regulated advice on a transfer or consolidation.

Other models you may meet

Consolidation apps. In the UK, PensionBee, Penfold and Moneyfarm publish an annual fee on the money you hold with them (PensionBee, Penfold, Moneyfarm). Their pages are for UK pensions. We compare them in our finder apps comparison.

Partner referral. In the US, Capitalize says it is paid by its partners "if you choose to open a new account."

Fund side tracing. Some schemes use specialists, such as Heka Global, to find members they have lost touch with (Zedra, Dalriada Trustees).

We also run GPFR, the Global Pension Finding Register, a free register for people who worked abroad. You add yourself once. Nothing is shared without your yes, as the register page explains.

Comparison table

Frequently asked questions

When is DIY enough? When you worked in one or two countries, know your employers' names, and can use each country's login. Then the free official routes may be all you need.

What is the difference between identification and advice? Identification tells you what may exist and where to ask. Advice recommends what to do with it, such as whether to transfer. We do identification only.

Why does the fee model matter? Some services charge a flat fee and others a percentage of the money involved. A percentage rises with the size of the pension, and a flat fee does not. Check which one you are paying.

Do you work with advisers? Our reports are identification only. If you later want advice on a transfer, you can take our report to a regulated adviser of your choice.

Do you charge a percentage of what is found? No. We charge a flat fee per report, take no commission, and never hold your money.

Where to start

First, use the free official route in each country where you worked, from the list above or our directory of official pension portals. Our pricing page shows what a report costs if you want one.

We also compare paid services, country by country, on price, coverage and who keeps the money: German pension refund agencies, Australian super and money finders, Pension Pie and PensionHunter, French pension audits.