For many retirees, Social Security is the backbone of an overseas budget, and it is often the income that qualifies them for a retirement visa. The good news is that most US citizens can receive their benefits in most countries indefinitely. The work is in the details: knowing whether your destination is restricted, setting up the right kind of deposit, staying in touch with the Social Security Administration (SSA), and deciding what to do about Medicare, which mostly stops at the US border.
Can you get paid abroad?
If you are a US citizen, the general answer is yes. You can travel or live in most foreign countries without affecting your eligibility for Social Security benefits. The rules are stricter for people who are not US citizens: they are often subject to a six-month rule, under which payments stop after the sixth consecutive calendar month outside the US unless an exception applies.
The fastest way to check your situation is SSA's Payments Abroad Screening Tool, linked from the SSA international payments page. You answer a few questions about citizenship, benefit type, and destination, and it tells you whether your payments will continue.
Where payments cannot be sent
According to SSA's April 2026 edition of Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States:
- Cuba and North Korea: Treasury Department rules prohibit sending payments to people living there. US citizens can receive the withheld payments once they move to a country where payments can be sent.
- Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan: SSA generally cannot send payments, though some people qualify for exceptions under restricted conditions.
- Other sanctioned locations: additional Treasury sanctions can affect payments elsewhere. SSA points readers to the Treasury's sanctions program pages.
None of the popular destinations covered on this site, from Portugal to Mexico, are on these lists as of October 2026, but run the screening tool for your own case.
How the money reaches you
You have three main options:
- Keep your US bank account. Benefits can go to a US account no matter where you live, unless a country restriction applies. Simple, but you then need a way to move money abroad. See banking abroad for transfer and fee basics.
- International Direct Deposit. In countries with an international direct deposit arrangement, SSA can deposit straight into your local bank account in local currency. SSA's list includes many popular expat destinations in Europe and Latin America, but check the current list before you count on it.
- Direct Express debit card. A prepaid card that does not require a bank account. It can be used abroad, though ATM and currency fees apply.
SSA notes that direct deposit typically arrives one to three weeks faster than a mailed check and avoids check-cashing and conversion fees. Mailed paper checks abroad are slow, easy to lose, and increasingly impractical.
Set up deposit before you move
Changing banks while living abroad is slower, and some US banks ask questions when the account holder has a foreign address. Get your payment arrangement working, and confirm a payment or two, before you leave.
Reporting changes and answering questionnaires
Living abroad means SSA can't easily confirm your status, so it relies on you. Report changes promptly, including:
- Change of address, including moves between countries
- Work outside the US, which can affect benefits if you are under full retirement age
- Marriage, divorce, or annulment
- Death of a beneficiary
- Starting to receive a pension from work not covered by Social Security
- Changes affecting children or dependents on your record
SSA also mails questionnaires to many beneficiaries abroad. People in certain countries get one every two years, timed by the last two digits of their Social Security number. Return it promptly: if SSA doesn't hear back, it can stop payments. Keep a reliable mailing arrangement, which our guide to mail, phone, and a US address helps with. Failing to report changes can create overpayments that SSA will recover later.
For in-person help, US embassies and consulates with a Federal Benefits Unit, or a nearby regional unit, handle Social Security questions for people abroad.
Medicare mostly stops at the border
This surprises many people: Medicare generally does not cover health care you receive outside the US, apart from narrow exceptions. A retiree in Costa Rica or Thailand needs local public coverage, private local insurance, or international health insurance. Our healthcare abroad guide covers the options.
That raises a hard question for anyone 65 or older: what to do about Medicare while you live abroad.
Part A
Most people get premium-free Part A because they paid Medicare taxes long enough. It costs nothing to keep and is ready if you return to the US for care. Most people simply keep it.
Part B: the late enrollment penalty decision
Part B has a monthly premium, and it pays nothing for care abroad. Many expats are tempted to drop it or never sign up. The catch is the late enrollment penalty: Medicare.gov states you pay an extra 10% for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B but didn't. The penalty usually lasts as long as you have Part B, which for most people means the rest of their life.
