Claiming your pension
Claiming a pension when you worked in several countries
6 min read · Updated 2026-07-14
Cross-border claims follow a single-entry principle: you file once, and the institution that receives your application is responsible for informing the others. Choosing the right entry point avoids months of delay.
File in your country of residence
As a rule you apply to the pension institution where you live, even if you never worked there. If you never contributed in your country of residence, you file in the last country where you were insured.
Your claim travels through the E-forms
The receiving institution circulates your record to every other country using the standardised electronic documents. Each of them then examines entitlement under its own rules and issues its own decision letter.
Plan for the timeline
Apply around six months before the earliest retirement age you qualify for. Decisions arrive at different times, country by country, and each can be appealed separately within the deadline stated on the letter.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need to file a separate claim in every country?
- Normally no. One application in the competent country covers all of them. A separate claim is only needed for schemes outside the coordination rules, such as some non-EU countries without a bilateral agreement.
- Can I start one pension and postpone another?
- Yes. Retirement ages differ, so you can draw one country's pension while deferring another. Deferring often increases the later pension, but the rules and bonuses are national.
- How long does a cross-border decision take?
- Expect several months. Purely national decisions are often issued in weeks, but every country that has to be consulted adds time, and missing periods that need clarification add more.
Country guides
Official institution, login method, document name and expected waiting time for every country we cover.
Related articles
- How to find a pension you built up abroadWorked abroad and lost track of the contributions? Here is how to identify every institution that holds pension rights in your name and get proof.
- Contribution years explained: weeks, months, quarters and daysCountries count pension periods in different units. Learn how weeks, quarters and days convert into years — and why totals differ between statements.
- EU pension coordination: how Regulation 883/2004 worksThe EU does not create one pension. It coordinates national schemes: periods are aggregated for entitlement and each country pays its own proportional share.
Informational content, not legal or financial advice. Always confirm your situation with the competent national institution.