There are differences in the pension systems of different countries, and each country grants a pension on the basis of its own legislation. Old-age pension ages also vary by country. The practices for applying for a pension are determined by the country in which you live and the country from which you are applying for a pension. Please also note that processing your pension application abroad may take longer than in Finland. It is a good idea to apply for a pension 6-9 months before the desired start date of the pension.
If you have worked abroad in the employment of a foreign employer or as an entrepreneur, you may be entitled to a pension from the country in question. Apply for a foreign pension with the same application as for Finnish pensions if you live in Finland and are applying for a pension in one or more of the following countries:
An EU and EEA country
United Kingdom
Switzerland
Countries with which Finland has bilateral social security agreements (Australia, Chile, South Korea, India, Israel, Japan, Canada, Quebec and the United States).
If you have an agreement with a foreign employer on other pension schemes than the statutory ones, you must personally apply for the pension from the pension provider in question. Other agreements may have been concluded, for example, on a professional supplementary pension or a contractual pension.
You can receive a pension from the Nordic countries, the Netherlands, Canada, Australia and Israel solely on the basis of having resided in the country.
A foreign pension will not generally influence the earnings-related pension you are paid in Finland, but it may affect your national pension or other social benefits e.g. unemployment benefits, social assistance or housing allowance. Find out how a pension paid from abroad will affect your social benefits before applying for a foreign pension.
A foreign pension will be taxed in Finland as income, and you must notify the tax authorities of this income.
When you live in Finland, you also pay tax on your pension in Finland, but you are usually compensated for the taxes paid abroad from Finnish taxes. If the pension is not taxed in the country in which the pension was earned, Finland will tax the pension normally.