Pension question, France
How do I apply for my French pension from abroad?
L'Assurance retraite states that the pension is not paid automatically and must be requested five months before the date you want it to start, and that the start date is set at the earliest on the first day of the month after your application is received, and never before the date you applied. There is no backdating at all.
- Source: lassuranceretraite.fr, info-retraite.fr and franceconnect.gouv.fr, read 3 October 2026
What to do next
- Choose the date you want your French pension to start and mark the five months before it.
- Find your French social security number on old payslips or letters.
- Run our free check to see which other countries set a clock on your pension.
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Tell us where you worked. The free check shows which countries may hold a pension for you, and which can be ruled out and why. No sign in, no charge.
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Can I apply online from abroad?
Registration demands your French social security number, and full access runs through FranceConnect, whose accepted credentials are all French.
- Source: lassuranceretraite.fr, info-retraite.fr and franceconnect.gouv.fr, read 3 October 2026
Do you give advice on what to do?
No. We identify where a pension is likely held and the official route to it, and we name each source with the date we read it. We do not give financial, tax or legal advice.