How early can I apply for a pension from another country, and how long does it take?

It depends on the country: several set a window that opens months before the pension starts, and some close it before the start date. Austria: An application for an Austrian old-age pension can be filed at the earliest 6 months before the qualifying date (Stichtag) and at the latest on the Stichtag itself; the recommended time is about 3 months before (Source: pv.at, read 1 September 2026). Belgium: A Belgian pension application can only be filed inside a fixed window: no earlier than 12 months before, and no later than the month before, the date the pension is to start (Source: sfpd.fgov.be, read 1 September 2026). Our Cross-Border Pension Deadline Register holds each rule with its official source, and each country has its own deadline page.

How far ahead do other countries ask for the application?

• France. A French private-sector employee must file the pension application 5 months before the chosen departure date (Source: info-retraite.fr, read 1 September 2026).
• Liechtenstein. The Liechtenstein old-age pension application must be filed with the Liechtensteinische AHV-Anstalt three months before reaching retirement age, or before the desired start of an early drawdown (Source: ahv.li, read 1 September 2026).
• Luxembourg. A Luxembourg old-age pension is never awarded automatically: it must be applied for, and the application is submitted between 2 and 6 months before the intended pension start date (at least 6 months if there is a foreign career) (Source: guichet.public.lu, read 1 September 2026).
• Denmark. Payment of Danish tidlig pension (early retirement pension) must be applied for no later than two months before the date from which the person wants it paid (Source: lifeindenmark.borger.dk, read 1 September 2026).
• Hong Kong. An advance application for Old Age Allowance or Old Age Living Allowance can only be lodged in the one-month window immediately before your 65th or 70th birthday; if lodged in that window, your birthday counts as the application date (Source: swd.gov.hk, read 1 September 2026).

How long does it take once the application is in?

Where an institution states a time, we cite it.

• Singapore. The average processing time for such an application is stated to be about 12 weeks (Source: cpf.gov.sg, read 1 September 2026).
• Hong Kong. Separately, the MPFA states that trustees are generally required to pay out MPF within 30 days after receiving all required documents (Source: mpfa.org.hk, read 1 September 2026).

Getting a login from abroad can take time of its own. Netherlands. Applying for DigiD from abroad requires a Dutch BSN and a counter appointment or video call; the site warns that waiting times can exceed 30 days (Source: mijnpensioenoverzicht.nl and DigiD aanvragen in het buitenland, read 3 October 2026).

What if I apply late?

Then the months before the application may not be paid. Our post on backdating sets out the limits, and our post on whether a pension is paid automatically shows that the application is the step that starts it.

What can I check today?

The country hubs for the examples above: Austria, Belgium, France, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Denmark, Hong Kong, Singapore and Netherlands.

Our free pension checker and our free map start from your own work history. Our pension questions pages answer single country questions, our authority answers publish what national pension institutions told us in writing, and our monthly data release publishes our agreement routes and deadline rows as CSV, each with its source and read date.

Frequently asked questions

Do all countries set an application window? No. The rows above are the ones we hold with an official source; where a country states none, its deadline page says what the source does state.

Does PensionHunter apply for me? No. We identify and research: our reports name the scheme, who holds the record today and how to reach them. The application stays with you.

Sources

• Deadline register row at-4, citing pv.at, read 1 September 2026.
• Deadline register row be-2, citing sfpd.fgov.be, read 1 September 2026.
• Deadline register row fr-15, citing info-retraite.fr, read 1 September 2026.
• Deadline register row li-18, citing ahv.li, read 1 September 2026.
• Deadline register row lu-16, citing guichet.public.lu, read 1 September 2026.
• Deadline register row hk-11, citing swd.gov.hk, read 1 September 2026.
• Deadline register row dk-5, citing lifeindenmark.borger.dk, read 1 September 2026.
• Deadline register row sg-4, citing cpf.gov.sg, read 1 September 2026.
• Deadline register row hk-6, citing mpfa.org.hk, read 1 September 2026.
• Netherlands, pension portals directory entry, citing mijnpensioenoverzicht.nl and DigiD aanvragen in het buitenland, read 3 October 2026.