Where in the world you live and work as a UK citizen will impact your entitlement to social security payments. If you are living abroad on a permanent basis you may be entitled to social security benefits and pension rises if you live in an EEA country, Switzerland, or a country that has a reciprocal social security agreement with the UK.

EEA Countries

• Lithuania
• Luxembourg
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Poland
• Portugal
• Romania
• Slovakia
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Sweden. 
• UK is also part of the EEA. UK means England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. 
• Gibraltar is treated as another EEA country by the UK. Other EEA countries treat Gibraltar as part of the UK.
• Switzerland is not an EEA country but is included in the majority of EEA rules governing social security.

See Living and working in the EEA for details of your social security requirements and rights.

Social Agreement Countries

• Barbados
• Bermuda
• Israel (the agreement with Israel applies to the territory administered by the Government of Israel on 19 July 1956)
• Jamaica
• Jersey and Guernsey
• Isle of Man
• Mauritius
• Philippines
• Turkey
• USA
• The separate republics of the former Yugoslavia that are not EU Member States (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, the Republic of Macedonia and Serbia). 

Back to top

• Print this page