Claiming a Pension from Abroad
If you reside in Finland and claim a pension from an EU/EEA country, Great Britain, Switzerland or a country with which Finland has signed a social security agreement (Australia, Canada, Chile, India, Israel, Quebec, South Korea and the United States), we (Finnish Centre for Pensions) will pass on your claim abroad.
Claiming a pension from abroad when you reside in Finland
Your pension takes a different route depending on from which country you are claiming a pension. If you claim a pension from an EU/EEA country, Great Britain or Switzerland, the EU regulations apply.
If you reside in Finland, we will pass on your claim to the other country. Claim a pension from Finland and abroad on the same form.
When you claim a pension from a social security agreement country, the rules of the Social Security Agreement of the country in question apply. The content of the agreements varies between the countries, and each social security agreement country has its own claim form. If you reside in Finland, we will pass on your claim to any social security agreement country (except China). Claim your pension on a separate form of the social security agreement country. You must claim a pension from China directly from China.
If you are claiming a pension from a country with which Finland does not have a social security agreement (a non-agreement country), the national pension legislation of the country in question applies. You must claim the pension yourself directly from that country.
We get the pension claims from abroad either straight from you, a Finnish earnings-related pension insurance company or Kela. We compile the required information and pass on your claim for a pension from abroad to the country in question.
The foreign pension authority sends its decision both to you and to us. We register the information on the decision (excluding the pension amount) and pass on the decision to the relevant pension company and Kela.
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More elsewhere
- Työeläke.fi – Pension from abroad
- Työeläke.fi – How do I claim a pension from abroad?
- Työeläke.fi – Apply for an earnings-related pension (online application service, in Finnish only)
Handling times of pension claims abroad
The handling times of pension claims can last from six months to several years. We recommend that you claim your pension from abroad around six months before you wish to start getting your pension. Contact the pension authorities of the different countries to find out more detailed information on their handling times.
Claiming a pension from Finland when you live abroad
The claim process varies depending on in which country you reside. As a rule, if you reside outside Finland, you must claim your pension from Finland through the liaison body (usually the pension authority) of the country in which you reside. It will pass on your claim to Kela, which will handle your claim as far as the national pension is concerned if you have claimed for a national pension. Kela will also pass on your claim to your earnings-related pension provider for handling.
More elsewhere