Living abroad generally does not give you a Special Enrollment Period on return. If you come back and want Part B, you would usually sign up during the General Enrollment Period, January 1 to March 31, with coverage starting the month after you sign up.
Illustrative trade-off
Suppose you skip Part B for five full years abroad, then return. Your premium would carry a 50% surcharge for as long as you keep Part B. Compare that against five years of premiums saved, the chance you will move back, and how you would pay for a medical emergency on a trip home. Check the current Part B premium on Medicare.gov before running your own numbers.
People who are confident they will never live in the US again sometimes drop Part B. People who expect to return, or who travel home often, often keep it as insurance. There is no single right answer, which is why it belongs in your retirement abroad plan before you go.
Totalization agreements
The US has Social Security agreements, often called totalization agreements, with 31 countries as of October 2026 (Romania's agreement took effect September 1, 2026). They do two useful things. They prevent workers from paying social security tax to two countries on the same earnings, and they let people who split a career between the US and a partner country combine work credits to qualify for benefits from one or both.
| Region | Agreement countries |
|---|---|
| Europe | Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom |
| Americas | Brazil, Canada, Chile, Uruguay |
| Asia-Pacific | Australia, Japan, South Korea |
Popular destinations such as Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Thailand, and Ghana do not have agreements. That matters most for self-employed people still working; see US taxes abroad.
Taxes on your benefits
Social Security does not become tax-free because you live abroad. It is not foreign earned income, so the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion does not apply. Part of your benefit may be taxable in the US depending on your total income, and your new country may also want to tax it. Some US tax treaties assign the right to tax Social Security to one country or the other, so the answer varies by destination. Ask a US expat-tax professional to check the treaty for your country.
Before you go: a short checklist
- Run the Payments Abroad Screening Tool for your destination.
- Create a my Social Security account while you still have a US address and phone, and save your benefit letter.
- Choose a deposit method and confirm it works.
- Decide on Medicare Part B with the penalty math in front of you.
- Arrange reliable mail for SSA questionnaires and notices.
- Find the Federal Benefits Unit that serves your new country.
Check before you act
Immigration rules, income minimums, fees, and tax law change, sometimes with little notice. This guide is general information, not legal, immigration, or tax advice.
- Confirm current requirements with the country's official immigration agency or the consulate that will handle your application.
- For US tax questions, use IRS.gov and a tax professional who works with Americans abroad.
- Get advice from a licensed local attorney before signing leases, buying property, or submitting residency paperwork.
Common questions
Can I get Social Security if I move abroad?
Most US citizens can receive benefits in most countries for as long as they live there. Payments cannot be sent to Cuba or North Korea, and are generally restricted in several former Soviet states. SSA's Payments Abroad Screening Tool tells you how the rules apply to you.
Can Social Security be deposited into a foreign bank account?
Yes, in countries that have an international direct deposit arrangement with the US. You can also keep payments going to a US bank account from anywhere payments are allowed.
Does Medicare work outside the US?
Generally no. Medicare does not cover health care you receive abroad except in limited situations, so you need local coverage or international health insurance.
Should I keep Medicare Part B if I live abroad?
It is a trade-off. Dropping Part B saves premiums, but if you re-enroll later you generally pay a 10% higher premium for each full 12-month period you were eligible and not enrolled, for as long as you have Part B.
Sources
- Your Payments While You Are Outside the United States (Pub. 05-10137) — SSA. ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10137.pdf
- Payments Abroad Screening Tool and payments outside the US — SSA. ssa.gov/international/payments.html
- International Direct Deposit country list — SSA. ssa.gov/international/countrylist6.htm
- U.S. International Social Security Agreements — SSA. ssa.gov/international/agreements_overview.html
- Avoid late enrollment penalties — Medicare.gov. medicare.gov/basics/costs/medicare-costs/avoid-penalties
- When does Medicare coverage start? — Medicare.gov. medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/sign-up/when-does-medicare-coverage-start
Last reviewed October 17, 2026. General information only, not legal, immigration, or tax advice. Requirements change, so confirm with official sources before you apply. See our disclaimer.
