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Pension question, UK

Can I get my UK State Pension if I live abroad?

A person who lives abroad cannot lodge a UK State Pension application until they are inside a 4-month window before their State Pension age; the application is not open before that. gov.uk states you will not get your new State Pension automatically and have to apply for it, and that if you do not apply at State Pension age it defers automatically and you do not have to do anything.

What to do next

  1. Write down every UK employer and the years you worked there, with your National Insurance number if you still have it.
  2. Put your State Pension age in your diary, together with the window before it, so the application is not left late.
  3. Run our free check to see which other countries may also hold a pension in your name.

Check your own working life for free

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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Questions people also ask

Does the UK State Pension arrive on its own?

So nothing arrives, nothing chases you, and your silence is recorded as a decision.

  • Source: gov.uk, read 3 October 2026

Do years worked in other countries help me qualify?

If you have fewer than 10 UK years, gov.uk states that contributions you made in the EEA, Switzerland or a country with a UK social security agreement can be added to your UK years to carry you past the 10 year threshold, with the amount still based only on your UK years.

  • Source: gov.uk, The new State Pension, 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.