Skip to main content

Pension question, UK

How do I check my UK State Pension forecast from abroad?

From abroad there is no online application at all, and the online route in any case needs an invitation code from a letter sent to a UK address. Checking what you are owed means signing in and proving your identity against a list built around UK documents and UK bank accounts.

  • Source: gov.uk, read 3 October 2026

What to do next

  1. Gather your National Insurance number and the dates of each UK job before you contact anyone.
  2. Keep a note of any UK address the authorities may still hold for you, because letters go there.
  3. Run our free check to see the countries and records that matter for your working life.

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.

Run the free check

Questions people also ask

What does the UK State Pension depend on?

gov.uk states you need 10 qualifying years on your National Insurance record to get any of it, and 35 qualifying years for the full rate if your record began after April 2016.

  • 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.