Retiring as an expat: Will your international career count?

Counting your work periods within the European Union

Here's a first piece of advice: don't assume your home country automatically knows about all the jobs you've held abroad. In most cases, your pension authority won't include your foreign employment periods unless you take steps to ensure it. That's a major issue for many expats who later discover that some of their working years were not credited, leading to a reduced pension.

If you're a citizen of an EU member state, however, you benefit from a significant advantage. Thanks to EU regulations, work periods completed in another member country are automatically recognized. The same applies to countries within the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland.

Still, “automatic” doesn't always mean “seamless.” You should verify that your foreign work periods are correctly recorded. Keep all relevant documents proving that you worked in another EU or EEA country, or in Switzerland, and review your career statement regularly.

Recognition of working abroad: The role of bilateral Social Security agreements

If you're not an EU citizen, or if you've worked outside the EU, make sure there's a bilateral social security agreement between your home country and your host country. Nothing happens automatically here either: governments are free to sign such agreements or not.

If an agreement exists, your work periods abroad may be credited toward your pension. Each agreement sets its own rules for how benefits are calculated. For example, some agreements allow foreign work periods to count toward eligibility but not toward the final pension amount, meaning part of your career abroad could go unrecognized financially.

Even when an agreement exists, your home country's pension authority won't always update your record automatically. You'll need to submit the necessary documentation and make sure all your work abroad has been properly registered. Salaries must also match across records. Depending on your situation, you may qualify for a pension in your home country, your host country, or both.

The United States

The United States has bilateral agreements with about 30 countries, including Italy, Brazil, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Hungary, and Uruguay. There are exceptions, particularly for American citizens or residents temporarily posted overseas by a U.S. employer. In such cases, the employee remains covered under the U.S. system for up to five years, with both employer and employee continuing to contribute to U.S. Social Security.

Please note that the U.S. Social Security Administration requires 40 credits to qualify for full benefits. Your pension is calculated based on your 35 highest-earning years. If you've spent a portion of your career abroad, you may not have enough credits. To have your foreign work recognized, you must have worked in a country that has a bilateral agreement with the U.S.

Belgium

Belgian authorities emphasize that working abroad can affect both the timing and the amount of your retirement pension. When you apply for your pension, any jobs you've held abroad are added to your career record and can increase your final benefit.

Belgian nationals are encouraged to declare any foreign employment through the dedicated government platform. There are also specific rules for those who receive both a Belgian and a foreign pension. The same principles apply to foreigners who have worked in Belgium, whether they're from the EU, the EEA, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, or a country with a bilateral agreement.

Interestingly, if you live in countries such as the Netherlands, Denmark, Australia, or Canada, you can even file your Belgian pension application from your country of residence, even if you've never worked there.

What to do if there's any issue

If your career statement appears incomplete or inaccurate, you can request a correction, provided you can supply the necessary proof. Typically, social security offices require employer certificates, work contracts, payslips, end-of-employment attestations, and proof of contributions to a recognized pension scheme.

However, if you've worked in a country that has no bilateral agreement with your home country, there's no guarantee your foreign work will count toward your pension. In such cases, your retirement will generally be calculated based only on the periods validated in the country where you file your claim, usually your home country.

The same applies if you've worked in several countries that do not have agreements with your home country: none of those periods will be considered when calculating your retirement benefits.