A record number of U.S. citizens moved abroad in 2025, and the nonpartisan Brookings Institution expects the steady flow of emigration to continue this year. In other words, the U.S. is experiencing negative net migration, with more people leaving the country than entering.
If you’re among the hundreds of thousands who’ve decided to build your life in a new country, but you’ve earned Social Security in the U.S., you may have questions regarding your benefits. For example, you might wonder if you’ll continue to receive benefits, and if so, if those benefits change once you leave U.S. soil. Here, we answer those questions and more.
It depends on where you move
According to the Social Security Administration (SSA), the U.S. Department of the Treasury prohibits payments to anyone residing in Cuba or North Korea. If you’re currently living in one of those countries but have earned enough credits to be eligible for Social Security benefits, you can get all the payments the SSA withheld once you move to a country where the SSA is allowed to send payments.
While payments to Cuba and North Korea absolutely cannot happen, the SSA typically can’t send payments to people living in these countries unless they qualify for an exception:
- Azerbaijan
- Belarus
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
If you don’t qualify for an exception, the SSA will withhold your payments until you move to a country where payments can be sent.
The reality for most emigrants
The vast majority of emigrants won’t be moving to North Korea or Tajikistan. Rather, they’re likely to land somewhere like Costa Rica, Greece, Spain or Thailand. If that’s your situation, you can count on Social Security benefits just as you would if you were still living in the U.S.
Basic eligibility requirements for U.S. citizens
The rules for receiving Social Security benefits while living abroad are the same as they would be if you remained in the U.S.:
- Be a U.S. citizen or meet specific residency requirements.
- Earn the required 40 credits (typically amounting to 10 years of work).
- Reach the minimum age for your benefits.
How you’ll receive payments
There are several available methods for receiving benefits abroad. They include:
- Your U.S. bank account: By linking your U.S. bank account to your new international account, you can access the funds deposited as you need them.
- International Direct Deposit: Available in most countries, it’s a secure way to ensure your funds arrive. This delivery method automatically converts your currency to the currency of your destination country, and there’s no risk of checks being lost or stolen. International deposits normally arrive on the same schedule as U.S. payments.
- Payments by check: If direct deposit isn’t available in your country, the SSA can mail a check, though this method isn’t ideal. Not only do you face the risk of loss or theft, but you may also experience delays with international mail, and your bank may charge a fee to cash a U.S. government check.
Given that you’ve probably spent years planning for retirement, it’s good to know you have options if you choose to relocate, and that Social Security will still be there for you when you need it.
